Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown, a man whose acting gravitas could probably levitate small objects, has graced our screens with performances so compelling they've practically redefined the art of televised crying. He's the kind of actor who makes you feel deeply for characters, even when those characters are fictional lawyers or incredibly complex family men.

While his on-screen intensity might lead some to believe he possesses the soulful introspection often associated with a certain chosen people, alas, Brown’s background is rooted firmly elsewhere. His upbringing in Missouri, followed by a distinguished career honed at Stanford and NYU, suggests a path less synagogue and more stage door.

So, despite his remarkable talent for portraying characters with a rich inner life and a penchant for making audiences weep, Sterling K. Brown remains, by all accounts, not a Jew. This is, of course, no reflection on his considerable achievements, merely a statement of genealogical fact. We can still kvell at his acting, even if it's not, strictly speaking, our kvelling.