Profile Text
Birth Name: Samuel E. Morril
Place of Birth: Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 29, 1986
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Sam Morril is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He has appeared on shows including Conan and Red Eye .
His mother, Marilyn Greenberg, is a painter, of abstract art. His biological father is Robert Elgort. He was raised under the name Sam Greenberg for a time. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, attorney Mark Morril, and later took his surname. His uncle is fashion photographer Arthur Elgort. Sam is a first cousin of photographer Sophie Elgort and actor and DJ Ansel Elgort , who are Arthur’s children. Sam was raised in New York.
Sam has stated that both of his birth parents are Jewish; as is his stepfather. He has stated that a 23andMe DNA test showed him to be Ashkenazi Jewish and “12% Turkish.”
Sam’s paternal grandfather was Henech “Harry” Elgort (the son of Samuel Shimel Elgort and Etel/Ethel/Etta Ushomesky Schumerska). Henech was a Jewish emigrant from Roternissel, Russia. Samuel was born in St. Petersburg, the son of Mottel Elgort and Bloom. Etel was the daughter of Tellig Ushomesky Schumerska and Thena Kiratt.
Sam’s paternal grandmother was Sophie/Sophia Didimamoff (the daughter of Rafael Didimamoff and Katharine/Katherine/Katarzyna/Catherine/Katherina Kurtz). Sophie was born in New York, to a father from Akhaltsikhe, Russian Empire, now Georgia; and a mother from Lemberg, Austria, now in Lviv, Ukraine. Sam’s grandmother’s exact heritage is not clear. She had a Catholic funeral (she re-married to a Catholic). It is not clear if she was of Jewish heritage, but it is possible, given her emigrant roots in Lviv and the surname Kurtz. Sam’s uncle Arthur, at least, had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony and attended a Jewish summer camp, and Sam has referred to his father as Jewish.
Sam’s maternal grandfather was named George Greenberg. George was chairman and chief executive of Loehmann’s, the women’s clothing store chain in the Bronx.
Sam’s maternal grandmother was Frances Lily Huberman (the daughter of Morris Huberman and Celia Stern). Frances was born in Massachusetts, to Polish Jewish parents. Morris was born in Chełm, the son of Sol Huberman and Frieda Cooperman.
Sources: Marriage announcement of Sam’s mother and stepfather – https://www.nytimes.com
Genealogy of Sam’s father (through his father’s brother) – https://www.geni.com
Sam’s paternal grandmother, Sophie/Sophia Didimamoff, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org Sophie/Sophia Didimamoff on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org Sophie/Sophia Didimamoff on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Sam’s paternal grandmother, Sophie/Sophia (Didimamoff) Elgort Bednarczyk – https://www.newspapers.com
Obituary of Sam’s maternal grandmother, Frances Lily (Huberman) Greenberg – https://www.legacy.com