Billy Magnussen
Billy Magnussen – “Into the Woods” World Premiere, 2014 – Photo Credit: Laurence Agron / PR Photos
Birth Name: William Gregory Magnussen
Place of Birth: Woodhaven, Queens, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 20, 1985
Ethnicity:
*50% Lithuanian
*37.5% German
*12.5% Norwegian
Billy Magnussen is an American actor and musician. He is known for his roles in the films Into the Woods, Bridge of Spies, Birth of the Dragon, Game Night, Aladdin (2019), The Many Saints of Newark, No Time to Die, and Road House (2024).
His father is of one quarter Norwegian, and three quarters German, descent. His maternal grandparents were ethnic Lithuanian immigrants, born in Latvia.
Billy’s paternal grandfather was Wilfred Magnussen (the son of Oscar Magnus Magnussen and Bertha Fredericka Muhlhauser). Wilfred was born in New York. Oscar was born in Illinois, the son of Norwegian parents, Magnus Magnussen and Walborg/Valborg Israelsen. Bertha was the daughter of Louis Elmer Muhlhauser and Frederica/Frida/Fredericka Bertha Goldstein, who were born in New York, both of them to German parents.
Billy’s paternal grandmother was Ruth Drucker (the daughter of William/Wilhelm Joseph Drucker and Augusta Brettschneider). Ruth was born in New York. William was a German emigrant, from Ruhrort, Duisburg, and was the son of Friedrich Joseph Thomas Drücker and Louise Neuhaus. Augusta was the daughter of Alvin Brettschneider/Bretschneider, a German immigrant, and of Victoria Cigler, who was born in New York, also of German origin.
Billy’s maternal grandfather was Algimantas Siemaška (the son of Jonas Siemaška and Paulina Švaigždytė/Svagzdyte).
Billy’s maternal grandmother is Otilija Meškauskaitė/Meskauskas (the daughter of Mikalojus Meškauskas and Stefanija Beinorytė/Beinoritė). Mikalojus was the son of Jonas Meškauskas and Paulina Student. Stefanija was the daughter of Beinoris.
Sources: Obituary of Billy’s uncle (father’s brother) – https://www.legacy.com
Genealogy of Billy Magnussen – http://www.geni.com
Death records of Billy’s paternal great-great-grandparents, Louis Elmer Muhlhauser and Frederica/Frida/Fredericka Bertha (Goldstein) Muhlhauser Balheimer – https://www.findagrave.com
I believe his paternal grandparents were Wilfred Magnussen and Ruth D. Wilfred was the son of Oscar M. Magnussen/Magnusen, whose parents, Magnus Magnussen and Walborg Israelsen, were Norwegian, and of Bertha F. Muhlhauser/Mulhouser (who was the daughter of Louis/Lewis Muhlhauser and Frederica Bertha Goldstein).
Obituary of Billy’s uncle (father’s brother), Richard Magnussen – http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/tampabaytimes/obituary.aspx?n=richard-magnussen&pid=130725407
That’s right
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/GFZC-QGW
Billy’s paternal grandfather was Wilfred Magnussen (the son of Oscar Magnus Magnussen and Bertha Fredericka Muhlhauser). Wilfred was born in New York. Oscar was the son of Norwegian emigrants, Magnus Magnussen and Walborg Israelsen. Bertha was the daughter of Louis Muhlhauser and Frederica Bertha Goldstein, both born in New York to parents from Germany.
I don’t know if Louis and/or Frederica were Jewish, obviously “Goldstein” is mostly of Ashkenazi origin, on the other hand, Muhlhauser is mostly found in Austria and Germany. Both are buried in “The Evergreens Cemetery” in Brooklyn, I don’t know if that’s a clue.
https://es.findagrave.com/memorial/182832877/louis-muhlhauser
Billy’s paternal grandmother was Ruth Drucker (the daughter of William/Wilhelm Joseph Drucker and Augusta Brettschneider). Ruth was born in New York. William was a German emigrant from Ruhrort, Duisburg, the son of Friedrich Joseph Thomas Drücker and Louise Neuhaus. Augusta was the daughter of Alvin Brettschneider, a German emigrant, and Victoria Cigler, who was born in New York.
I mean, with literal Goldstein and Israelsen, I’m not sure we have to do much guessing. His grandfather had a significant amoutn of Ashkenazi ancestry, obviously.
Goldstein is a quintessential Jewish surname.
Israelsen/Israelson is a Scandinavian surname though could be Jewish. As Romans said, nomen (est) omen. (Name is a sign).
I don’t think they were Jewish. They gave one of their daughters the middle name Christine. Most of their children married spouses who appear to be of non-Jewish German descent, and then Fredericka re-married someone who appears to be a non-Jewish German as well. The Evergreen Cemetery is non-denominational, so that’s a non-starter of a clue. I think they were part of the significant wave of non-Jewish German immigration to Brooklyn and Queens of the time (not that many German Jews going there, then, however).
It reminds me a bit of:
https://ethnicelebs.com/elaine-stewart
“Cigler” is also an interesting one. In fact it’s either Slovenian or Czech.