International movie star, comedian, and producer Vince Vaughn grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he pursued his passion for theatre. But is he Italian?
Vince Vaughn was born and raised in America, but he has Italian ancestry from his maternal grandfather, who was of Italian descent. He also has Lebanese, Irish, English, Swiss-French, and German ancestry.
Read on to learn more about Vaughn’s diverse cultural heritage, as well as his current family life.
Vaughn Family Tree
Vaughn’s family tree is a little complicated, but whose isn’t? The actor was born the youngest child of Vernon and Sharon Vaughn in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but his parents would later move to Buffalo Grove, Illinois where Vaughn grew up with his two older sisters.
Vaughn’s mother, Sharon, was a real-estate agent and broker who was once ranked by Bloomberg Wealth Manager Magazine as one of the top US’s top money managers. His father, Vernon, was a salesman. Needless to say, Vaughn grew up in a wealthy family.
As for his maternal ancestry, Sharon was born in Ontario, Canada and was raised in Ohio. Her mother, Jeanette Teal, was born in Ohio to American parents, but it’s her grandfather who Vaughn has to thank for his Italian lineage.
Sharon’s father, Vince’s maternal grandfather, was named Georgio Phillip DePalmo and was of Italian origin.
On Vince’s paternal side, his father Vernon was born in Ohio. Vernon’s mother, Rose Marie Saba, was also born in Ohio but her parents were Lebanese. As for Vernon’s father, he was born in California and had English, Northern Irish and Scottish ancestry.
Vaughn produced and narrated a documentary called ‘Art of Conflict: The Murals of Northern Ireland’, which nodded to his Irish ancestry.
On a trip to Northern Ireland with his sister Valeri, she told the Belfast Telegraph, “we were always aware of our Irish grandparents but we have to go back and do some genealogy — I know one of my grandfathers was a hard-working Irish farmer and railroad worker but it’s all a bit vague”.
Clearly, Vince Vaughn has a rich ancestry.
Chicago Pride
Although aware of his diverse lineage, Vaughn considers himself a Chicago boy through and through. He grew up in Buffalo Grove, but moved to Lake Forest when he was around eight years old, where he attended high school and got involved with theatre programs.
Speaking to Chicago Magazine of his city pride the actor said, “the thing about Chicago is that it really isn’t like any other place. The architecture and the layout of the city are the best. I’m from the Midwest, and consider myself a Midwesterner. I feel most at home there”,
Vaughn added, “the focus is not on perception or image. The Midwest is built on hard work and values”.
Though widely accepted as one of Hollywood’s funniest comedians, Vaughn’s commitment to Chicago sports is no laughing matter.
He’s a huge fan of the Chicago Blackhawks and isn’t at all shy about it. He’s regularly seen cheering on the team from the stands, and has interviewed a number of the players.
Beyond the Blackhawks, Vaughn is a diehard fan of the Chicago Cubs and has sung the baseball anthem ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ for the team on a number of occasions. He even narrated the film of their World Series win in 2016.
He’s also an avid supporter of the Chicago Bears and the Chicago Bulls.
Watch Vince Vaughn speak with Seth Meyers about his love for Chicago in the YouTube video below.
Family Life
After a high-profile relationship with Jennifer Anniston, his co-star in ‘The Break-Up’, Vaughn began dating Kyla Weber, a realtor, and the pair got engaged in 2009.
Vaughn married Kyla Weber in 2010 and the couple have two children together, a son and a daughter. The couple married at Lake Forest Academy in the city where he grew up.
Not surprisingly, Chicago remains a huge part of his life and he owns property in his home city.