Wil Wheaton

Wheaton in 2009, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Richard William Wheaton III

Place of Birth: Burbank, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: July 29, 1972

Ethnicity: English, Irish, Welsh, German, one eighth Sephardi Jewish (matrilineal), as well as distant Dutch

Wil Wheaton is an American actor, writer, blogger, and audiobook narrator. A pop cultural figure in the science fiction genre, his roles include Star Trek: The Next Generation, the films Stand by Me, The Curse, She’s Having a Baby, Toy Soldiers, Pie in the Sky, and Flubber, and voice-over performances on Teen Titans, Legion of Super Heroes, and Ben 10. He co-created the YouTube board game show TableTop, which he co-hosted.

He is the son of Debra, an actress, and Richard Wheaton, Jr., a medical specialist. His maternal grandmother was born in Panama, and Wil’s matrilineal great-grandmother was Sephardi Jewish. Wil’s other ancestry is English, Irish, Welsh, German, and distant Dutch. Wil is married to Anne Prince, and has adopted both of her sons.

Wil’s paternal grandfather was Richard William Wheaton (the son of Donald Ulysses Wheaton and Mary Frances Ostrander). Richard was born in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California. Donald was the son of George Seldon Wheaton and Nellie May Smith. Mary was the daughter of Henry Milton Ostrander and Ruhama/Ruhamah Howard Wood.

Wil’s paternal grandmother was Dorothy Virginia Morton (the daughter of Harold Coleman Morton and Dorothy Frances Smith). Wil’s grandmother Dorothy was born in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., California. Harold was the son of John Morton and Lillian Bowers. Dorothy was the daughter of Frank Clifton Smith, who was a Texas telephone entrepreneur, and of Mary Lou Stanwood.

Wil’s maternal grandfather was Dwyer Frank “Dean” O’Connor (the son of Francis Leo A. “Frank” O’Connor and Susan C. Gay). Dwyer was born in Kings County, New York. Frank O’Connor was an actor and director in the early 1900s. He was of Irish origin, and was the son of John O’Connor and Julia O’Dwyer/Dwyer. Susan was the daughter of William Gay, who was born in New York, to German parents, and of Louise/Louisa Jungst/Zuengat.

Wil’s maternal grandmother was Norma Aleene Farrington (the daughter of Flavel Kortright Farrington and Daphne/Daphane Silvera). Norma was born in Colón, Panama. Wil’s great-grandfather Flavel was born in Cristobel, Canal Zone, Panama, then part of Colombia, the son of a mother surnamed Goodall. Wil’s matrilineal great-grandmother Daphne was born in Parish of Saint Mary, Jamaica, the daughter of Theodore Edward Silvera and Deborah Pretto, who were Sephardi Jews. Theodore was born in Kingston, Jamaica, the son of Alexis Silvera and Caroline Aarons/Ahrens. Wil’s matrilineal great-great-grandmother Deborah was born on St. Thomas, then in the Danish Virgin Islands, the daughter of Abraham Elias Pretto and Rachel Pretto Henriquez. Wil’s Sephardi Jewish family includes Dutch Jewish and Portuguese Jewish ancestors.

Will is a second cousin of actress, singer, songwriter, and comedian Julie Brown. His maternal great-grandparents, Francis Leo A. “Frank” O’Connor and Susan C. Gay, were also Julie’s paternal great-grandparents. Will is also a first cousin, three times removed, of actor and theatre director Frank Silvera. Wil’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Alexis Silvera and Caroline Aarons, were also Frank’s paternal grandparents.

Sources: Genealogies of Wil Wheaton – http://www.geni.com
http://famouskin.com

Genealogy of Wil Wheaton (focusing on his father’s side) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Marriage record of Wil’s maternal great-grandparents, Francis Leo A. “Frank” O’Connor and Susan C. Gay – https://www.familysearch.org

Wil’s maternal great-grandmother, Susan C. Gay, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Marriage record of Wil’s maternal great-great-grandparents, William Gay and Louise/Louisa Jungst/Zuengat – https://www.familysearch.org

Article about Wil’s mother’s family history, by Chris Dunham – http://www.genealogywise.com