Christopher Guest

Guest in 2007, photo by prphotos

Birth Name: Christopher Haden-Guest

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

Date of Birth: February 5, 1948

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish, some English, more distant Scottish and Sephardi Jewish

Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest, is an American and British (dual citizen) actor, writer, director, comedian, composer, and musician. His roles include This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots; he also directed the latter five films. He was a Member of the House of Lords as Baron Haden-Guest, Lord Temporal, from 8 April, 1996 to 11 November, 1999.

Christopher is the son of Jean Pauline (Hindes) and Peter Haden-Guest, 4th Baron Haden-Guest. His brother is actor Nicholas Guest. His father was from an upper-class family of British Jews, of English (non-Jewish) and Dutch Jewish descent, with more distant German Jewish, Czech Jewish, Italian Jewish, Spanish Jewish, Moroccan Jewish, Turkish Jewish, and Scottish, ancestry. Christopher’s mother was from a Russian Jewish family.

Christopher is married to actress Jamie Lee Curtis, with whom he has two children, who are adopted.

His uncle, David Guest, was a lecturer and Communist Party member, who fought with the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War, where he was killed.

Christopher’s first cousin, once removed, was Ewen Montagu, a British judge, Naval intelligence officer, and author, who with Charles Cholmondeley planned and carried out Operation Mincemeat, an important military deception during WWII. Christopher’s Goldsmid paternal great-grandparents were also Ewen’s maternal grandparents.

Christopher’s paternal grandfather was Leslie Haden Haden-Guest, 1st Baron Haden-Guest (the son of Alexander Haden-Guest and Catharine Anna Johnson). The 1st Baron Haden-Guest was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England, to a family of English descent. He converted to Judaism when marrying Christopher’s paternal grandmother. He later “renounced” Judaism. Alexander was the son of William Guest and Sophia Smith. Catharine was the daughter of John Johnson and Amelia Hill, who was of part Scottish descent.

Christopher’s paternal grandmother was Muriel Ethel Carmel Goldsmid (the daughter of Colonel Albert Edward Williamson Goldsmid and Ida Stewart/Stuart Hendriks). Muriel was born in Belfast, Ireland.

Colonel Albert Edward Williamson Goldsmid was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, the son of Henry Edward Tsebi Hirsch Goldsmid and Jessie/Jessy Sarah Goldsmit/Goldsmid. Christopher’s great-great-grandfather Henry was the son of Edward Moses-Goldsmid and Rose Joachim, both of whom were Jewish, and of Dutch Jewish and German Jewish descent, with Rose having been born in Amsterdam. Christopher’s great-great-grandmother Jessie was the daughter of Lionel Prager Goldsmid, who was of Dutch Jewish and German Jewish descent, and of Eliza Frances Campbell. Eliza was American. Eliza’s maternal grandfather, David Salisbury Franks, was Jewish (of German Jewish, and some Italian Jewish, Spanish Jewish, Moroccan Jewish, and Turkish Jewish, descent), although it is clear that Eliza’s other grandparents were of (non-Jewish) English and Scottish descent.

Colonel Albert Edward Williamson Goldsmid, Christopher’s paternal great-grandfather, was raised a Christian. Albert formally converted to Judaism while he was in his 20s. Albert’s wife, Ida Stewart/Stuart Hendriks, Christopher’s paternal great-grandmother, was born to a Jewish-born father, Frederick Hendriks (from a family of Dutch Jews and German Jews, and the son of Herman Hendriks and Abigail Rosetta Levien), and a Christian mother (of English descent), Hortense Campbell Littler. Ida was herself raised as a Christian. Ida formally converted to Judaism when she married Albert.

Christopher’s maternal grandfather was named Albert G. Hindes (the son of George Hindes and Peshe). Albert was a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Christopher’s maternal grandmother was named Margaret “Freda”/”Frieda” Friedman. Margaret was a Russian Jewish immigrant.

Christopher is a sixth cousin, once removed, of British adventurer Bear Grylls. Christopher’s paternal five times great-grandparents, Aron Benedictus Goldsmid Cassel Segal and Catherina Abraham de Vries-Rofe, who were Dutch Jews, were also Bear’s paternal six times great-grandparents. Christopher is also a seventh cousin of French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont, through their shared paternal six times great-grandparents, Abraham Casper/Gershon de Vries Rofe and Marianne/Margalith Asser-Shochet.

Sources: Genealogy of Christopher Guest – https://www.geni.com

Christopher’s paternal grandmother, Muriel Ethel Carmel Goldsmid, on the 1901 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Christopher’s maternal grandparents, Albert G. Hindes and Margaret “Freda”/”Frieda” Friedman, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org