Reminds me of the famous Perm grandmother.

In the picture, Elena Stepanovna Smirnova with her famous grandson Leonardo DiCaprio.



The picture shows Leonardo DiCaprio with his mother Irmelin DiCaprio, nee Indenbirken and grandmother Elena Indenbirken, nee Smirnova.


Pictured is Leonardo DiCaprio with his grandmother

In one of his interviews, DiCaprio expresses pride in his Russian roots. “I know that if in Russia you are considered a “real man”, this is a serious compliment. My grandmother was Russian - Smirnova - and for me she is the embodiment inner strength and wholeness. She went through poverty, war and emigration. Grandmother, grandfather and other relatives on their part are real strong Russians with a difficult fate that did not break them. I can’t comment on how “real man” I myself am, but if there is something like that in me, then it’s from them. And the more I meet people in my life, the more I understand that my Russian grandparents were the most “real”. Even in periods of deaf lack of money and despair, they had a core and self-esteem, which I now see in few people, ”he said in one of his interviews.

Pictured is Leonardo DiCaprio with Vladimir Putin (2010)

In 2010, within the framework of the Tiger Forum, a meeting was held famous actor with Vladimir Putin (the prime minister in those years).

Vladimir Putin and DiCaprio also talked about the Russian roots of the actor. "Yes, the name of my ancestors was Smirnov," DiCaprio said. "A famous surname," Putin said with a smile.
He asked DiCaprio if he spoke Russian. “No, but if my grandmother were here, she would speak Russian with you,” the actor said. “I always wanted to bring my grandmother to St. Petersburg, but, unfortunately, these plans will no longer come true, since she passed away two years ago."

Many world-famous Hollywood actors, directors and producers were born to immigrant families from Russian Empire or the USSR.The Culturology publication has compiled a list of those who had Odessa grandmothers in their family.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leo never hid the fact that his grandmother, Helen Indenbirken, was known as Elena Stepanovna Smirnova as a girl. Most sources call her homeland Odessa, but some indicate the Kherson region of Ukraine. After the revolution, his grandmother and her family emigrated to Germany, where she remained during World War II.

The mother of the future Hollywood star was born in a bomb shelter during an air raid. Leo inherited his surname from his father with Italian-German roots.

After the end of the war, Elena Stepanovna and her husband moved to the USA. When in 1974 she had a grandson, she became the closest person to him and was constantly next to him. Leonardo DiCaprio always spoke of his grandmother with great love and respect and often appeared in front of the cameras with her. The actor admired her willpower and was sure that her character was tempered by the trials experienced in her youth: “For me, my grandmother is the embodiment of inner strength and integrity. She went through poverty, war and emigration. Grandmother, grandfather and other relatives on their part are people with a difficult fate that did not break them.

In an interview, DiCaprio has repeatedly stated that it was her upbringing that largely shaped him as a person. He grieved greatly when, in 2008, his beloved grandmother passed away at the age of 93.

Sydney Pollack

Actor, director and producer Sydney Pollack, who received an Oscar for the film Out of Africa and a nomination for the comedy Tootsie, was also born into an immigrant family - his grandparents and parents were Odessa Jews. But Sydney Pollack himself was born in Indiana and considered himself one hundred percent American.

“For me, the long-standing emigration of my parents from Odessa is exclusively from the field of family traditions,” he said.

Whoopi Goldberg

It’s hard to suspect Odessa roots from Whoopi Goldberg, but this is true. Her maternal great-grandmother was also from Odessa, where she lived half of her life. After emigrating to the United States, she settled in New York. The actress has always emphasized that she owes her character to her ancestors: “All the women in my family were strong personalities. They never called themselves feminists, did not utter big words, but everything that happened within the family happened on their initiative. From them I inherited the habit of treating all troubles with humor.

Steven Spielberg

The director of the cult films "Schindler's List", "Indiana Jones" and "Back to the Future" does not like to talk about his ancestors and their homeland - because of the dramatic circumstances that forced them to emigrate. The maternal grandmother of the director is from Odessa. She left the country with her family during the Holocaust. Although Spielberg does not like to remember these tragic events, he does not deny his roots and admits that the favorite dish in their family is long years there was borscht.

