Paul Rust
Rust in 2016, by John Henry Müller
Birth Name: Paul Robert Rust
Place of Birth: Le Mars, Iowa, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 12, 1981
Ethnicity: German
Paul Rust is an American actor, comedian, writer, and musician. His roles include the films Semi-Pro, I Love You, Beth Cooper; Inglourious Basterds, Ass Backwards, iSteve, Pee-wee’s Big Holiday, which he also co-wrote; Fun Mom Dinner, Queenpins, and Robots (2023), and the shows Comedy Bang! Bang!, which he also wrote for; Super Fun Night, Love, which he also co-created and wrote for; The Great North, Ten Year Old Tom, and Santa Inc., which he also wrote for.
Paul was raised in a Catholic family in a small town in Iowa. Both of Paul’s parents, Jeanne and Bob, are of German descent. Their families had all come to Iowa and Wisconsin from Germany in the 1800s. Paul is of completely German descent going back to at least the late 1700s.
Paul is married to writer Lesley Arfin, with whom he has a daughter.
Paul’s paternal grandfather was Paul Henry Rust (the son of Paul Henry Rust and Bernadine Mary Olberding). Paul’s grandfather Paul was born in Iowa. Paul’s great-grandfather Paul was the son of Henry Hulbert/Hubert Rust and Margaretha Agnes Topf, both of whom were born in Iowa, both of them to German parents, all from Prussia. Paul’s great-grandmother Bernadine was born in Iowa, to a German father, Franz Henrich Olberding, from Lehmden, Steinfeld, Kreis Vechta, Oldenburg, Germany, and to Catherine Terlisner, who was born in Iowa, to German parents, a father from Sudlohn, Westphalia and a mother from Dingden, Westphalia.
Paul’s paternal grandmother was Lucille Blanche Coenen (the daughter of William Howard Coenen and Catherine Sophia Von Tersch). Lucille was born in Iowa. William was born in Iowa, to German parents, John Coenen and Anna Christina/Christena Butzen, from Reil on Mosel, Germany. Catherine was born in Iowa, to German parents, Joseph John Von Tersch, from Westphalen, Germany, and Catharine/Katherine Theresa Bauer, from Munich, Bavaria.
Paul’s maternal grandfather was Theodore Joseph “Ted” Sondag (the son of Joseph Peter Sondag and Mary Anna Hammes). Theodore was born in Iowa. Paul’s great-grandfather Joseph was born in Iowa, to Theodore Sondag, an ethnic German immigrant, and to Mary A. Korth, who was born in Wisconsin, to German parents. Paul’s great-grandmother Mary was born in Iowa, the daughter of a German father, Frank Hammes, and of Susan Ludwig, who was born in Iowa, to German parents.
Paul’s maternal grandmother was Joan Marie Mumm (the daughter of Peter Charles Mumm and Frances Bernadine Gross). Joan was born in Iowa. Peter was born in Iowa, the son of Gottfried Mumm, whose parents were German, and of Mary/Maria Saller, who was German. Frances was the daughter of Frank William Gross, who was born in Wisconsin, to German parents, and of Bertha T. Rueschenberg, who was German. Paul’s great-great-grandmother Bertha was the daughter of Joseph Franz Rüschenberg/Rueschenberg and Maria Josepha/Josephine Sasse/Sahse.
Sources: Genealogy of Paul’s paternal grandparents, Paul Henry Rust and Lucille Blanche Coenen – http://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Paul’s maternal grandparents, Theodore Joseph Sondag and Joan Marie Mumm – http://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Paul’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bertha T. Rueschenberg (focusing on her mother’s side) – http://www.isphording.info
he is very german looking, really no mistery here
Correction.
A part of this interview leads me to believe that Paul is at least partly of Jewish heritage.
http://movieline.com/2009/04/13/the-verge-paul-rust/
What was it like auditioning for that movie? Was every young Jewish comic in Hollywood in the waiting room?
Paul – etc etc etc. “But yeah, everybody who was in the room was a young Jewish actor.”
Oh yeah, I read that. “But yeah, everybody who was in the room was a young Jewish actor” – I doubt that.
Rust’s ancestors were nothing but Catholic on every line for generation after generation. I think it’s entirely possible that no Jew has ever even stepped foot in the small town in Iowa where he’s from.
Odd that Rust didn’t correct him.
I don’t know that the Buchanan interview necessarily implied Rust himself was Jewish.
I know Rust did say, “Will this be the first time I play a Jewish character onstage? Yes. Will it be my last? Oy vey, no!”, and he himself has certainly never claimed to be Jewish.
http://paulrust.blogspot.ca/2005_10_01_archive.html
BTW, if you had any doubts, listen to this:
http://www.totallylaime.com/2011/05/29/episode-69-paul-rust/
Towards the end of the podcast, Rust talks about how he’s not Jewish.
Exemplary research Follers, that’s about all I can say.
Wowsers, last year, Paul Rust married Lesley Arfin, who is Jewish. (In the tradition of Iowa’s Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis).
So I am now presumably wrong about this part: “I think it’s entirely possible that no Jew has ever even stepped foot in the small town in Iowa where he’s from.”
Congratulations for making history, Ms. Arfin.
Funny, that a lot of celebrities are called “german”, just
because they have german-sounding names, w.e., Federline or Maria Shriver’s father, especially some
Maurizio, the son of Giorgio (Klara Bruni claims, he’s her
father). 30% americans have german roots, but they
are not really “german”, that Paul Rust is really rare
for USA