Profile Text
Birth Name: Edmund Stoppard
Place of Birth: Westminster, London, England, U.K.
Date of Birth: 16 September, 1974
Ethnicity: *75% Ashkenazi Jewish *25% Scottish and English
Ed Stoppard is a British actor. His roles include the films The Little Vampire (2000), The Pianist , Joy Division , Fugitive Pieces , Brideshead Revisited (2008), Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang , Papadopoulos & Sons , Branded , A Grand Affair , Blackwood , Youth , Angelica (2015), Judy (2019), The Princess (2022), Surprised by Oxford , and Golda (2023); the series In Search of the Brontës , Empire , Tchaikovsky , Any Human Heart , Upstairs, Downstairs ; Zen , Silent Witness , The Politician’s Husband , Cilla , The Musketeers , Home Fries , The Frankenstein Chronicles , Genius: Einstein , Knightfall , Trackers , Brave New World , The Undeclared War , and Franklin ; the made-for-tv movie The Man Who Crossed Hitler ; and the video game Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag .
He is the son of playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and drama critic Tom Stoppard (born Tomáš Straussler) and medical doctor, author, television presenter, and advice columnist Miriam Stoppard, or Miriam, Lady Hogg (born Miriam Stern).
His father was born in Zlín, Czechoslovakia, to a Jewish family, and left with his family because of the Nazis. Many of his family members died in the Holocaust. Ed’s father and his parents moved to Singapore on 15 March, 1939, the day the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia. Ed’s father later lived in Darjeeling, India, before moving to England, and taking the surname of his own stepfather, British army major Kenneth Stoppard.
Ed’s mother was born in England, to an Orthodox Jewish family. Her own mother, who was of Scottish and English descent, had converted when marrying Ed’s Ashkenazi maternal grandfather.
Ed is married to Amie Stoppard, with whom he has three children. Armie is the daughter of Chris Stamp, a music producer and manager, and was the niece of actor Terence Stamp .
Ed’s first cousin is politician Oona King, who has been a Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow, from 1997 to 2005, and a Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal, since 2011. Their mothers are sisters.
Ed’s paternal grandfather was Eugen Sträussler (the son of Julius Sträussler and Hildegard Bechinky/Bechinsky). Eugen was born in Podmokly, Rokycany District, Plzeň Region, Czechoslovakia, and was a physician. He was a volunteer in Singapore for the British Army there, against the invading Japanese army. He died in 1942 in Singapore, on a ship bombed by Japanese forces. Julius was the son of Alois Lazar Sträussler/Schick Rappel and Fanny Spitzer. Hildegard was born in Krahulčí-Telč, Vysocina Region, Czechia, the daughter of Josef Bechinsky and Hermine Stein. Ed’s great-grandparents Julius and Hildegard were killed in the Holocaust in January 1942, in Riga, Latvia. Ed’s great-great-grandmother Hermine was killed in the Holocaust in April 1943, in Terezín.
Ed’s paternal grandmother was Martha Eugenia Beck/Becková (the daughter of Rudolf Beck and Regina Ornstein). Rudolf and Regina were killed in the Holocaust, in 1944, in the Terezín concentration camp and ghetto, Rudolf in July and Regina in April. Rudolg was born in Lovosice, Ústí nad Labem Region, Czechia, the son of Markus Beck and Anna Nalos. Regina was born in Horepnik, the daughter of Leopold Ornstein/Ohrenstein and Theresia Weil.
Ed’s maternal grandfather was named Sidney/Sydney/Sid Stern.
Ed’s maternal grandmother was named Jenny/Jane Ann Graham. Jenny was of Scottish and English descent. She converted to Orthodox Judaism. Jenny was an aunt (father’s sister) of Ted Graham, Baron Graham of Edmonton, a Labour Co-operative politician.
Sources: https://stljewishlight.org
Genealogy of Ed Stoppard – https://www.geni.com
Interviews with Ed’s father about his background – https://www.theguardian.com https://www.nytimes.com