Jason Schwartzman

Schwartzman in 2014, photo by DFree/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: Jason Francesco Schwartzman

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: June 26, 1980

Ethnicity:
*Ashkenazi Jewish (father)
*Italian (mother)

Jason Schwartzman is an American actor, producer, and musician. His roles include the films Rushmore, CQ, Slackers, Spun, I Heart Huckabees, Bewitched (2005), Shopgirl, Marie Antoinette (2006), The Darjeeling Limited, which he also co-wrote; The Marc Pease Experience, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Moonrise Kingdom, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Saving Mr. Banks, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Listen Up Philip, Big Eyes, The Overnight, 7 Chinese Brothers, Dreamland, The Polka King, Golden Exits, Mainstream, The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun, and Asteroid City, and, in voice performance, Fantastic Mr. Fox, My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea, Klaus, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; and the series Bored to Death, Mozart in the Jungle, which he also co-developed and wrote for; Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, Neo Yokio, Medical Police, and Fargo. He was a drummer in rock band Phantom Planet, of which Alex Greenwald is also a member; and has released albums through his solo project Coconut Records. He has often appeared in the films of director Wes Anderson.

He is the son of producer Jacob “Jack” Schwartzman and actress Talia Shire (born Talia Rose Coppola). Jason’s brother is singer and actor Robert Schwartzman, and his half-brother is cinematographer John Schwartzman. He is a nephew of academic and author August Coppola and director Francis Ford Coppola, and a cousin of actor Nicolas Cage and actress/director Sofia Coppola. His great-uncle was opera conductor and composer Anton Coppola.

Jason’s father was Ashkenazi Jewish, of Polish Jewish descent. Jason’s mother is of Italian ancestry, and is from a Catholic family. Jason was raised in no faith.

Jason is married to art and design director Brady Cunningham, with whom he has two children.

Jason’s paternal grandfather was Philip/Pesach Schwartzman (the son of Shraga Favish “Jacob” Schwartzman and Scheina “Jennie” Ostrowsky). Philip was born in Warsaw, Poland.

Jason’s paternal grandmother was Elsie M. Bernstein (the daughter of Morris Bernstein and Rose Ruder/Rudder). Elsie was born in Poland.

Jason’s maternal grandfather was Carmine Coppola (the son of Agostino/August Nicola Coppola and Maria/Mary Lillian Zasa). Carmine was a composer, born in Manhattan, New York, to Italian parents, with roots in Bernalda, Province of Matera, Basilicata. Agostino was the son of Carmine Coppola and Filomena Coppola. Maria was born in Tunis, Tunisia, of Italian descent, the daughter of Pancrazio Zasa and Antonia/Antoinette Montesano. The Coppola family owns a luxury resort in Bernalda.

Jason’s maternal grandmother was Italia Pennino (the daughter of Francesco “Frank” Pennino and Anna Giaquinto). Italia was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian parents. Francesco was a composer, who was born, c. 1880, in Naples, Campania.

Sources: Genealogy of Jason Schwartzman – http://www.geni.com

Marriage record of Jason’s paternal great-grandparents, Agostino/August Nicola Coppola and Maria/Mary Lillian Zasa – https://www.familysearch.org