Jack Kilmer

Kilmer in 2017, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Jack Cole B. R. Whalley-Kilmer

Place of Birth: Washington, U.S. (according to this)

Date of Birth: June 6, 1995

Ethnicity: Swedish (paternal grandmother), English, Irish, German, Welsh, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Ashkenazi Jewish, distant French Huguenot

Jack Kilmer is an American actor. His roles include the films Palo Alto, The Stanford Prison Experiment, Len & Company, The Nice Guys, Woodshock, Lords of Chaos, Josie, Summer ’03, The Pretenders, Wobble Palace, Hala, The Giant, Body Brokers, and Detective Knight: Independence.

He is the son of actors Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley. His father is American, and was born in California. His mother is English, and was born in Manchester, Lancashire; she appears to be of one eighth Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry through her (and Jack’s) matrilineal line. Jack was raised in Los Angeles, California. He also has British citizenship through his mother. He narrated the documentary film about his father, Val.

Jack’s paternal grandfather was Eugene Dorris Kilmer (the son of Thomas/Tom Walker Kilmer and Nora/Norah Elizabeth Jones). Eugene was born in Texas, and was of German, English, Welsh, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and French Huguenot ancestry. Thomas was a gold miner in New Mexico, and was the son of Jeremiah Early Kilmer and Nancy Williams. Nora was the daughter of Stephen T. Jones and Sarah Elizabeth “Sallie” Webb.

Jack’s paternal grandmother is Gladys Swanette Ekstadt (the daughter of John Edward Ekstadt and Hilma Charlotte Swanson). Gladys was born in Indiana. John was born in Martin, Minnesota, to Swedish parents, John August Ekstadt and Anna Elizabeth Wester. Hilma was born in Sweden, the daughter of Bror Swanson and Karna Elizabeth Nilsdotter.

Jack’s maternal grandfather was John Whalley (the son of John Whalley and Ethel Withers). Jack’s grandfather John was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England. Ethel was the daughter of John Henry Withers and Florence Stopford.

Jack’s maternal grandmother was Avril D. Quinn/Bernard (the daughter of Thomas Alexander Quinn/Quigg and Muriel Bernard). Avril was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England. Thomas was born in Bunowen, Strabane, Tyrone, Northern Ireland, the son of Thomas Quigg and Bessie Blake. Muriel was the daughter of Alexander/Alick/Alic Bernard, who was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone; and of Doris Matz, who was the daughter of Louis/Ludwig Matz and Bertha Fineberg/Feinberg/Freud, and likely was of Austrian Jewish descent.

During Jack’s father Val’s interview on Inside the Actors Studio, 2000, Val stated that he has Sephardi Jewish, Cherokee Native American, and Mongolian ancestry, perhaps jokingly, perhaps not. Val has often referenced having Cherokee ancestry, usually from a paternal great-grandmother. However, no Sephardi Jewish, Cherokee Native American, or Mongolian ancestry has been documented in publicly available family trees of Val Kilmer. Both of Val’s paternal great-grandmothers, Nancy Williams and Sarah Elizabeth Webb, were born to non-Cherokee families with fairly well-documented recent ancestors.

Sources: Genealogy of Jack Kilmer (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

History of the Kilmer family – http://www.geocities.ws

Jack’s paternal grandfather, Eugene Dorris Kilmer, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogy of Jack’s paternal great-grandfather, Thomas/Tom Walker Kilmer (focusing on his own father’s side) – http://www.findagrave.com

Information about Jack’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Jeremiah Early Kilmer – http://objgenealogy.com

Jack’s paternal grandmother, Gladys Swanette Ekstadt, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Birth record of Jack’s maternal great-grandfather, John Edward Ekstadt – https://familysearch.org

Jack’s maternal great-grandfather, John Edward Ekstadt, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org