Vin Diesel
Diesel in 2005, photo by PR Photos
Birth Name: Mark Sinclair
Place of Birth: Alameda, California, United States
Date of Birth: July 18, 1967
Ethnicity:
*biological father – African-American, possibly other
*mother – Scottish, English, German, Irish, Austrian
Vin Diesel is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He is the star of The Fast and the Furious films, to which he has mostly devoted himself to since 2009. He has also had leading roles in the films Saving Private Ryan, The Iron Giant, voicing the title character; Boiler Room, Pitch Black, and its sequels The Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick; Knockaround Guys, xXx, and its sequel xXx: Return of Xander Cage; A Man Apart, The Pacifier, Find Me Guilty, Babylon A.D., The Last Witch Hunter, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Bloodshot, and as the voice of Groot in the MCU. He has played characters of various ethnic backgrounds. He wrote and directed the short film Multi-Facial and the film Strays (1997).
Vin was born in Alameda County, California, as was his mother, and was raised in New York City, New York. Vin’s mother, Delora Shirlene (Sinclair), an astrologer, is white, and has Scottish, English, German, Irish, and Austrian ancestry. The identity of Vin’s biological father is not publicly known. Vin has described himself as “definitely a person of colour.” In a speech in 2013, Vin stated that his biological parents’ relationship, as it was interracial, was illegal in much of the United States while his mother was pregnant with Vin in 1967; in the speech, he appeared to verify that his biological father was of African-American heritage.
Vin’s stepfather from a young age, Irving H. Vincent, is African-American, and Vin frequently refers to him as his father. Irving is an acting instructor and theatre manager.
Vin has three children with his partner, Mexican model Paloma Jimenez. A picture of Vin’s mother, stepfather, and partner Paloma (from left to right), can be seen here.
Vin’s maternal grandfather likely was Angus McBain Sinclair (the son of Ewart Gladstone Sinclair and Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever). Angus was born in Montana. Ernest was the son of Canadian parents, James Bruce Sinclaire/Sinclair and Maria/Mary Ann McBain, who were of Scottish descent. Marcia was the daughter of William Henry/J. Lever, whose parents were English, and of Anna Brucker, whose own parents, Ferdinand Brucker and Margaretta/Margaret Zechmeister, were German and/or Austrian.
Vin’s maternal grandmother was Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells (the daughter of Tobin Borden “Tobie” Wells and Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt). Carmen was born in Oklahoma, and had English, German, and Irish ancestry. Tobin was from Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana, and was the son of Thomas Frederick Wells and Nancy Jane Hodges. Hazel was from Fort Cobb, Caddo County, Oklahoma, and was the daughter of Thomas R. Hewitt and Margaret “Maggie” Haffey.
Diesel in 2011, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Sources: Vin’s 2013 speech about his parents, while accepting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – http://www.youtube.com
Vin mentions his mother’s Scottish ancestry – http://entertainment.stv.tv
Vin’s maternal grandfather, Angus McBain Sinclair, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Angus McBain Sinclair on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandfather, Ewart Gladstone Sinclair, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Anna Brucker, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille (Wells) Gay, with pictures of many of Vin’s ancestors – http://www.findagrave.com
Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
If I were to see him in the streets, I would think that he is North African, like Egyptian or Moroccan. They tend to have that ‘look’ – Light/olive skin with “sub-saharan” features.
Yeah, he defintely looks North African like you say. A lot of people in that area of the world are effectively “mixed race”, part causcasian part sub-saharan African.
Definitely not. The nose isn’t big.
you must be joking,there are many people in north africa have this kind of nose or even bigger and wider
To the people that want to find fault with Vin’s desire to just be himself instead of accepting or donning a racial label, do you know nothing about the history of the world? Do you really believe anyone on Earth fits neatly into the American made standards of race? How long has America been around? Are you not aware that people have migrated from one area of the world to another? If anyone of you were to get a report on your DNA you most likely would be shocked to see that you have more in common with Vin than you know. Asians migrated over 10,000 years ago from Asia across Siberia and the Bering Strait into North America and what is now the United States. Over 80 percent of Native peoples in North America and South America are descendents of the family of one child whose remains were found in a cave in Nevada. Now, it these folks WALKED this far and had this much of an impact on the face of the peoples of the Americas, where else did they impact along the way? The blackest of blacks from Alabama with one Native ancestor could be related to this long ago deceased child and all the Siberians, Germans, French, etc. that were meant and where comfort was found along the way. Stop being ignorant and accepting labels that bear no resemblance to the truth of the history of man just because you are afraid that someone will accuse you of being ashamed. Ashamed of what? PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE, PEOPLE!!!! Just be you and be unique as Vin has realized the freedom to be.
Why would anyone of african DNA be ashamed of that? He appears to be considered mixed with african dna..I have relatives who favor him and are lighter 5 Han him and say they black. .even when whites say are you latin. .and my relatives will say no ..they are black, amwrica is so pluck with the fixation of race and skin complexion. .go to France and look at the blacks mixed and french, they are shades and hair texture, some have blood red kinky hair, and white complexion as they can be and will tell you they are part black and french and prove of it..america is so backwards when it comes to race, I’d you’re dark you can’t have more European bloodline than african bloodline..really? West african are dark with bone straight hair and light color eyes and no they are mixed with those from India or europeans, ..they are pure blood africans..with narrow noses, thin lips..straight hair and light colored eyes and dark skinned,.some of y’all need to pick up a book sometimes..
Correction: west africans aren’t mixed is what I should have said.
He looks like Shane diesel porn actor lol
Thats what happens when you try to run from your roots they catch up with you. His daughter cannot hide it . I wonder how he feels about that. If he raises her I wonder how confused she will be.
lol he’s probably secretly pissed about it but in public he has to act like everything’s fine. but you’re right, that’s what he gets for being a selfhating mixed man. that black blood always gonna come back and bite you in the ass. his kids are cute tho