Profile Text
Berg in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Peter Winkler Berg
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: March 11, 1962
Ethnicity: *75% Ashkenazi Jewish *25% German
Peter Berg is an American actor, film director, producer, and writer. He has starred in the films Shocker , Late for Dinner , and A Midnight Clear . He has directed the films Very Bad Things , which he wrote; The Rundown , Friday Night Lights , which he co-wrote; The Kingdom (2007), Hancock , Battleship , Lone Survivor , which he wrote; Deepwater Horizon , Patriots Day , which he co-wrote; Mile 22 , and Spenser Confidential . He also co-wrote the film The Losers (2010).
He is the son of Sally Ann and Laurence Gillen Berg. He has two children with his former wife, agent Elizabeth Rogers.
Peter’s father was Jewish, as was Peter’s maternal grandfather. It appears that Peter’s maternal grandmother was Catholic.
Peter is a second cousin of writer Buzz Bissinger (who is Jewish). Peter’s maternal great-grandparents, Eli Winkler and Selma Louise Einstein, were also the parents of Buzz’s paternal grandmother, Gertrude Louise Winkler. Peter is also a fifth cousin, three times removed, of theoretical physicist Albert Einstein . Peter’s maternal seven times great-grandfather, Moyses Einstein, was also Albert’s paternal four times great-grandfather.
Peter’s paternal grandfather was Harry William Berg (the son of Simon Berg and Rose Berliner). Harry was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents. Simon was born in Kiev, the son of Henry Berg.
Peter’s paternal grandmother was named Ruth Gillen. Ruth was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents.
Peter’s maternal grandfather was Robert Eli Winkler (the son of Eli Winkler and Selma Louise Einstein). Robert was born in Ohio. Peter’s great-grandfather Eli was born in Ohio, to Isaac Winkler and Bertha Hess, and was of German Jewish and Austrian Jewish descent. Peter’s great-grandmother Selma was born in Ohio, to German Jewish parents, Leopold Einstein, from Buchau, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Bertha F. Rauh, from Bavaria.
Peter’s maternal grandmother was named Elizabeth A. Grieme. Elizabeth was born in Ohio.
Sources: Genealogy of Peter Berg – https://www.geni.com
Peter’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Peter’s maternal grandfather, Robert Eli Winkler, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituaries of Peter’s maternal grandfather, Robert Eli Winkler – https://cincinnati.newspapers.com http://cincinnati.newspapers.com
Obituary of Peter’s maternal grandmother, Elizabeth G. Winkler – http://cincinnati.newspapers.com