William Levy
Levy in 2012, photo by PR Photos
Birth Name: William Gutiérrez Levy
Place of Birth: Cojímar, Havana, Cuba
Date of Birth: August 29, 1980
Ethnicity:
*75% Cuban/Spanish-Cuban
*25% Jewish
William Levy is a Cuban and American actor and model. His roles include the shows Olvidarte Jamás, Cuidado con el Angel, Sortilegio, and Star, and the films The Single Moms Club and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
William was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to Miami, Florida, U.S. during his teen years, where he was raised by his mother, Bárbara Levy. William’s maternal grandfather was Jewish. It appears that the rest of William’s ancestry is Cuban/Spanish-Cuban. William was raised in a household without religion. He has practiced Catholicism since the late 2000s. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen.
William has two children with his former partner, Mexican-American model and actress Elizabeth Gutiérrez.
William has said:
My grandfather went to Cuba when he was a little boy. He was Jewish. My grandmother was from Spain. They met. My grandfather didn’t care if he was Jewish. He fell in love with her and he married her… My grandfather is a very great man. He was the one who did everything for me because I didn’t have my dad next to me. I grew up with my mom, with my grandmother and him.
William’s maternal grandmother is named Eusebia Noguera.
Source: William talks about his Jewish background (in Spanish) – http://www.oem.com.mx
It’s my understanding that his name is “William Guiterrez Levy,” which would make sense since the paternal surname has to come first. You need a paternal and maternal surname in Cuba to register a birth, and it’s my understanding that that is regardless of whether or not the father is known or involved.
What I’m curious about is whether the paternal “Gutierrez” surname comes from? Was it the actual father’s surname, or maybe the mother’s maternal surname? Maybe it’s just one she chose to register the birth?
Anyway, here is his mother: https://www.zimbio.com/photos/William+Levy/Univision+Premios+Juventud+Awards+Arrivals/I6pJkpVUh2e
Gutiérrez is the maternal surname. You know Spanish system customs.
Levy is his mother’s surname so it’s actually a valid point. Wikipedia and IMDb has his birth name as “William Gutiérrez Levy”. I’m guessing that is the correct order and that Gutiérrez is his father’s surname.
Right, so it needs to be corrected here.
Levy is indeed his mother’s surname since it’s a common Jewish surname.
Specifically European Jewish since it’s an ethnicity as well. Either Ashkenazi or Sephardic.
I don’t know why he didn’t specify where his Jewish grandfather was from ? Many Jews from eastern Europe fled to Cuba as a halfway point to eventually immigrate to the U.S. Mainly in 1930s through 40s when Anti-Semitism and Nazism was on the rise. This has contributed to why South Florida has the third largest Jewish community in the U.S.
Looks 100% European to me.
Maternal grandmother is Eusebia Noguera.