Anton Yelchin
Yelchin in 2011, image via prphotos.com
Birth Name: Anton Viktorovich Yelchin
Date of Birth: 11 March, 1989
Place of Birth: Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
Date of Death: June 19, 2016
Place of Death: Studio City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish
Anton Yelchin was an American actor and photographer. His films include Delivering Milo, Along Came a Spider, Hearts in Atlantis, A Time for Dancing, House of D, Fierce People, Alpha Dog, Charlie Bartlett, You and I, New York, I Love You; Middle of Nowhere, Star Trek (2009), and its sequels; Terminator Salvation, Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac, The Beaver, voice roles in From Up on Poppy Hill and The Smurfs franchise; the remake Fright Night (2011), Like Crazy, Odd Thomas, Only Lovers Left Alive, Rudderless, 5 to 7, Cymbeline, Burying the Ex, Dying of the Light, Experimenter, Broken Horses, The Driftless Area, Green Room, Porto, Thoroughbreds, Rememory, and We Don’t Belong Here. He also starred on the shows Huff, and, in voice performance, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia; and in the made-for-tv movie Jack.
He was born in Leningrad, USSR, now Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, to Viktor Yelchin and Irina Korina, pair figure skaters. His parents are both Jewish, and Anton sometimes wore a Star of David and an Israeli hamsa pendant. The family moved to the U.S. in September 1989, receiving refugee status. They settled in the Tarzana area. In a Los Angeles Times article published on December 22, 1989, Anton’s mother stated, “A woman came up, saw Anton, and said, ‘He’s beautiful. He will be actor.'” Anton’s parents qualified for the 1972 Winter Olympics, but were not allowed to attend by the Soviets, possibly because they were Jewish.
Anton’s uncle is artist and illustrator Eugene Yelchin.
Anton died after being struck by his jeep, which was set on “neutral,” and which pinned him to an iron security gate by his home in Los Angeles.
Anton’s paternal grandfather was named Aron/Aaron/Arcady Isaac Yelchin. Anton’s grandfather was captain of the Red Army Soccer Club in 1945.
Anton’s paternal grandmother was named Yelena Jacob.
Anton’s maternal grandfather is likely named Grigoriy N. Korin.
In 2015, Anton stated:
…guilt is a very important part of my personality… There are two things at work here, history and genetics. The history of Eastern European Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, has not been very pleasant. And I’m not just talking about World War II, but centuries and centuries of oppression and pogroms. If you are a product of that environment, it is a very big part of who you are. That’s not to say it’s all you are, but it is a part.
Sources: Article and interviews about Anton’s Jewish background – http://www.jewishjournal.com
https://stephenapplebaum.blogspot.ca
http://www.jweekly.com
https://www.jewishindependent.ca
Genealogy of Anton Yelchin (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
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