James Thiérrée

Thiérrée in 2013, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: James Spencer Henry Edmond Marcel Thierrée

Place of Birth: Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

Date of Birth: May 2, 1974

Ethnicity:
*father – French
*mother – English, Irish, 1/16th Scottish

James Thiérrée is a Swiss circus performer, actor, violinist, and director. He is the son of Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée, an actor and writer, and Victoria Chaplin, a circus performer. His father is French. His mother is British, of English, Irish, and 1/16th Scottish, ancestry.

His sister is actress Aurélia Thiérrée. Among his first cousins are actresses Dolores Chaplin, Carmen Chaplin, Kiera Chaplin, and Oona Chaplin, and actor and rapper Orson Chaplin. He is the nephew of actors Geraldine Chaplin and Sydney Chaplin.

James’ maternal grandfather was actor Charlie Chaplin (born Charles Spencer Chaplin, the son of Charles Chaplin and Hannah Harriet Pedlingham Hill, who were entertainers). Charlie was born in England. His documented ancestry was English and some Irish. James’ great-grandfather Charles was the son of Spencer Chaplin and Ellen Elizabeth Smith. Hannah was the daughter of Charles Frederick Hill and Mary Ann Terry.

James’ maternal grandmother was Oona O’Neill, an actress (the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill [Eugene Gladstone O’Neill] and writer Agnes Boulton). Oona was born in Warwick Parish, Bermuda. Eugene was born in New York City, New York, the son of actor James O’Neill, who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, and of Ella O’Neill (born Mary Ellen Quinlan), who was born in New Haven, Connecticut, to Irish parents, Thomas Joseph Quinlan and Bridget Lundigan. James’ great-grandmother Agnes was born in Chelsea, London, England, the daughter of Edward William Boulton, an artist, who was American, of English and Scottish descent, and of Cecil/Cecille Maud/Maude Williams.

Charlie Chaplin is often stated to have had some degree of Romani (Gypsy) ancestry. It does not appear that this ancestral claim has ever been verified/documented. Charlie was sometimes believed to have been Jewish (especially during his lifetime), but his parents were not of Jewish heritage.

Sources: Genealogies of James Thiérrée (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
http://www.wikitree.com

Genealogies of James’ maternal grandparents, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) and Oona O’Neill – https://www.findagrave.com

Genealogy of James’ maternal grandfather, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) – http://www.wargs.com

Draft card of James’ maternal grandfather, Charlie Chaplin (Charles Spencer Chaplin) – https://www.archives.gov