Arnold Vosloo
Vosloo in 2009, photo by PrPhotos
Place of Birth: Pretoria, South Africa
Date of Birth: 16 June, 1962
Ethnicity: Afrikaner – including Dutch, French Huguenot, German, Swiss-German, Belgian Flemish, as well as distant or remote Danish, Norwegian, Indian [Malayali, some Bengali], Indonesian [Javanese, Makassarese], Timorese, Malagasy, Angolan, Scottish, Chinese, Swedish, Guinean, Ethiopian, and Austrian
Arnold Vosloo is a South African and American actor. He is known for playing the fictional pharaoh Imhotep in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001), as well as for his roles in the Darkman sequels and Blood Diamond.
Arnold is the son of stage actors Johanna Petronella Vorster and Johannes J. Daniel Vosloo. He became a U.S. citizen in 1988. Arnold is married to marketing director Silvia AhÃ.
He is an Afrikaner.
Arnold’s great-uncle was B. J. Vorster, who was the 8th Prime Minister of South Africa, from 1966 to 1978, and the 4th State President of South Africa, from 1978 to 1979. Arnold’s maternal grandfather, Johannes Wagenaar Vorster, was B. J.’s brother.
Arnold’s patrilineal line can be traced back to Johannes Vosloo, who was born, c. 1649, in Lippstadt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and to his wife, Helena Maria, a slave from Malabar, India.
Arnold’s paternal grandfather was Arnoldus Francois Vosloo (the son of Arnoldus Francois Vosloo and Christina Jacoba Clasina Dorfling). Arnold’s grandfather Arnoldus was born in Willowmore, Eastern Cape. Arnold’s great-grandfather Arnoldus was the son of Adolf Daniel Vosloo and Elizabeth Johanna Oosthuizen. Christina was the daughter of Johannes Michael Hendrik Dorfling and Alberta Susanna Jacoba Dorfling.
Arnold’s paternal grandmother was Maria Petronella van der Mescht (the daughter of Marthinus Johannes van der Mescht and Johanna Helena van Staden). Maria was born in Willowmore, Cape Province, South Africa. Marthinus was the son of Johannes Willem Frederik van der Mescht, whose father was from Ghent, Flanders, Belgium, and of Johanna Charlotte Jacoba Deysel.
Arnold’s maternal grandfather was Johannes Wagenaar Vorster (the son of Willem Carel Vorster and Elisabeth/Elizabeth Sophia Wagenaar). Johannes was born in Spitskop, Jamestown. Willem was the son of Olof Abraham Vorster and Anna Catharina Elisabeth/Elizabeth van der Merwe. Arnold’s great-grandmother Elisabeth was the daughter of Johannes Jacobus “Jan” Wagenaar and Johanna Maria Elisabeth/Elizabeth Wepener.
Arnold’s maternal grandmother was Johanna Catharina Nel (the daughter of Johannes Hermanus Nel and Johanna Jacomina de Kock). Johannes was the son of Johannes Tobias Nel and Susanna Elizabeth Erasmus. Arnold’s great-grandmother Johanna was the daughter of Josias Servaas de Kock and Johanna Alida Susanna Viljoen.
Sources: Genealogy of Arnold Vosloo – http://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Arnold’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Adolf Daniel Vosloo (through Adolf’s brother) (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Arnold’s mother (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.vorster.net
Genealogy of Arnold’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Olof Abraham Vorster – https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Arnold’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Johannes Jacobus “Jan” Wagenaar – https://www.wikitree.com
He has remote Scottish via his Crafford line.
Change Indian to Malayali, since his ancestor Catharina/Catrijn van Malabar was from Kozhikode, Kerala. He also has an ancestor named Helena van Malabar among some more. He seems to have more Malayali then other non-European ethnicities. Add Bengali as well, since Maria Groothening was Bengali as well as Maria Zacharias van Bengale.
He also as an ancestor named Lijsbeth Arabus, who was from Ethiopia (unspecified ethnicity) and captured and brought to Madagascar.
Change Indonesian to Javanese and Makassarese since his ancestor Rosetta van Java was from there. Her partner was named Jonker von Makassar, who was from Makassar City. Add Timorese.
He has remote Chinese ancestry via his ancestor Abraham de Veij.
Remote Guinean ancestry from Regina van Rapenberg van Guinea
He has Swiss-German ancestry through his Vorster line. Remote Austrian via Feigen line.
Remote Swedish via Olofsson line.
French should not be listed as remote, since it comprises a significant amount of his ancestry, second to Dutch.
Remove the Keralan tag, since it’s not an ethnicity and the proper term is Keralite.
Arnold’s paternal grandmother was Maria Petronella Van Der Mescht (the daughter of Marthinus Johannes van der Mescht and Johanna Helena van Staden). Maria was born in Willowmore, Cape Province, South Africa. Marthinus was the son of Johannes Willem Frederik Van Der Mescht, whose father was from Ghent, Flanders, Belgium, and of Johanna Charlotte Jacoba Deysel.
He unlikely has only “some” German ancestry, easily at least as much, or more, than Dutch. Yes, they told us at school that Boers are Dutch, but genealogies tell a different story, looking in depth. About Arnold’s recent ancestors’ surnames country of origin:
Vosloo- Germany
Dorfling- Germany
Oosthuizen- Netherlands
Van Der Mescht – Belgium (Flanders)
Vorster – Switzerland
Wagenaar – Germany
Van Der Merwe – Netherlands
Wepener – Germany
Nel – France