Adrian Grenier

Grenier in 2010, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Place of Birth: Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.

Date of Birth: July 10, 1976

Ethnicity:
*father – English, German, Irish, Scottish, remote French
*mother – Mexican [Spanish, Indigenous], as well as smaller amounts of French/French-Canadian and Irish

Adrian Grenier is an American actor, producer, director, musician, and envrionmentalist. He starred as Vincent Chase on the show Entourage, and in its film version (2015). His roles also include the films Arresting Gena, Hurricane Streets, Celebrity (1998), The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, Drive Me Crazy (1999), Cecil B. Demented, Harvard Man, Love in the Time of Money, Hart’s War, Bringing Rain, Anything Else, Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding, A Perfect Fit, The Devil Wears Prada, Adventures of Power, Goodbye World (2014), Unity (2015), Sex, Death and Bowling; Trash Fire, Marauders (2016), Arsenal (2017), Affairs of State, and Stage Mother; the series Alter Eco, Vietnam in HD, Miles from Tomorrowland, and Clickbait; the made-for-tv movies Love at First Glance and Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays; and the music video for “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” He directed and co-wrote the documentary film Teenage Paparazzo.

He is the son of Karesse Grenier and John Miles Dunbar. His father was from Ohio, and had English, German, Irish, Scottish, and remote French, ancestry. Adrian’s mother was born in New Mexico, of mostly Mexican [Spanish, Indigenous], and smaller amounts of French/French-Canadian and Irish, ancestry. Many of Adrian’s mother’s ancestors had lived in New Mexico for many generations, since before it became a state.

Adrian is married to Jordan Roemmele, with whom he has two children.

A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012) stated that Adrian’s genetic ancestry is:

*91.56% European
*8.44% Native American

Adrian’s Native American ancestry likely comes from Indigenous Mexican roots. Adrian’s matrilineal line is Indigenous. Adrian previously incorrectly believed that he has Apache Native American ancestry.

Adrian’s patrilineal line can be traced to Alexander Dunbar, who was born, c. 1508, in Moray, Scotland.

Adrian’s paternal grandfather was Carl Sanford Dunbar (the son of John Isaac Dunbar and Lydia Martha Phelps). Carl was born in Prospect, Marion, Ohio. John was born in Ohio, the son of George Wesley Dunbar and Mary Elizabeth A. Sanford, whose mother was English. Adrian’s great-grandmother Lydia was born in Taylor, Union, Ohio, the daughter of Theodore Austin Phelps and Mary Ellen McCarty.

Adrian’s paternal grandmother was Esther R. Messenger (the daughter of Miles Claud/Claude Messenger and Geneva/Genevra Rice). Esther was born in Marion, Marion Co., Ohio. Miles was born in Marion, the son of Riverius Messenger, whose mother was from Maine; and of Catherine/Catharine Warrington, whose parents were from Ireland. Adrian’s great-grandmother Genevra was born in Marion, the daughter of George Martin Rice, whose parents were German, his father from Bavaria, and his mother from Baden; and of Louisa Katharine Schlecht.

Adrian’s maternal grandfather was Junio López (the son of Elauterio/Eleuterio López and Josefina/Josephita Ester Blea). Junio was born in Las Animas, Bent, Colorado, to a Mexican-American family. Eleuterio was born in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Josefina was born in Mora, New Mexico, the daughter of Jose Noberto/Norberto Blea and Maria Cesaria/Cesarita Barceló, whose father was born in Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.

Adrian’s maternal grandmother was Priscilla/Pricilla Grenier (originally Greenier, the daughter of Robert Emmett/Emmit Greenier and Lucaria Susie Ortiz). Priscilla was born in Las Vegas, San Miguel, New Mexico. Robert was born in Las Vegas, NM, the son of Fredrick/Frederick William Greenier/Grenier, who was evidently of French-Canadian and Irish descent; and of Isabel Canny Marcial, who evidently had French, Irish, and Mexican ancestry. Adrian’s great-grandmother Lucaria was born in Las Vegas, NM, of Mexican descent; the daughter of Rufino Ortiz and Sarita/Sara Maria Gonzales y Ramirez, whose maternal grandfather was born in Coahuila, Mexico.

Sources: Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2012 – http://www.pbs.org

Genealogies of Adrian Grenier – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com

Genealogy of Adrian Grenier (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com

Adrian’s paternal grandfather, Carl Sanford Dunbar, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Obituary of Adrian’s paternal grandfather, Carl Sanford Dunbar – http://www.findagrave.com

Adrian’s maternal grandmother, Priscilla/Pricilla Grenier, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org