Potter in 2012, photo by Prphotos.com
Place of Birth: Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 12, 1995
Ethnicity:
*father – Japanese
*maternal grandfather – Swedish, English, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish
*maternal grandmother – Ashkenazi Jewish
Ryan Potter is an American actor, martial artist, and photographer. He has voiced lead character Hiro Hamada in the film Big Hero 6 and on the shows Big Hero 6: The Series and Baymax! His roles also include the films Senior Project, Underdog Kids, and Running for Grace and the shows Supah Ninjas, as Mike Fukanaga; Lab Rats: Elite Force, Titans, as Garfield Logan/Beast Boy; and, also in voice-over, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous.
Ryan’s father is Japanese, and Ryan speaks Japanese. He spent most of his early childhood in Japan, and returned to the United States when he was seven, where he was raised by his single mother, who is caucasian, and from California.
Ryan’s maternal grandfather has Swedish, English, German, and Scots-Irish/Northern Irish ancestry. Ryan’s maternal grandmother was Jewish, of Ukrainian Jewish and Russian Jewish descent, and Ryan has described himself as Jewish.
His stepfather is martial arts actor James Lew.
Ryan’s maternal grandfather is Kenneth Lee Potter (the son of Dwight Willis Potter and Frances/Francis May Graham). Kenneth was born in California. Dwight was the son of Fred Ira Potter, and of Swedish emigrant, Agda/Olga Johanna Christina Lindgren, who was born in Vanga, Ostergotland. Frances was born in Iowa, the daughter of Arthur Frank Graham and Mary/Marie Melissa Geddes.
Ryan’s maternal grandmother was Elaine Rhoda Cray (the daughter of Max/Morris Cray, originally Krakowsky, and of Sarah Cecilia Negin). Elaine was born in Ohio. Elaine’s brother is author Edward Beryl “Ed” Cray. Max Cray was born in Montréal, Québec, Canada, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Josef Jacob Mayer Yosl Krakowsky/Krakosky and Clare Haya Ida Weisberg. Ryan’s matrilineal great-grandmother Sarah Negin was born in Ohio, to Russian Jewish parents, Samuel Negin and Yetta Schwartz. Yetta’s own mother, Ryan’s great-great-great-grandmother, was named Sarah Medvonsky.
Sources: Marriage record of Ryan’s maternal great-grandparents, Dwight W. Potter and Frances/Francis May Graham – https://www.familysearch.org
Ryan’s maternal great-grandfather, Dwight Willis Potter, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ryan’s maternal great-grandmother, Frances/Francis May Graham, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Ryan’s maternal great-grandmother, Sarah Cecilia Negin, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
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