Wentworth Miller
Miller in 2008, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Wentworth Earl Miller III
Place of Birth: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: June 2, 1972
Ethnicity:
*25% African-American
*25% Jamaican [African, as well as small amount of Scottish]
*25% Rusyn
*12.5% Lebanese
*12.5% Curaçaoan [mix of Dutch, French, Swedish, Hispanic, remote Polish]
Wentworth Miller is an American actor, model, screenwriter, and producer. He has starred on television’s Prison Break, playing Michael Scofield, as well as Dinotopia and The Flash/Legends of Tomorrow, and in the films The Human Stain, Underworld, Resident Evil: Afterlife, and The Loft. He also wrote Stoker and co-wrote The Disappointments Room, both horror-thriller films. He has used the pseudonym Ted Foulke.
Wentworth was born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England, to American parents, Roxann (Palm), a special education teacher, and Wentworth E. Miller II, a lawyer and teacher. His family moved to Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York, during his early years. He holds dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship.
Wentworth’s father is black, of Jamaican [African, and a small amount of Scottish] ancestry on one side and African-American ancestry on the other. Wentworth’s maternal grandfather’s father was from the Caribbean island of Curaçao, and was of Dutch, French, Swedish, Hispanic, and remote Polish, descent, and Wentworth’s maternal grandfather’s mother was of Lebanese ancestry. Wentworth’s maternal grandmother was the daughter of Rusyn parents.
Regarding his ancestry and his experience with racism, he has said:
My experience is that I find myself having to constantly define myself to others, day-in, day-out… My encounters with racism are sort of second-hand situations where I might be standing around with a group of white friends and someone makes a comment that they wouldn’t make, say, at my family reunion. It leaves a cut. Someone calls you “n______” and it’s like a knife to the gut. To be in that sort of situation it’s just a little nick, but you suffer enough nicks and you bleed to death just the same. So when that happens, you’re confronted with the quandary: do I stop the party, do I grind things to a halt?
Wentworth has mentioned that one of his paternal great-grandmothers was Jewish (which was also written in The New Yorker in 2003). However, Wentworth’s paternal grandfather’s mother was a Black Jamaican, while Wentworth’s paternal grandmother’s mother was an African-American from the Southern United States. Therefore, it is not clear if Wentworth has any documented Jewish ancestry. Similarly, Wentworth has also been described as having English, German, Cherokee Native American, and Russian roots. It is not clear if any of these lineages have been verified/documented.
Wentworth’s paternal grandfather was Wentworth Earl Miller (the son of Claudius/Claude Cephas Miller and Rhena Jane Newman). Wentworth’s grandfather was born in 1925 in New York, to parents who were emigrants from Jamaica. The family is listed as “Negro” (Black) on both the 1930 U.S. Census and the 1940 U.S. census. Claudius was the son of George Miller and Rebecca May. Rhena was the daughter of Richard Pearce/Pierce Newman and Georgiana McDonald Rose. Georgiana’s father, Wentworth’s great-great-great-grandfather, was Scottish.
Wentworth’s paternal grandmother was Pauline Pinkston (the daughter of Greene/Green Fort Pinkston and Penella/Pernella/Percilla Bertha Horne). Pauline was born, c. 1925, in Tennessee. Pauline and her parents are listed as “Negro” (Black) on the 1930 U.S. Census and the 1940 U.S. Census, and “Mulatto” on other censuses, as was common for most African-American families. Greene was a prominent doctor, and was born in Mississippi, the grandson of freed slaves; he was the son of Ritten Pinkston and Fannie Gresham. Wentworth’s great-grandmother Penella was born in Tennessee, the daughter of Jesse/Jessie Henry Horne and Alice Hill. Pauline Pinkston’s second husband was Chester Oden, Jr.
