Asher Angel

Asher Angel – “Beauty And The Beast” Los Angeles Premiere – Arrivals – El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Boulevard – Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2017 – Photo Credit: Izumi Hasegawa / PRPhotos.com

Birth Name: Asher Dov Angel

Place of Birth: Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

Date of Birth: September 6, 2002

Ethnicity:
*75% Jewish [Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish]
*25% British Isles [English, Scottish]

Asher Angel is an American actor and singer. He stars as Billy Batson in the Shazam! films. The character was played by Michael Gray in the 1970s television series. He has also appeared in the films Jolene and Darby and the Dead.

Asher is Jewish and had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. His first and middle names are Hebrew, Asher meaning “happy” and Dov meaning “bear,” therefore, “happy bear.” He was raised in Paradise Valley, AZ.

Asher’s paternal grandparents, and maternal grandfather, are from Jewish families, of Ashkenazi and Sephardi descent; his paternal great-grandfather was Sephardi. Asher’s maternal grandmother has English and Scottish ancestry, and may have converted to Judaism.

He is the brother of London Bleu and Avi Angel.

Asher’s paternal grandfather is Dennis Angel (the son of Sam/Samuel J. Angel and Dorothy Mildred Cohn/Colby). Dennis was born in California. Sam was born in Washington, to Jewish parents from Italy and/or Turkey, Jake/Jack Angel and Rachel/Rachael Hasson. They were Sephardi Jews. Dorothy was the daughter of David Walter Cohn/Colby, who was born in New Jersey, to Russian Jewish parents, and of Silvia/Sylvia D. Sabolcsy, who was born in California, to Hungarian Jewish parents.

Asher’s paternal grandmother is Pamela Doshay (the daughter of Carl Doshay and Ann Fink). Pamela was born in California. Carl was born in New York, the son of a Russian Jewish father, Hersch Dashewsky/Harry Doshay, from Kiev, and of a Polish Jewish mother, Gussie/Gussia Citron/Sitron.

Asher’s maternal grandfather is art world figure Dennis Yares (the son of Samuel/Sam Isaac “Sol” Schoffman and Riva/Rivka Kilstok). Samuel was born in Latvia, the son of a Lithuanian Jewish father, Shneur Zalman/Salman/Salmon Schoffman, from Vilna, and of a Russian Jewish mother, Leah Minkoff. Asher’s great-grandmother Riva is a writer, publishing executive, and art dealer, known by her remarriage name Riva Yares. She founded The Riva Yares Gallery in 1964 in Scottsdale. She was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, the daughter of Fishel Kilstok and Sala Singer, who were Polish Jews.

Asher’s maternal grandmother is Juliet Newbury (the daughter of Forrest Irving Newbury and Leola Pearl Anderson). Juliet was born in California. Forrest was the son of Forrest Irving Newbury and Ruth Cleva Bruce. Leola was the daughter of Thomas Franklin “T. F.” Anderson and Jessie Sesonia/Seconia Wallis. Known as “Penny,” Asher’s great-grandmother had a professional singing career in the 1930s and 1940s in Phoenix.

Sources: Arizona Jewish Life profile of Asher Angel – http://azjewishlife.com

Marriage record of Asher’s paternal great-grandparents, Sam/Samuel J. Angel and Dorothy Mildred Cohn/Colby – https://www.familysearch.org

Asher’s paternal great-grandfather, Sam/Samuel J. Angel, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Sam/Samuel J. Angel on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Asher’s paternal great-grandmother, Dorothy Mildred Cohn/Colby, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Asher’s paternal great-grandfather, Carl Doshay – https://www.geni.com

Asher’s paternal great-grandfather, Carl Doshay, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Asher’s paternal great-grandfather, Carl Doshay – https://www.tulsaworld.com

Marriage record of Asher’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Hersch Dashewsky/Harry Doshay and Gussie/Gussia Citron/Sitron – https://www.familysearch.org

Asher’s maternal great-grandfather, Samuel/Sam Isaac “Sol” Schoffman, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Asher’s maternal great-grandmother, Leola Pearl “Penny” (Anderson) Newbury Ceasor – https://www.newspapers.com