Joan Allen

Allen in 2007, photo by PrPhotos

Place of Birth: Rochelle, Illinois, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 20, 1956

Ethnicity:
*father – English, German, Northern Irish/Scots-Irish, Welsh
*mother – German

Joan Allen is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films Nixon (1995), The Contender (2000), The Upside of Anger, Face/Off, and Room.

Joan is the daughter of Dorothea Marie and James Jefferson Allen. She has a daughter with her former husband, actor Peter Friedman.

Joan’s paternal grandfather was James Alexander Allen, Jr. (the son of James Alexander Allen and Mary Augusta Beck). Joan’s grandfather James was born in Illinois. Joan’s great-grandfather James was the son of Robert Scott Allen and Elizabeth Hilen. Mary was the daughter of John Ahl Beck and Martha McGew/McGrew.

Joan’s paternal grandmother was Nancy Ann Bennett (the daughter of Michael Smith Bennett and Florence Rosaline/Rosa Roberts). Nancy was born in Missouri. Michael was the son of Andrew Jackson Bennett and Nancy Ann Denham. Rosa was the daughter of Alexander Roberts and Mary Ross.

Joan’s maternal grandfather was Henry Wirth (the daughter of Christian Wirth and Marg/Margareta Kochler/Koehler). Henry was born in Warsaw, Illinois, to German parents, from Langsdorf, Landkreis Gießen, Hessen.

Joan’s maternal grandmother was Louise Mary Mazurczak/Mazurzak (the daughter of Martin Mazurczak and Anna Magdalena Margareta Wiegers). Louise was born in Hamburg, Germany. As he had the surname Mazurczak, Joan’s maternal great-grandfather may have had some Polish ancestry.

Sources: Joan’s father on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage records of Joan’s paternal grandparents, James Alexander Allen, Jr. and Nancy Ann Bennett – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Joan’s mother (focusing on her own father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com

Joan’s mother on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org