Wentworth’s maternal grandfather was Frederick William Palm (the son of Hendrik/Hendrick “Harry” Frederik Palm and Melekia/Malakia “Margaret” Sabah). Wentworth’s grandfather Frederick was born in New York. Hendrik was born, in 1894, in Willemstad, the capital city of the Caribbean island of Curaçao, the son of Frederick/Frederik Wilhelm Palm, a merchant, and of Maria Josefa Helena “Elene” Conquet, who was born in Santo Domingo. Hendrik’s family had lived on Curaçao for many generations. His ancestry was Dutch (like many people on this island), along with French, Swedish, Hispanic, and remote Polish, with a forebear who was born in Brazil, and who was likely ethnically Dutch. The Palm line originated in Sweden. Wentworth’s great-grandmother Melekia was born in New York. Her parents, Namaan/Naman/Nemen Sabah and Emiline/Emileen/Emily Saba, were emigrants from Beirut, Lebanon. Nemen was the son of Michael Sabah and Anesa Haddad. Emily was the daughter of Abraham Saba and Sada/Saadie Abositty/Abste. This makes Wentworth himself of one eighth Lebanese descent.
Wentworth’s maternal grandmother was Mildred Emiliya/Emilya “Millie” Hawaka (the daughter of Nicholas/Nicolas Hawaka and Florence Busczniewicz). Mildred was born in Pennsylvania. Nicholas was born in Austria, likely of Rusyn descent. Florence was Rusyn.
Sources: Genealogy of Wentworth Miller – https://www.geni.com
Wedding announcement of Wentworth’s parents (with a picture of Wentworth’s mother) – http://news.google.com
Wentworth’s paternal grandfather, Wentworth Earl Miller, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Wentworth’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Pinkston – http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com
Wentworth’s paternal grandmother, Pauline Pinkston, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Wentworth’s paternal great-grandparents, Greene/Green Fort Pinkston and Penella/Pernella/Percilla Bertha Horne, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Article, including picture, about Wentworth’s paternal great-grandfather, Greene/Green Fort Pinkston – http://www.commercialappeal.com
Picture of Greene Fort Pinkston – https://static.wixstatic.com
Wentworth’s paternal great-grandfather, Greene/Green Fort Pinkston, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Wentworth’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Ritten Pinkston and Fannie Gresham, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Wentworth’s paternal great-grandmother, Penella/Pernella/Percilla Bertha Horne, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Wentworth’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Jesse/Jessie Henry Horne – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogies of Wentworth’s mother – http://www.myheritage.com
http://gw.geneanet.org
Death records of Wentworth’s maternal grandparents, Frederick William Palm and Mildred Emiliya/Emilya “Millie” (Hawaka) Palm – https://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of Wentworth’s maternal grandfather, Frederick William Palm (with picture) – http://news.google.com
Genealogy of Wentworth’s maternal great-grandfather, Hendrik/Hendrick “Harry” Frederik Palm (in the island of Curaçao) – http://www.henkbeers.nl
Information about Wentworth’s Palm ancestors – http://dominicaanserepubliek.nlambassade.org
http://www.oocities.org
Death record of Wentworth’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Namaan/Naman/Nemen Sabah – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Wentworth’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Emiline/Emileen/Emily (Saba) Sabah – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Wentworth’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, Abraham Saba – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Wentworth’s maternal great-great-great-grandmother, Sada/Saadie (Abositty/Abste) Saba – https://www.familysearch.org
Wentworth’s maternal grandmother, Mildred Emiliya/Emilya “Millie” Hawaka, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Wentworth’s maternal grandmother, Mildred Emiliya/Emilya “Millie” (Hawaka) Palm (with picture) – http://www.legacy.com
He has a significant amount of European (British Isles) on his fathers side too by the looks of it. This is his father Wentworth Miller II:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekxz4_eleYM
This is his paternal aunt Mila Jasey (father’s sister): https://www.ourcampaigns.com/images/candidates/b166/FullC166515D2015-09-23.jpg
I don’t think his (great)grandparents being listed as Black on the 1940 and 1930 census has any bearing as they were listed as ‘Mulatto’ on the 1920, 1910 and 1880 census’. I think the 1930s and 1940s census applied the ‘one-drop rule’.
