Is Rachel Brosnahan Jewish? Exploring Her Ethnicity and Family Life

Rachel Brosnahan soared to the limelight by captivating audiences worldwide with her breakout role as Miriam “Midge” Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Since then, she hasn’t looked back and has continued to climb the ladder of success.

Her latest release is the proof of her hard work and dedication. She is currently starring as Lois Lane, a fierce journalist and the romantic interest of Clark Kent, aka Superman, in the new DC movie Superman, which was released on July 11, 2025.

While Brosnahan is moving onto new and bigger things, her portrayal of Midge is still leading netizens to question her religion. And her rising profile doesn’t really help contain that as fans are becoming increasingly curious about her background and cultural heritage.

A common question that often arises is: Is Rachel Brosnahan Jewish?

Rachel Brosnahan Isn’t Jewish by Religion

Despite portraying a Jewish housewife-turned-comedian in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Brosnahan is not Jewish in real life. This fact has often surprised fans who felt her performance as Midge was deeply authentic and rooted in Jewish culture.

So to answer the question “Is Rachel Brosnahan Jewish?” the answer is not Jewish. However, she has previously mentioned having a strong connection to the Jewish community as she was raised in Highland Park, Illinois, a suburb outside of Chicago with its heavily Jewish population.

In her 2015 interview with Chicago Sun Times, she stated, “I spent so many Shabbat dinners with friends. I’ve probably been to 150 bar mitzvahs. A lot of my friends have been on Birthright [trips to Israel]. So this was a cool project to be a part of.”

Additionally, in her 2019 interview with Vulture, the actress said, “Growing up in Highland Park meant having exposure to and a thorough education about Judaism and its culture and community and history — we learned so much about that in school.”

“I’m not sure you have that same level of Jewish education in other parts of the country,” she added. When asked about if she still had sweatpants from the giveaways at Bar Mitzvahs, she revealed she still had many of them and they are really comfortable.

Furthermore, it seems like the American actress isn’t much of a religious either.

Rachel Brosnahan’s Ethnicity: A Mixed Heritage

When it comes to ethnicity, Brosnahan is primarily of Irish and English descent, as well as 1/16th French. According to multiple reports, her American father is of Irish and one eighth French descent. The 35-year-old actress’s mother is English.

Her Parents and Family Background

Rachel was born on July 12, 1990, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and raised in Highland Park, Illinois. Her father, Earl Brosnahan, worked in children’s publishing, while her mother, Carol Brosnahan, managed the home and supported her family.

Besides her parents, Rachel has two siblings: a sister named Lydia Brosnahan and a younger brother, reportedly named Alec Brosnahan. The actress remains close to both her parents and siblings to this day.

Rachel’s parents are also proud of what her daughter has managed to achieve on the grandest stage. However, they weren’t always so confident in their daughter gaining success and were sceptical at first. That said, they were still supportive of her choice.

Rachel Brosnahan during ‘Superman’ press tour in London (Photo: Instagram)

She told Vulture, “To be fair, what parents do want their kids to become actors? [Laughs.] It’s such an uncertain profession, signing up for a lifetime of rejection and uncertainty. No parent wants that for their child.”

“They weren’t the biggest fan of that idea, but they’ve always been really supportive. I don’t think they believed it was real until after the first Golden Globe that I probably wasn’t gonna be moving back into their basement anytime soon.”

She continued, “To be honest, I think the real moment my dad realized I was having success is when his massage therapist said to him that he saw House of Cards. My dad was so surprised that anyone else in the world had seen anything I’d done. [Laughs.] That was the first time he really believed I was doing okay.”

Rachel Brosnahan is related to Fashion Icon Kate Spade

Interestingly, Rachel also shares a familial connection with the world of fashion. She is the niece of the late Kate Spade, the renowned fashion designer and founder of the Kate Spade New York brand. So, Kate is Rachel’s dad’s sister.

A baby Rachel Brosnahan with her aunt Kate Spade (Photo: Instagram)

Rachel has publicly paid tribute to her aunt several times since Spade’s tragic passing in 2018, using her platform to promote mental health awareness. On June 5, 2024, she shared an heartfelt tribute to her late aunt via Instagram.

She wrote, “Sometimes you run out of things to say except I miss you. 6 years without Katy today,” alongside a childhood photo of herself and Spade curled up on a couch to mark the late fashion designer’s sixth death anniversary.