Chris Weitz
Chris Weitz – 27th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, 2012 – Photo Credit: Richard Shotwell / PR Photos
Birth Name: Christopher John Weitz
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: November 30, 1969
Ethnicity:
*75% Ashkenazi Jewish
*25% mix of Mexican and some Irish
Chris Weitz is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He and his brother, Paul Weitz, co-directed the films American Pie, though Chris was uncredited; Down to Earth, and About a Boy. They also co-wrote the latter film, as well as Antz and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Working solo, Chris has directed the films The Golden Compass, which he also wrote; The Twilight Saga: New Moon, A Better Life, and Operation Finale. He has also written the film Cinderella (2015), and co-written the films Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Mountain Between Us, and Disney’s Pinocchio (2022). He also co-starred in the film Chuck & Buck. He co-created the show Off Centre.
Chris is the son of Susan Kohner (Susanna Kohner), an actress, and John Weitz (Hans Werner Weitz), a novelist, historian, menswear designer, and race car driver. His father was born in Berlin, to a Jewish family, and was sent to boarding school in England in the 1930s. His paternal grandparents left Germany in the late 1930s, because of the Nazi regime. His mother was born in California, to a Czech Jewish father and a Mexican mother, who was of Mexican and Irish descent.
Chris is married to Mercedes Martinez, with whom he has two children.
Chris’ paternal grandfather was named Robert Salomon Weitz. Robert was a prominent businessperson, who was awarded the Iron Cross by Germany, for being an infantry hero in WWI.
Chris’ paternal grandmother was named Hedwig Jacob.
Chris’ maternal grandfather was Paul Kohner (the son of Julius Kohner and Helene Beamt). Paul was a talent agent and producer, and was born in Teplice, Austria-Hungary, in present-day Czech Republic. Paul’s brother was novelist and screenwriter Frederick Kohner. Julius was the son of Nathan Kohner and Sophia Löbl. Helen was the daugther of Karl Beamt and Eveline Glaser.
Chris’ maternal grandmother was Lupita Tovar (born Guadalupe Natalia Tovar; the daughter of Severo Egidio Erasmo De La Lina Trinidad Tovar and Mary/Maria Alicia Sullivan). Lupita was an actress, and was born in Matías Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico. Severo was the son of Atanasio Tovar and Guadalupe Cid. Mary was of Irish and Mexican descent, and was the daughter of John William Sullivan, who was born in Mexico, and of Lucy Slocum, who was born in New Mexico, U.S., to an American father and a Mexican mother.
Source: Genealogy of Chris Weitz – https://www.geni.com
Mary Sullivan –> Mary/Maria Alicia Sullivan
Mary was of Irish and Mexican descent, and was the daughter of John W. Sullivan and Lucy Slocum.
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Mary was of Irish and Mexican descent, and was the daughter of John William Sullivan, who was born in Mexico, and Lucy Slocum, who was born in New Mexico, U.S., to an American father and a Mexican mother.
Weitz’s grandmother was born and raised in Mexico therefore he’s a quarter Mexican, not only 12.5%. Keep in mind that most Mexicans are ethnically mixed, so the fact that she had mixed ancestry doesn’t make her any less Mexican or only 50% Mexican.
Obviously her nationality was Mexican, but she only had half her roots in Mexico (likely with Spanish ancestors further back), the other half was in Ireland.
I think the idea people have of a “Mexican” in an ethnic sense is someone of Spanish, Indigenous, and/or African descent, with different combinations, the groups who were there during the colonial era. A person with the same ancestry as Chris’ grandmother would probably consider themselves half Mexican and half Irish too, regardless of where they were born.