Penella (also written as Pernella/Percilla Bertha Horne) and Greene Pinkston listed as ‘Mulatto’ on the 1920 census:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5M-HD7
Penella was the daughter of Jesse/Jessie Henry Horne and Alice Johnson. Penella and her father Jesse listed as ‘Mulatto’ on the 1910 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGXJ-5YR
Jesse was the son of Jesse/Jessie Horne and Mary Johnson:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSFN-F9D
Green Pinkston’s parents Ritten and Fannie on the 1910 census:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPDV-RCQ
Green Pinkston and his parents on the 1880 census:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4PS-HBT
His great grandmother Rhena Jane Newman was the daughter of Richard Pearce/Pierce Newman and Georgiana McDonald Rose (daughter of Alexander Rose from Scotland and Catherine Alexandrina/Alexandria Miller) Catherine was the daughter of James Miller/Millar Esq. and Mary Hellit/Kellet.
Richard was the son of Richard Newman (profession given as ‘settler’) and Jane. If Richard was a settler it’s likely he was English.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VHDR-DRR
George Miller was the son of Henry Miller (George is listed as a ‘planter’ which could mean he was a plantation owner?). Rebecca May was the daughter of Alexander May and Sarah Welcome. Sarah could have been Jewish. There are a few Welcome’s who were buried as Sephardic Jews in Jamaica.
http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/jewds07.htm
The town where his Jamaican ancestors come from, Clarendon, has/had a German population so I think it’s possible his father also has some German ancestry.
There is not one person in that family who really looks black. They are mostly white BUT they have some African ancestry too. This would make them black but we are not so naive to believe that.
His grand-uncle: https://eu.commercialappeal.com/story/news/local/2017/06/10/longtime-dentist-dr-charles-pinkston-dies-he-served-orange-mound-decades/385837001/
Good find about his Jamaican ancestors.
Being listed as “Mulatto” doesn’t mean anything for our purposes, since every person of African-American descent has ancestors that were listed as such, especially on the 1920 U.S. Census.
But in this case having ancestry from “freed slaves” implies white maternal ancestry.
… it does not, for any number of reasons.
@ Andrew
Follers is correct.. there are a number of different reasons . Some are like slaves who bought their own freedom, and started families. Slaves who were bought by black family members , and later freed. Because there were black people who were free over here, and actually own slaves. Those ex- slaves stayed away from white people. Places like Oregon, where Slaves were freed but forced to leave the state, and start all black towns or communities etc.
Wow, this is well detalied reseach. I believe my great great grandmother was listed as colored during the 1920 census as well. She was white passing. When she died. She had 2 funerals for her Black side and White Side of her family. This was back in Mississippi..
That being listed as Mulatto means nothing is total BS. So if there are many profiles here with ancestors listed as such, it’s because they had mixed-race ancestors. Such mixed-race looking ancestors do not come out of nothing.
He could be related to Lena Horne if their respective lines traces back to Tennessee.
Interesting and diverse mix
correction caucasian should be changed to white/ european
You cannot conclude that just because someone has lighter skin that they are less black. Black and African blacks come in many skin tones. People on here are so obsessed with black people it really shows. Look how many comments black celebrities get compared to white and Asian celebrities.
But the thing is, Wentworth is actually multiracial, yes, Africans can come in different colors (Moroccans, Algerians, Malagasy, South Africans, Guineans etc.), but he has a mix of different ancestry from other countries. His black ancestry comes from America and Jamaica… Obviously if you trace it far back it will lead back to different parts of Africa. Whether he’s light skinned, brown skinned or dark skinned. He’s still mixed.
African-Americans largely if not entirely descend to Bantu people from West Africa.
Who are very different people from North Africans (Arabized Berbers), Malagasy (Austronesians) and native South Africans (Bushmen/Khoisan/Capoid)
I know, most African Americans and Caribbeans have West African ancestry and some actually do have Malagasy ancestry as well, and don’t forget Malians and Mauritanians (both in West Africa) do have Berber ancestry too. That doesn’t mean they don’t have other African country ancestries. What I meant by other countries is that he is more than African, Wentworth has Middle Eastern, European, and maybe even Native American through his Hispanic ancestry too. Bantus have been in a lot of different parts of Africa too.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s really 50% black. I’ve noticed that black people have weak genes (it’s not offensive it’s true). Most of the half black people on this site look either white or Asian with one stereotypical black feature.
No, that’s not a valid fact. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone say that. Alot of people would say it’s the opposite. I’m sure his father has signifcant european ancestry which is why he has a european phenotype.