Isaac Cole Powell
Powell in 2019, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Place of Birth: Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 30, 1994
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – European
Isaac Cole Powell is an American actor and singer. He is known for his Broadway roles, including Once on This Island and West Side Story, and for appearing in the film Dear Evan Hansen and on the show American Horror Story.
His father, Will Powell, is a three-time world CrossFit champion. His father is African-American and his mother is white. A picture of Isaac’s father can be seen here.
He has said:
I pass as a white person and am afforded white privilege so I don’t feel like I was ever discriminated against – at least not to my face – and it’s not like I’m trying to pass. These are just the cards I was dealt. So no, I didn’t really experience racism towards myself, but I was privy to it. I encountered a lot of ignorance from people who didn’t know my dad was black and thought they could get away with saying certain things – certain, um, words – around me.
Isaac’s paternal grandfather is William J. “Billy” Powell (the son of William “Will” Powell and Elmira Giles). Isaac’s great-grandfather William was born in South Carolina. Elmira was born in South Carolina, the daughter of Mary E.
Isaac’s paternal grandmother is named Mae Oria.
Source: Obituary of Isaac’s paternal great-aunt (grandfather’s sister) – http://onlinechester.com
his dad more than likely has a significant amount of European ancestry, probably 40-45%
Probably more than that.
Isaac has a look that seems common in Brazil.
Yes, his father is quite mixed:
https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/59899
It’s weird how much of that interview is given over to the talk of him ‘passing.’ Like, maybe it’s because we can spot our own right away, but I’d never look at him and consider him anything other than biracial black-and-white. And even in the case where folks couldn’t spot the specific races he had, they’d almost certainly be able to tell he’s ethnically ambiguous.