Sylvester Stallone

The father of the actor is a Sicilian, but his mother was of French-Jewish origin with Odessa roots. His grandmother Rosa's family owned a jewelry store in Odessa. After the revolution, they emigrated first to France and then to the United States. In the mid-1980s, Stallone's mother, with the help of Mikhail Gorbachev, tracked down her Odessa relatives and visited her homeland.

The actor admitted: "I suddenly felt that I had a lot more maternal than Italian paternal genes."

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Media representatives tend to call Leonardo DiCaprio American actor: he was actually born in the USA. However, there are also Russian roots in his pedigree. So, the actor's grandmother Helen Indenbirken had a completely different name before the revolution.

Nazi Germany

Elena Stepanovna Smirnova - this is how the grandmother of Leonardo DiCaprio would have been called if she had remained in her homeland in Russia. However, the Smirnov family left their homeland during the revolution and went to Germany. They began to call their daughter in a German way, so Elena turned into Helen.

When Helen grew up, married a German. Now she has a new surname - Indenbirken, with which to live in Nazi Germany It was much calmer than before. Fortunately, Helen's parents by some miracle managed to avoid persecution and arrests.

In 1943, the Indenbirkens had a daughter - the future mother of Leonardo DiCaprio. The girl was born in a bomb shelter, where at that time family members were hiding from the bombing.

The girl was given the name Imerlin. Of course, the birth of her daughter was one of the happiest moments in Elena's life. Nevertheless, until the end of her days, she recalled life in Nazi Germany as hard and terrible times.

America and again Germany

When the war ended, the Indenbirkens decided to leave. In the early 1950s, they went to the United States and settled in New York, where they joined the German community.

Life went on. In 1974, the family expanded again. Elena Stepanovna had a grandson, Leonardo. When he was 11 years old, his grandparents returned to Germany. With Leo, Elena Stepanovna always had great relationship. The actor regularly came to visit his grandmother, and she, in turn, visited him in America.

Today, all of them are world-famous actors, directors and producers, but these stars would never have lit up if it were not for their ancestors who came from Odessa.

Majority Hollywood actors proud of their roots, but some prefer not to mention their relatives...

Leonardo DiCaprio with his grandmother






Leonardo DiCaprio with his grandparents


Leonardo DiCaprio with his mother and grandmother
Leonardo di Caprio never hid the fact that his grandmother, Helen Indenbirken, was known as Elena Stepanovna Smirnova as a girl. Most sources call her homeland Odessa, but some indicate the Kherson region of Ukraine. After the revolution, his grandmother and her family emigrated to Germany, where she remained during World War II. The mother of the future Hollywood star was born in a bomb shelter during an air raid. Leo inherited his surname from his father with Italian-German roots.





Hollywood star with grandma


Actor with his Odessa grandmother
After the end of the war, Elena Stepanovna and her husband moved to the USA. When in 1974 she had a grandson, she became the closest person to him and was constantly next to him. Leonardo DiCaprio always spoke of his grandmother with great love and respect and often appeared in front of the cameras with her. The actor admired her willpower and was sure that her character was tempered by the trials experienced in her youth: “For me, my grandmother is the embodiment of inner strength and integrity. She went through poverty, war and emigration. Grandmother, grandfather and other relatives on their part are people with a difficult fate that did not break them. In an interview, DiCaprio has repeatedly stated that it was her upbringing that largely shaped him as a person. He grieved greatly when, in 2008, his beloved grandmother passed away at the age of 93.



Actor, director and producer Sydney Pollack, who received an Oscar for Out of Africa and a nomination for the comedy Tootsie, was also born into an immigrant family - both his grandparents and parents were Odessa Jews. But Sydney Pollack himself was born in Indiana and considered himself one hundred percent American. “For me, the long-standing emigration of my parents from Odessa is exclusively from the field of family traditions,” he said.


