John Corbett
Corbett in 2009, photo by s_bukley/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: John Joseph Corbett
Place of Birth: Wheeling, West Virginia, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 9, 1961
Ethnicity:
*father – English, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, Welsh
*mother – Lithuanian, Ashkenazi Jewish
John Corbett is is an American actor and country music singer. His roles include My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sex and the City, To All the Boys, and Street Kings, among many others. He is married to actress and model Bo Derek.
John is the son of Sandy and John Marshall Corbett. He has said:
I was raised Catholic and I was an altar boy, though my father was a Jehovah’s Witness and my mother was Jewish. I become a born-again Christian for a short time in the ’80s; I’ve been to some Buddhist temples. I don’t have any labels on me now…
His father’s background is English, Irish, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, and Welsh. John’s maternal grandfather was of Russian Jewish descent, and John’s maternal grandmother’s parents were Lithuanian (and evidently Catholic, as her own parents are buried with a cross on their grave; see here). However, John has said that his maternal grandmother “was a Great Russian Jewish woman named Eldoris,” so it is possible that John’s maternal grandmother converted to Judaism.
John’s paternal grandfather was Thomas Joseph Corbett (the son of John Emmett Corbett and Lucinda Catherine/Katherine “Kathy” Britton). Thomas was born in Ohio. John’s great-grandfather John Corbett was the son of Harrison Taylor Corbett and Viva L. King. Lucinda was the daughter of John Bunyan Britton and Martha Jane/Ann Connor/Conners.
John’s paternal grandmother was Mildred Mae Wilkins (the daughter of William Marshall Wilkins and Olive Marie Clark). Mildred was born in Ohio, West Virginia. William was the son of James Macfarland Wilkins and Elizabeth Jane “Jennie” Garrison. Olive was the daughter of Marcus Albert Clark and Mary Elizabeth Sutton.
John’s maternal grandfather was Nathan Pavilack (the son of David Paviletzky/Pavilack and Lena Shapiro/Shapier). Nathan was born in Pennsylvania, to parents from the Russian Empire. David was born in Kiev, the son of Leib/Louis Paviletzky and Bessie Lakuski. Lena was also born in Kiev, the daughter of Isreal Azreal Neffevah Shapiro.
John’s maternal grandmother was Eldoris/Eldora Helen Beringo/Berringo (the daughter of Albert Joseph Beringo/Berringo and Eldoris/Aldona Bennett). John’s grandmother Eldoris was born in Pennsylvania, to Lithuanian parents.
Sources: Genealogy of John’s paternal grandfather, Thomas Joseph Corbett (focusing on his own father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
John’s paternal grandfather, Thomas Joseph Corbett, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
John’s paternal grandmother, Mildred Mae Wilkins, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
John’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
John’s maternal grandfather, Nathan Pavilack, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Nathan Pavilack on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
John’s maternal grandmother, Eldoris/Eldora Helen Beringo/Berringo, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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