Tim Blake Nelson
Nelson in 2004, photo by prphotos
Birth Name: Timothy Blake Nelson
Place of Birth: Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 11, 1964
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Tim Blake Nelson is an American actor, screenwriter, playwright, novel writer, and director. His many roles include the films O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Minority Report, Holes, Syriana, The Incredible Hulk, Lincoln (2012), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, and Old Henry; and the show Watchmen. He has directed the films Eye of God, O (2001), The Grey Zone, Leaves of Grass, and Anesthesia, and also appeared in the latter two. He wrote all of the films he directed but the second; he adapted Eye of God and The Grey Zone from his plays.
His mother, Ruth Kaiser Nelson, is a philanthropist, and his father, Donald Harris Nelson, is a geologist and wildcatter. Tim’s father is of Russian Jewish descent. Tim’s mother was born in Hampstead, London, England, to German Jewish parents who had left the country because of the Nazi regime. She was raised in Tulsa. Tim’s uncle is businessperson George Kaiser, who runs the BOK Financial Corporation in Tulsa.
Tim is married to Lisa Benavides, with whom he has three children. Lisa is of Mexican descent, and is a convert to Judaism.
Tim’s paternal grandparents likely were Morris Daniel Nelson and Catherine Kaplan.
Tim’s maternal grandfather was Herman George Kaiser (the son of Simon Kaiser and Fanny Wertheim). Herman was born in Mardorf, Germany. Simon was the son of Meier Kaiser, who was born in Mardorf, and of Rosa Oppenheimer, who was born in Schmalnau, Hessen. Fanny was the daughter of Mendel Wertheim and Binchen Katz.
Tim’s maternal grandmother was Kate/Kaethe/Käthe Samuel (the daughter of Max Samuel, born Max Itzig, and of Berta Geßner/Gessner). Kate was born in Güstrow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Max was a businessperson, who was the founder and managing-director of the EMSA-Werke, the chair of the Jewish congregation in Rostock, and the head deputy of the Israelite Upper Council of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. He was born in Argenau, Poznań, Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, the son of Jacob Itzig/Samuel and Rosalie Schrubski. Berta was the daughter of Jacob Gessner.
Sources: https://www.jta.org
Genealogy of Tim Blake Nelson (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://www.geni.com
Obituary of Tim’s maternal grandfather, Herman George Kaiser – http://www.findagrave.com
Genealogy of Tim’s maternal grandmother, Kate/Kaethe/Käthe Samuel – https://www.geni.com
No genealogy of his father’s side? I was wondering how he got the decidedly non Jewish last name of Nelson.
I can’t say for certain, but I think his paternal grandparents were Morris Daniel Nelson and Catherine Kaplan, both Jews. Their son Donald is of the same age as Tim’s father and both are from Philadelphia, and he also lives in Tulsa, OK, according to Morris’ obituary.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85135301/obituary-for-nelson-nei/
Catherine is a very uncommon first name for Jewish women, along with Kate, and it’s many variations, Kathleen, and Christine are some of the most infrequently used names. I always find it peculiar when I see a woman of Jewish heritage with those names.
Kate was a pretty common name for Russian Jewish immigrant women. Nelson’s maternal grandmother was named Kate, too, though she was German Jewish.
Is that so? Seems very Christianized to me.