Profile Text
Clayburgh in 2007, photo by Prphotos
Date of Birth: April 30, 1944
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: November 5, 2010
Place of Death: Lakeville, Connecticut, U.S.
Ethnicity: * father – Ashkenazi Jewish, Sephardi Jewish * mother – English, distant Welsh, remote Dutch
Jill Clayburgh was an American actress. She was one of the best known female movie stars of the 1970s. Her roles included the films The Wedding Party (1969), Portnoy’s Complaint , The Thief Who Came to Dinner , The Terminal Man , Gable and Lombard , Silver Streak , Semi-Tough , An Unmarried Woman , La Luna , Starting Over , It’s My Turn , First Monday in October , I’m Dancing as Fast as I Can , Hanna K. , Where Are the Children? , Shy People , Whispers in the Dark , Rich in Love , Naked in New York , Fools Rush In , Going All the Way (1997), Never Again (2001), Running with Scissors , Love & Other Drugs , and Bridesmaids ; the made-for-tv movies Hustling (1975), Griffin and Phoenix , Fear Stalk , Reason For Living: The Jill Ireland Story , Honor Thy Father and Mother: The True Story of the Menendez Murders , For the Love of Nancy , The Face on the Milk Carton , and When Innocence Is Lost ; and the series Search for Tomorrow , Trinity , Everything’s Relative , Ally McBeal , Leap of Faith , Nip/Tuck , The Practice , and Dirty Sexy Money ; as well as many works on stage.
Jill was the daughter of Julia Louise (Dorr), an actress and theatrical production secretary, and Albert Henry Clayburgh, a manufacturing executive. Her father was of German Jewish/Ashkenazi Jewish, and some Sephardi Jewish, descent, with his Sephardi line having been in the U.S. since the 1700s. Jill’s mother had English, distant Welsh, and remote Dutch, ancestry.
Jill was married to playwright and screenwriter David Rabe, until her death. The couple has two children, actor and playwright Michael Rabe and actress Lily Rabe .
Jill’s paternal grandfather was Albert Clayburgh (the son of Emanuel Clayburg and Evelina/Eveline/Everline Nones). Albert was born in New York. Emanuel was a German Jewish emigrant, from Bergentreich, Westphalia. Jill’s great-grandmother Evelina was born in New York, the daughter of Aaron Benjamín Nones and Caroline de Leon, and was of Portuguese Jewish, and smaller amounts of French Jewish, English Jewish, and Italian Jewish, descent. Jill’s great-great-great-grandfather, Major Benjamin Nones, was a French Jewish immigrant who fought in the American Revolution.
Jill’s paternal grandmother was Alma Lachenbruch (the daughter of David Lachenbruch and Henrietta Meinhard/Meinhardt). Alma was born in New York, to parents of German Jewish origin. David was born in New York, the son of Jacob Lachenbruch and Carolina Cahn. Henrietta was born in the state of Georgia, the daughter of Henry/Baierlein Meinhard/Meinhardt and Rosa Frank, who were from Bavaria.
Jill’s maternal grandfather was Bryan/Bradford Ripley Dorr (the son of Russell Ripley Dorr and Sarah Louise Bryan). Jill’s grandfather Bryan was born in Minnesota. Russell was the son of Seneca Milo Dorr and Julia Caroline Ripley. Sarah was the daughter of James R. Bryan.
Jill’s maternal grandmother was Edna Evelyn Smith (the daughter of Phineas Mintern/Minturn Smith and Ella Evelyn/Eveline Phillips). Edna was born in New York. Phineas was the son of Phineas Smith and Temperance Elizabeth Robinson. Ella was the daughter of Edward Roland Phillips, from Arlington, Gloucester, England, and of Phoebe Ann Smith.
Sources: Genealogies of Jill Clayburgh – http://www.geni.com https://www.wikitree.com
Jill’s father on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jill’s paternal grandfather, Albert Clayburgh, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jill’s paternal great-grandparents, David Lachenbruch and Henrietta Meinhard/Meinhardt, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org