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Woodley in 2010, image via kathclick /Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Shailene Diann Woodley
Place of Birth: San Bernardino, California, United States
Date of Birth: November 15, 1991
Ethnicity: * father – English, some Scottish * mother – African-American, Louisiana Creole [African, French, Spanish, some German and Italian], English, Swiss-German, distant Cuban and Haitian
Shailene Woodley is an American actress and activist. Her roles include the films The Descendants , The Spectacular Now , White Bird in a Blizzard , Divergent , and its sequels, The Divergent Series: Insurgent and The Divergent Series: Allegiant ; The Fault in Our Stars , Snowden , Adrift (2018), Endings, Beginnings ; The Mauritanian , The Fallout , The Last Letter from Your Lover , To Catch a Killer , Robots , Materia Viva , Ferrari (2023), Dumb Money , Killer Heat , and Motor City ; the series The District , Crossing Jordan , The O.C. , Jack & Bobby , The Secret Life of the American Teenager , Big Little Lies , Three Women , and Paradise ; the made-for-tv movies Felicity: An American Girl Adventure , Once Upon a Mattress , and Final Approach (2007); and the music video for “Where’s the Love?”
Shailene is the daughter of Lori, a middle school counselor, and Lonnie Woodley, a school principal and family therapist. Her father, whose family was from the U.S. South, has English, and some Scottish, ancestry. Shailene’s maternal grandfather had African-American and Creole ancestry. Shailene’s maternal grandmother had Louisiana Creole [including African, French, Spanish, some German and Italian] ancestry on one side of her family; and English and Swiss-German ancestry on the other side of her family. Her mother’s Creole ancestry includes distant Haitian- and Cuban-born forebears.
Shailene’s paternal grandfather was Virgil James Woodley (the son of James Franklin Woodley and Lillian Velma Howard). Virgil was born in Okmulgee, Okmulgee Co., Oklahoma. Shailene’s great-grandfather James was born in Norfork, Baxter, Arkansas, the son of James Samuel Woodley and Julia Ann Arnold. Shailene’s great-grandmother Lillian was born in Oklahoma, the daughter of Virgil S. Howard and Millie E. Thomason.
Shailene’s paternal grandmother was Dovey/Dovie Oralee Sims (the daughter of Omer Epsey/Epsy Sims and Eva Ellen Payne). Dovie was born in Westbrook, Mitchell, Texas. Omer was born in Douglas County, Missouri, the son of Denton Otto Sims and Clara Florence Allen. Shailene’s great-grandmother Eva was born in Texas, the daughter of Hiram Walker Payne and Verdenia Maude Ellis.
Shailene’s maternal grandfather was Stephen David Victor (the son of Harold Joseph Victor and Bessie Mae Harrold). Stephen was born in Los Angeles County, California. According to most censuses, both Harold and Bessie were Black and/or biracial; censuses list Harold and Bessie as “Black,” and one census lists them as “Mulatto.” Harold was born in New Orleans, Orleans, Lousiana, the son of Joseph Victor and Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, who were described as “colored” on his sister’s birth record, and “Black” on the U.S. Census and other records. Joseph was from Georgia. Leila was the daughter of Joseph Donwar Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Populus/Pope/Poper/Lewis, and had Louisiana Creole ancestry. Shailene’s great-grandmother Bessie was born in California, to Texas-born parents, William John Harrold and Bessie Hutchins, who were both described as “colored” on her birth record and on censuses. Shailene’s great-great-grandmother Bessie was the daughter of Lee Hutchins, who was said to have been born in England, of unclear background; and of Georgia Bufford, who was a black woman, born in Columbia, Texas.
Shailene’s maternal grandmother was Diane Lynn Fauria (the daughter of Vernon Louis Fauria and Marguerite Lois Davis). Diane was born in Los Angeles County, California. Vernon was a Louisiana Creole. Marguerite was caucasian. Shailene’s great-grandfather Vernon was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and raised in Los Angeles. He was the son of Creole parents from Louisiana, who both had African ancestry, mixed with European. Vernon’s father, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, was of African, Spanish, French, and German descent; his paternal grandfather was born in Spain. Vernon’s mother, Aline Louise Martinez, had Spanish, African, French/French-Canadian, and Italian, ancestry. She had forebears born on Haiti, including her great-great-grandmother, Marie Burette, who was born into slavery on St. Marc; as well as ancestors born on Cuba. Her Spanish ancestry includes Andalusian, Cantabrian, Galician, and Catalan. Her Italian ancestors were from Lombardy and Piedmont. Shailene’s great-great-grandparents Joseph and Louise were initially listed as “Black” or biracial on records, though over time they began to be listed as “White.”
Shailene’s great-grandmother Marguerite was born in Oneida Township, Delaware, Iowa. Her father, Norman Edward Davis, was of mostly British Isles/English ancestry. Maguerite’s mother, Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia Bertha Perrengere/Berengere/Perrin/Perrine/Perinjacket, was born in Le Locle, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, of Swiss-German descent, the daughter of Lewis/Louis Onesime Perrin/Perrinjaquet and Berthe/Bertha Caroline Huguenin/Hague. This makes Shailene of 1/16th Swiss ancestry.
Woodley’s mother Lori Woodley – 4th Annual Kailand Obasi Hoop-Life Basketball Tournament Fundraiser – Arrivals – USC Galen Center, 3400 S Figueroa Street – Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2016 – Photo Credit: Guillermo Proano / PR Photos
Shailene is a second cousin, three times removed, of Pope Leo XIV . Shailene’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandparents, Antonio Jacques Martinez and Marie Rosa Panteléon Ramos, were also Pope Leo IV’s maternal great-grandparents.
Sources: Discussion of the ancestry of Pope Leo XIV and Shailene Woodley – https://famouskin.com
Genealogies of Shailene Woodley – http://gw.geneanet.org https://www.geni.com https://famouskin.com
Genealogy of Shailene Woodley (focusing on her father’s side) – http://www.wikitree.com
Genealogies of Shailene’s paternal grandparents, Virgil James Woodley and Dovey/Dovie (Oralee) Sims – http://www.findagrave.com
Shailene’s maternal great-grandfather, Harold Joseph Victor, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org Harold Joseph Victor on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-aunt (great-grandfather Harold’s sister) – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Re-marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia Prudhomme, to William H. Harris – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Leila/Lelia (Prudhomme) Harris, and Shailene’s step-great-great-grandfather, William H. Harris, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-great-grandparents, Joseph Donwar Prudhomme and Lelia/Lilia Populus/Pope/Poper/Lewis, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie Mae Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Bessie Mae Harrold, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org Bessie Mae Harrold on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, William John Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bessie Hutchins, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death records of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Bessie (Hutchins) Harrold – https://www.familysearch.org https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal grandmother, Diane Lynn Fauria, on the 1950 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-grandparents, Vernon Louis Fauria and Marguerite Lois Davis – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-grandather, Vernon Louis Fauria, on the 1931 Canada Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage records of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria and Aline Louise Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – http://www.findagrave.com
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Joseph Mathews/Matthews Fauria – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Aline Louise Martinez – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Aline Louise Martinez, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Marguerite Lois Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Shailene’s maternal great-grandmother, Marguerite Lois (Davis) Fauria – https://www.ertelfuneralhome.com
Marriage record of Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Norman Edward Davis and Evangeline/Evangelia Bertha Perrengere/Berengere/Perrin/Perrine/Perinjacket – https://www.familysearch.org
Shailene’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Evangeline/Evangelia Bertha Perrengere/Berengere/Perrin/Perrine/Perinjacket, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org