Actor, director, producer Sydney Pollack


Hollywood star Whoopi Goldberg
It’s hard to suspect Odessa roots from Whoopi Goldberg, but this is true. Her maternal great-grandmother was also from Odessa, where she lived half of her life. After emigrating to the United States, she settled in New York. The actress has always emphasized that she owes her character to her ancestors: “All the women in my family were strong personalities. They never called themselves feminists, did not utter big words, but everything that happened within the family happened on their initiative. From them I inherited the habit of treating all troubles with humor.


Legendary director Steven Spielberg
Hollywood star Steven Spielberg, director of Schindler's List, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, doesn't like to talk about his ancestors and their homeland because of the dramatic circumstances that forced them to emigrate. The maternal grandmother of the director is from Odessa. She left the country with her family during the Holocaust. Although Spielberg does not like to remember these tragic events, he does not deny his roots and admits that borsch has been a favorite dish in their family for many years.


Sylvester Stallone
According to his father, actor Sylvester Stallone is a Sicilian, but his mother was of French-Jewish origin with Odessa roots. His grandmother Rosa's family owned a jewelry store in Odessa. After the revolution, they emigrated first to France and then to the United States. In the mid 1980s. Stallone's mother, with the help of Mikhail Gorbachev, found her Odessa relatives and visited her homeland. The actor admitted: "I suddenly felt that I had a lot more maternal than Italian paternal genes."


Today, all of them are world-famous actors, directors and producers, but these stars would never have lit up if it were not for their ancestors who came from Odessa. Most Hollywood actors are proud of their roots, but some choose not to mention their relatives...







Leonardo di Caprio never hid the fact that his grandmother, Helen Indenbirken, was known as Elena Stepanovna Smirnova as a girl. Most sources call her homeland Odessa, but some indicate the Kherson region of Ukraine. After the revolution, his grandmother and her family emigrated to Germany, where she remained during World War II. The mother of the future Hollywood star was born in a bomb shelter during an air raid. Leo inherited his surname from his father with Italian-German roots.







After the end of the war, Elena Stepanovna and her husband moved to the USA. When in 1974 she had a grandson, she became the closest person to him and was constantly next to him. Leonardo DiCaprio always spoke of his grandmother with great love and respect and often appeared in front of the cameras with her. The actor admired her willpower and was sure that her character was tempered by the trials experienced in her youth: “ For me, my grandmother is the embodiment of inner strength and integrity. She went through poverty, war and emigration. Grandmother, grandfather and other relatives from their side are people with a difficult fate that did not break them". In an interview, DiCaprio has repeatedly stated that it was her upbringing that largely shaped him as a person. He grieved greatly when, in 2008, his beloved grandmother passed away at the age of 93.



Actor, director and producer Sydney Pollack, who received an Oscar for Out of Africa and a nomination for the comedy Tootsie, was also born into an immigrant family - both his grandparents and parents were Odessa Jews. But Sydney Pollack himself was born in Indiana and considered himself one hundred percent American. " For me, the long-standing emigration of my parents from Odessa is exclusively from the field of family traditions.", he said.





It’s hard to suspect Odessa roots from Whoopi Goldberg, but this is true. Her maternal great-grandmother was also from Odessa, where she lived half of her life. After emigrating to the United States, she settled in New York. The actress has always emphasized that she owes her character to her ancestors: “ All the women in my family were strong personalities. They never called themselves feminists, did not utter big words, but everything that happened within the family happened on their initiative. From them I inherited the habit of treating all troubles with humor.».



Hollywood star Steven Spielberg, director of Schindler's List, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, doesn't like to talk about his ancestors and their homeland because of the dramatic circumstances that forced them to emigrate. The maternal grandmother of the director is from Odessa. She left the country with her family during the Holocaust. Although Spielberg does not like to remember these tragic events, he does not deny his roots and admits that borsch has been a favorite dish in their family for many years.



According to his father, actor Sylvester Stallone is a Sicilian, but his mother was of French-Jewish origin with Odessa roots. His grandmother Rosa's family owned a jewelry store in Odessa. After the revolution, they emigrated first to France and then to the United States. In the mid 1980s. Stallone's mother, with the help of Mikhail Gorbachev, found her Odessa relatives and visited her homeland. The actor admitted: I suddenly felt that I had a lot more maternal than Italian paternal genes.».



There are a lot of immigrant families in Hollywood. .