Michael Caine
Caine in 2007, photo by prphotos
Birth Name: Maurice Joseph Micklewhite
Place of Birth: St. Olave Bermondsey, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 14 March, 1933
Ethnicity: English, Irish
Michael Caine is a British actor and author. He has twice won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and The Cider House Rules (1999).
He is the son of Ellen Frances Marie/Maria (Burchell) and Maurice Joseph Micklewhite. His brother was actor Stanley Caine. Michael is married to Indian-Guyanese-British actress and model Shakira Caine. He has a daughter with his former wife, actress Patricia Haines; and a daughter with Shakira.
Michael has English and Irish ancestry. On Inside the Actors Studio (2000), Michael stated that his father had Romani ancestry. It is not clear if this Romani ancestry has been verified/documented. He has said this on other occasions.
Michael’s surname was spelled Mickelwait several generations back.
Michael’s paternal grandfather was Joseph Henry Micklewhite (the son of Joseph Henry Micklewhite and Catherine Martha Turner). Michael’s grandfather Joseph was born in St. Saviour Southwark, London, England. Michael’s great-grandfather Joseph was the son of George Gilham Scott Mickelthwaite and Emma Russell.
Michael’s paternal grandmother was Johanna/Hannah/Hanna Regan (the daughter of Maurice Regan and Ellen Regan). Johanna was born in St. Saviour Southwark, London, England. Michael’s great-grandfather Maurice was the son of Irish parents, Timothy Regan and Hannah Drummony. Ellen was the daughter of Dennis Regan and Mary, who were from Cork, Ireland.
Michael’s maternal grandfather was John Burchell (the son of John Burchell and Maria Smith). Michael’s grandfather John was born in Southwark, London, England. Michael’s great-grandfather John was the son of James Burchell and Jane, who were from Cork, Ireland. Maria was the daughter of James Smith and Maria.
Michael’s maternal grandmother was named Phoebe Stokes (the daughter of Charles William Stokes and Lydia Jane). Phoebe was born on Bermuda, to English parents. Charles was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire.
Michael attended the Hackney Downs Grocers’ School, which had many Jewish students. While there, he learned to speak Yiddish.
Sources: Gamily history of Michael Caine – https://www.findmypast.co.uk
Genealogies of Michael’s parents – https://www.findagrave.com
Genealogies of Michael Caine (focusing on his father’s side) – http://www.timedetectives.co.uk
https://www.geni.com
Michael’s paternal grandmother, Johanna/Hannah/Hanna Regan, on the 1881 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Michael’s maternal great-grandparents, Charles William Stokes and Lydia Jane, on the 1911 England and Wales Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Shouldn’t ‘Roma’ be added?
He said ‘Actually, I love going on a movie because it’s like the circus. My father was half gypsy so there’s the gypsy thing in it.’ Where is the gypsy ancestry here?
It’s mentioned that he claimed it in the profile but not added to the ethnicity section until documented in his family tree.
He may have roots from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Travellers
He is also Jewish. and is fluent in Yiddish.
Really?
when he was a kid (11 I think) he said he went to a Jewish school. I bet he has recent Jewish heritage.
Orthodox Jews don’t work and/or run errands on Saturday. They employ gentiles to do tasks for them on that day. They’re colloquially called Shabbos Goys. Michael performed such tasks in his youth, learning Yiddish was something he picked up from his employers.
He probaly had to learn Yiddish because of the large % of notable Jewish alumnis there:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackney_Downs_School