Shailene Woodley
Woodley in 2010, image via kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Shailene Diann Woodley
Place of Birth: San Bernardino, California, United States
Date of Birth: November 15, 1991
Ethnicity:
*father – English
*mother – African-American, Louisiana Creole [African, French, Spanish, German], English, Swiss-German
Shailene Woodley is an American actress and activist. Her roles include The Descendants, The Spectacular Now, White Bird in a Blizzard, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Secret Life of the American Teenager.
Shailene is the daughter of Lori and Lonnie Woodley. Her father, whose family is from the U.S. South, has English ancestry. Shailene’s maternal grandfather had African-American and Creole ancestry, and Shailene’s maternal grandmother has Louisiana Creole [including African, French, Spanish, and German] ancestry on one side of her family, and English and Swiss-German ancestry on the other side of her family.
Shailene’s paternal grandfather was Virgil James Woodley (the son of James Franklin Woodley and Velma L. Howard). Virgil was born in Oklahoma. Shailene’s great-grandfather James was the son of James Samuel Woodley and Julia Ann Arnold.
Shailene’s paternal grandmother was Dovie Oralee Sims (the daughter of Omer Epsy Sims and Eva Ellen Payne). Dovie was born in Texas. Omer was the son of Denton Otto Sims and Clara Florence Allen. Eva was the daughter of Hiram Walker Payne and Verdenia Maude Ellis.
Shailene’s maternal grandfather was Stephen David Victor (the son of Harold Joseph Victor and Bessie M. Harrold). Stephen was born in California. According to most censuses, both Harold and Bessie were Black and/or biracial (censuses list Harold and Bessie as black, and one census lists them as “Mulatto”). Harold was born in Louisiana, the son of Joseph Victor and Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, who were described as “colored” on his sister’s birth record, and “Black” on the U.S. Census and other records. Leila’s parents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, were Louisiana Creole. Shailene’s great-grandmother Bessie was born in California, to Texas-born parents, William John/S./T. Harrold and Bessie Hutchins, who were both described as “colored” on her birth record and on censuses. Shailene’s great-great-grandmother Bessie’s parents were Lee Hutchins, who was said to have been born in England, of unclear background, and Georgia Walker, who was a black woman born in Texas.
Shailene’s maternal grandmother is Diane Lynn Fauria (the daughter of Vernon Louis Fauria and Marguerite Lois Davis). Diane was born in California. Vernon was a Louisiana Creole. Marguerite was caucasian. A picture of Vernon and Marguerite can be seen here.
Shailene’s great-grandfather Vernon Fauria was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and raised in Los Angeles. He was the son of Creole parents from Louisiana, who both had black ancestry, mixed with caucasian. Vernon’s father, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, was of African, Spanish, French, and German descent. Vernon’s mother, Louise Aline Martinez, had Spanish, African, and possibly French, ancestry. A picture of Vernon with his siblings can be seen here. A picture of Vernon’s parents, Shailene’s great-great-grandparents Joseph and Aline, can be seen here. A picture of Shailene’s great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews Fauria (top left), with his own parents, Victor Nicholas/M. Fauria and Agnes Cora Zipple (seated), can be seen here.
Shailene’s great-grandmother Marguerite Davis’s father, Norman Edward Davis, was of British Isles/English ancestry. Maguerite’s mother, Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, was Swiss, of Swiss-German descent, and was the daughter of Lewis O. Perrin and Berthe C. Hague. This makes Shailene Woodley of 1/16th Swiss ancestry.
Shailene’s mother Lori Woodley – 4th Annual Kailand Obasi Hoop-Life Basketball Tournament Fundraiser – Arrivals – USC Galen Center, 3400 S Figueroa Street – Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2016 – Photo Credit: Guillermo Proano / PR Photos
Sources: Genealogies of Shailene Woodley – http://gw.geneanet.org
https://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Shailene Woodley (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com
Genealogies of Shailene’s paternal grandparents, Virgil James Woodley and Dovie Oralee (Sims) Woodley – http://www.findagrave.com
Shailene’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Joseph Victor, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Harold Joseph Victor on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-aunt (her great-grandfather Harold’s sister) – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Re-marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, to William H. Harris – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia (Prudhomme) Harris, and Shailene’s step-great-great-grandfather, William H. Harris, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Joseph Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Pope/Poper Lewis, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald) – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie M. Harrold (Bessie Herald), on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Bessie M. Harrold on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, William John/S./T. Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org
Death records of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bessie (Hutchins) Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org
https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Shailene’s maternal grandmother, Diane Lynn Fauria – http://bayoubohemia.net
Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria and Louise Aline Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org
Pictures and genealogy of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – http://www.findagrave.com
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Louise Aline Martinez, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Marguerite Lois Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Norman Edward Davis and Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia/Perrengere/Berengere Perrin/Perrine, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Very remotely.
She is, at best, 1/8th black. Her mom looks pretty white to me. It’s another “Jeremy Renner case”. Also curious to see that her dad only has english names in his documented ancestry, surely he has some scottish, irish, or welsh within his english roots. She is a very underrated actress, she has delivered some very good performances, hope she and Aaron are doing great!
*at most
In the context you’ve used it, “at best” works just as well as “at most.” In fact, I’d argue it’s more colloquial, so it makes you sound more like a native (American) English speaker.
@jonas
There’s no way that she is 1/8 black (if so her mother would be 1/4), but that’s what some fool may think reading the misleading text. For example it’s blatantly false to imply that her Fauria ancestors had more African ancestry than Spanish, French, and German.
I had no idea she was engaged to Fijian rugby player Ben Volavola (who is actually part Indo-Fijian).
Huh, thats interesting. She doesn’t strike me as someone with recent African heritage, neither does her Mom.
because it’s distant.
@Andrew just like most African Americans have distant European white ancestry from slavery but you still want to umbrella classify them as “mixed” if they dont fit your stereotypical who is black looking bias. Youre such a hypocrite. What if I said becuase Shaylleen has dark hair and eyes then she obviously looks admixed. I would sound silly if I classified white as only having blond hair and blue eyes. But you narrow so called real blacks down to one look which is ridiculous.
She is simply a cute with girl with some African ancestry.
Genetically wise, not the most typical white American, since most of them are fully Euro. But she looks fully European.
cute white girl*