Van Der Beek in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: James David Van Der Beek
Place of Birth: Cheshire, Connecticut, U.S.
Date of Birth: March 8, 1977
Ethnicity: Dutch, German, some English and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, possibly small amount of French
James Van Der Beek is an American actor. His roles include Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek, as well as the films Angus, I Love You, I Love You Not, Varsity Blues, Texas Rangers, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Rules of Attraction, The Plague, Labor Day, and Bad Hair, and the shows Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, CSI: Cyber, and Vampirina.
He is the son of Melinda, a dancer and gymnastics teacher, and James Van Der Beek, a cell phone company executive and professional baseball player. His father is roughly of half Dutch and half German descent. His name means “from the creek” in Dutch.
James is married to business consultant Kimberly Brook, with whom he has six children. The two married at the Kabbalah Center in Tel Aviv, Israel.
James’s paternal grandfather was Harry Clifford Vanderbeek/Van Der Beek (the son of Harry Blanchard Vanderbeek and Anna Hasbrouck). James’s grandfather Harry was born in New Jersey, and was of Dutch descent. James’s great-grandfather Harry was the son of Issac Vanderbeck and Anna. James’s great-grandmother Anna Hasbrouck was the daughter of Augustus Hasbrouck and Ann/Anna Herring Devoe.
James’s paternal grandmother was Louise Lutjens (the daughter of Herman Lutjens and Rosina/Rose Schwamb). Louise was born in New York. Herman was born in Rotenburg, Germany. Rosina was of German descent, and was the daughter of Theodore Schwamb and Barbara Schmidt.
James’s maternal grandfather was Franz Reinhold Weber (the son of Gustav F. Weber and Blossom White). Franz was born in Minnesota. Gustav was born in Paris, France, to a father from Germany and a mother from France.
James’s maternal grandmother was Elizabeth/Eliza Bell Rogers (the daughter of Franz E. Rogers and Florence May Bell). James’s grandmother Elizabeth was born in Indiana, and had English, German, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish ancestry. Franz was the son of Elijah Eden Rogers and Susan Malinda Harmon. Florence was the daughter of Nathaniel Bell and Margaret Adalaide Troutman.
Sources: Genealogy of James Van Der Beek (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
James’s paternal grandfather, Harry Clifford Van Der Beek, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
James’s paternal grandmother, Louise Lutjens, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
James’s maternal grandfather, Franz Reinhold Weber, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
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