Virginia Madsen
Madsen in 2011, photo by PrPhotos
Birth Name: Virginia G. Madsen
Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 11, 1961
Ethnicity:
*father – Danish
*mother – Irish, English, Scottish, German, as well as remote Dutch and French Huguenot
Virginia Madsen is an American actress and film producer. She is known for her roles in the films Candyman, Sideways (for which she received an Oscar nomination), The Astronaut Farmer, and A Prairie Home Companion.
Virginia is the daughter of Elaine Madsen (born Elaine Loretta Melson), an Academy Award-winning filmmaker, and Cal Madsen, a firefighter. Her brother was actor Michael Madsen and her nephew is actor Christian Madsen. Virginia is married to actor Nick Holmes. She has a son with her former partner, actor Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Virginia’s paternal grandparents were Danish. Her mother has English, Irish, Scottish, and German, as well as remote Dutch and French Huguenot, ancestry. Virginia has stated that her mother is of part Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this Native American ancestry has been verified/documented.
Virginia’s paternal grandfather was Søren/Samuel Madsen (the son of Jorgan Madsen and Sisel Thomsen).
Virginia’s paternal grandmother was named Anna Marie Andersen.
Virginia’s maternal grandfather was Lance Eugene Melson (the son of Luther Elmore Melson and Dorothy Christine “Dolly” Williams). Lance was born in Oklahoma. Luther was the son of Leandor/Leander Elmore Melson and Mary Ellen Wingfield. Dorothy was the daughter of Henry Wade Williams and Caroline/Calline Lanier.
Virginia’s maternal grandmother was Lavina Loretta Shay (the daughter of Harry Earnest Shay and Cora Lavina Rhodes). Virginia’s grandmother Lavina was born in Colorado. Her step-father was William Riley Jennings. Harry was the son of David Shay and Anna Elizabeth Hendrick. Cora was the daughter of Charles Winfred Rhoades and Clara Bell Courtney.
Sources: Genealogy of Virginia Madsen – https://www.geni.com
Death record of Virginia’s paternal grandfather, Søren/Samuel Madsen – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Virginia’s maternal great-grandfather, Luther Elmore Melson – http://www.findagrave.com
Virginia’s maternal grandmother, Lavina Loretta Shay (then under her stepfather’s surname, “Jennings”), on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Virginia’s maternal great-grandfather, Harry Earnest Shay, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
The family tree of Virginia Madsen’s mother.
https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/pedigree/landscape/MW7R-SSP
This family tree is through her brother, Michael Søren Madsen.
Her mother has an English ancestor who already had mixed some French Huguenot ancestry before immigrating to America in the 17th century, and the surname was Lanier.
Her mother has an English ancestor of mixed English and French Huguenot ancestry, who immigrated to America in the 17th century, with the surname Lanier.
Her mother also has distant Dutch ancestry, with an ancestor surnamed Swaim.
Looks like a typical woman from the South. Lol
brother Michael claimed Native
It was Virginia who said it. She said her mother is “Irish and Native American”.
Maybe Wampanoag?