Profile Text
Abrams in 2016, photo by excelentphoto /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Jeffrey Jacob Abrams
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 27, 1966
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
J. J. Abrams is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and composer. He created the show Alias and co-created the shows Felicity , Lost , Fringe , and Undercovers , directed episodes of all but Fringe , and wrote for all of the above. On film, he directed Mission: Impossible III , Star Trek (2009), Super 8 , Star Trek Into Darkness , Star Wars: The Force Awakens , and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . He also wrote Regarding Henry , Forever Young (1992), and his own Super 8 , and co-wrote Taking Care of Business , Gone Fishin’ , Armageddon (1998), Joy Ride (2001), and the Mission: Impossible and Star Wars films he directed. He has also been credited as Jeffrey Abrams.
He is the son of Carol Ann Abrams (née Kelvin), a television and film producer, and author and law academic, and Gerald W. Abrams, a television producer, who worked at CBS, and on many made-for-tv movies. His sister is screenwriter Tracy Rosen. His family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1971. J. J. is married to public relations executive and producer Katie McGrath, with whom he has three children, including comic book writer Henry Abrams and singer and songwriter Gracie Abrams .
J. J.’s paternal grandfather was named Samuel David Abrams (the son of Harry Abrams and Fanny/Fannie). Samuel was born in Łomża, Poland.
J. J.’s paternal grandmother was Lillian/Lilian Kodish (the daughter of Jacob Elwood Kodish and Fanny Clompus). Lillian was born in Harrisburg, Dauphin Co., Pennsylvania. Jacob was born in Latgale, Latvia, the son of Joseph Kodis/Kodish and Sarah Kodis. Fanny was born in Palanga, Lithuania, the daughter of Beryl Hirsch Klompus/Clompus and Ida/Chaya Ethel Levy.
J. J.’s maternal grandfather was Harry Kelvin (the son of Joseph Katzenellenbogen and Ida Savitsky). Harry was born in New York, to parents from Russia.
J. J.’s maternal grandmother was Leonore/Lee Schor (the daughter of Samuel Schor and Tillie Sonnenbloom/Sonnenblum). Leonore was born in New York. Samuel was the son of Itzhak Meyer Stupp and Frima Schor. Tillie was born in Horodenka, Ukraine, the daughter of Arnold Sonnenblum and Beatrice Koffler.
Sources: https://jewishjournal.com
Genealogies of J. J. Abrams – https://www.geni.com https://gw.geneanet.org