Danielle von Zerneck
Birth Name: Danielle Frances von Zerneck
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 21, 1965
Ethnicity:
*father – Hungarian, Sephardi Jewish
*mother – German, English, Irish, French
Danielle von Zerneck is an American actress and film producer.
She is the daughter of Julie Mannix, an actress, and Frank von Zerneck, a television producer. She is married to English musician James Fearnley.
Danielle’s paternal grandfather was actor Peter von Zerneck (born Harald/Harold Maria Erzo/Erno Zerneck; the son of Erno Tade Alajos/Ernest Zerneck/Zarneck and Maria). Harald was born in Budapest, Hungary.
Danielle’s paternal grandmother was Bella/Beatrice Francis (the daughter of Morris Francis and Esther/Ester Ellis). Bella was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, and was Sephardi Jewish.
Danielle’s maternal grandfather was Daniel P. Mannix (Daniel Pratt Mannix IV; the son of Daniel Pratt Mannix III and Mary Hawthorne Perkins). Danielle’s grandfather Daniel was born in Pennsylvania, and is an author and journalist. Danielle’s great-grandfather Daniel was the son of Daniel Pratt Mannix and Ella Butler Stevens. Mary was the daughter of Charles Penrose Perkins and Helen Armstrong Wright.
Danielle’s maternal grandmother was Jules Brock Junker (the daughter of Jules Xavier Junker and Rose Brock). Jules was born in Pennsylvania. Jules was the son of Jules Xavier Junker, who was Alsatian German, and of Annie/Amy/Aimee Bigeon, whose parents were French. Rose’s mother was Irish.
Sources: Genealogy of Danielle van Zerneck (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Danielle’s paternal grandfather, Peter von Zerneck, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Danielle’s paternal grandmother, Bella/Beatrice Francis, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Danielle’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Helen Armstrong Wright, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Danielle’s maternal grandmother, Jules Brock Junker, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jules Brock Junker on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Danielle’s maternal great-grandfather, Jules Xavier Junker, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Bablah, German?
Bablah provided some info on her paternal side:
Danielle’s paternal grandfather was actor Peter von Zerneck (born Harald/Harold Maria Erzo/Erno Zerneck; the son of Erno Tade Alajos/Ernest Zerneck/Zarneck and Maria). Harald was born in Budapest, Hungary.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3YJ-65V
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK3R-DLW9
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:242L-N7C
About these documents, bablah writes:
“On two of them his race is Magyar, BUT, on one he speaks both German and Hungarian, and on the other there is something written bellow Magyar, but I can’t make out what it says. For what it’s worth, Zerneck does appear to be a German last name. Whether he’s Jewish or Christian, it’s hard to tell.”
Danielle’s paternal grandmother was Beatrice Francis (the daughter of Morris Francis and Esther Ellis). Beatrice was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, and was Sephardi Jewish.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4TJ-Z6Z
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JNTR-522
Just when I posted the comment, I found this text that Danielle’s mother has written, which includes information about her husband’s parents:
“He was the first-born of immigrant parents—his mother a Sephardic Jew, his father the son of a baroness from Austria-Hungry.”
http://secretstorms.com/finding-my-place-in-my-family-part-ii/
So her grandfather was probably not Jewish then. The text can say:
*German and/or Hungarian (paternal grandfather)
*Sephardi Jewish (paternal grandmother)
*English, Irish, German, French (mother)