Profile Text
Gabai in 2014, photo by kathclick /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Richard Louis Gabai
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: February 14, 1964
Ethnicity: * father – Sephardi Jewish * mother – Ashkenazi Jewish
Richard Gabai is an American actor, film director, and producer. He has directed the films Virgin High , which he also starred in and co-wrote; Vice Girls , Kickboxing Academy , which he co-wrote; Popstar (2005), Call of the Wild (2009), InSight (2011), and Justice (2017), and the made-for-tv movies Imaginary Friend , Expecting Amish , and A Gingerbread Romance . He also starred in the films Nightmare Sisters , After Midnight (1989), Demon Wind , Dinosaur Island (1994), Bikini Drive-In , Dear Santa , Final Examination , Treasure Hunt (2003), and Curse of the Komodo , and in the made-for-tv movie The Wasp Woman (1995).
His father is of Turkish Jewish descent. His mother has Hungarian Jewish ancestry. He is married to Jessica, with whom he has three children.
Richard’s paternal grandfather was named Dave Gabai. Dave was from Turkey.
Richard’s paternal grandmother was named Carrie. Carrie was from Turkey.
Richard’s maternal grandfather was Leslie “Laci” Klein (the son of Lorinc “Lawrence” Klein and Szerena Gunczler). Leslie was born in Hungary. Lorinc was born in Demecser, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. Szerena was also born in Demecser, the daughter of Jószef Günczler and Peppie Weiss.
Richard’s maternal grandmother was named Irene Lustig (the daughter of Louis Lustig and Regina). Irene was born in Hungary.
Sources: Richard’s father on the 1940 U.S. Census – http://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Richard’s mother – http://www.familysearch.org