Robert Schwartzman

Schwartzman in 2012, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Robert Coppola Schwartzman

Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: December 24, 1982

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

Robert Schwartzman, also known as Robert Carmine, is an American filmmaker, director, screenwriter, actor, and musician. He is the lead vocalist of rock/pop band Rooney. He has appeared in the films The Virgin Suicides, The Princess Diaries, It Happened in L.A., and Lost Transmissions. He directed the films Dreamland (2016), which he also co-wrote, The Unicorn, and The Argument.

He is the son of producer Jacob “Jack” Schwartzman and actress Talia Shire (born Talia Rose Coppola). His brother is actor Jason Schwartzman, and his half-brother is cinematographer John Schwartzman. Robert 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.

Robert’s father was Ashkenazi Jewish, of Polish Jewish descent. Robert’s mother is of Italian ancestry, and is from a Catholic family. Robert is married to Zoey Grossman.

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

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

Robert’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.

Robert’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 Robert Carmine – http://www.geni.com

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