Wallace Shawn

Shawn in 2010, photo by s_bukley/www.bigstockphoto.com/

Birth Name: Wallace Michael Shawn

Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: November 12, 1943

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Wallace Shawn is an American actor, comedian, playwright, and essayist.

He is the son of Cecille (Lyon) and William Shawn (born William Chon), a magazine editor. His brother is composer Allen Shawn.

Wallace’s paternal grandfather was Benjamin William Chon (the son of William Louis Cohen/Chon and Esther Elizabeth Singer). Benjamin was born in either New York, U.S., to Polish Jewish parents, or in Warsaw, Poland.

Wallace’s paternal grandmother was Anna/Annie Bransky (the daughter of Morris Bransky and Minna Levy). Anna was born in England, to Polish Jewish parents.

Wallace’s maternal grandfather was named William Lyon/Lyons. William was born in Russia.

Wallace’s maternal grandmother was named Rose Levinson (the daughter of Simon Levinson and Rachel/Rachael). Rose was born in Carlstadt, Sweden, to Russian Jewish parents.

Each of Wallace’s grandparents was born in a different country, something that is fairly rare. Actors Remy Auberjonois, Hart Bochner, Raymond Cham, Jr., Noah Emmerich, Lily James, Stephen Lang, Jessica Lange, Logan Lerman, Robert Morley, Brett Pierce, Ben Rosenfield, and Andy Samberg, filmmaker John G. Avildsen, musicians Tom Cochrane, Paula Cole, Alex Pall, and Jeff Stinco, politicians Nick Clegg and Ricardo Maduro, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, are others whose grandparents were born in four individual countries.

Sources: Genealogy of Wallace Shawn – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Wallace Shawn (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Wallace’s parents on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Wallace’s father on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Wallace’s paternal grandparents, Benjamin William Chon and Anna/Annie Bransky, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Benjamin William Chon and Anna/Annie Bransky on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Benjamin William Chon and Anna/Annie Bransky on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Wallace’s mother on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Wallace’s mother on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Wallace’s maternal grandparents, William Lyon/Lyons and Rose Levinson, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
William Lyon/Lyons and Rose Levinson on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Death record of Wallace’s maternal grandmother, Rose (Levinson) Lyon – https://www.familysearch.org