Zoe Kazan's parents, sister and the grandparents whose shadow she's spent her whole career in
Zoe Kazan’s parents are screenwriters Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord. She has a sister, Maya Kazan, who is an actress known for The Knick and Boardwalk Empire. Zoe Kazan paternal grandparents were the legendary film director Elia Kazan and playwright Molly Kazan.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Zoe Kazan is an American actress and writer born to Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord.
- Her father is a prominent screenwriter, director, and producer known for films like Reversal of Fortune and Frances.
- Zoe's mother is an accomplished screenwriter, director, and playwright whose notable works include Little Women and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Maya Kazan, Zoe’s younger sister, is also an actress, known for roles in The Knick and Boardwalk Empire.
- Zoe Kazan's grandfather, Elia Kazan, was a legendary director known for films such as On the Waterfront and A Streetcar Named Desire.
- Her grandmother, Molly Kazan, was a playwright and poet.
Profile summary
Full name | Zoe Swicord Kazan |
Gender | Female |
Date of birth | 9 September 1983 |
Age | 42 years old (as of 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Virgo |
Place of birth | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Current residence | New York City, New York, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Christianity |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in inches | 5'5'' |
Height in centimetres | 165 |
Weight in pounds | 117 |
Weight in kilograms | 53 |
Hair colour | Blonde |
Eye colour | Blue |
Father | Nicholas Kazan |
Mother | Robin Swicord |
Siblings | Maya Kazan |
Relationship status | Dating |
Partner | Paul Dano |
Children | 2 |
Education | Marlborough School, Yale University |
Profession | Actress, screenwriter, playwright |
Net worth | $14 million |
Meet Zoe Kazan's parents: Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord
Zoe Kazan, an American actress, screenwriter, and playwright, was born on 9 September 1983 in Los Angeles, California, into a family with deep roots in the entertainment industry. She is the eldest daughter of acclaimed screenwriters Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord.
In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Kazan spoke about having successful parents, saying:
My parents are very successful, but no one knows who they are, and they live a completely grounded, homey life....They made a great effort to strike a balance between time for us and time for their work, and I really appreciate, now, the example that my mum in particular set.
Speaking with The Daily Beast in 2012, Zoe Kazan said that despite coming from a famous Hollywood family, she had a normal upbringing and did not grow up out of touch with reality.
People really do make the assumption that I had some weirdo Hollywood upbringing, but my parents are incredibly down-to-earth people who worked really hard to raise us in a way that was healthy. We had family dinner every night.
Source: Getty Images
Learn more about Zoe Kazan's parents and their successful Hollywood careers below.
Nicholas Kazan (father)
- Full name: Nicholas Kazan
- Date of birth: 15 September 1945
- Age: 80 years old (as of 2026)
- Place of birth: New York, New York, United States
- Profession: Filmmaker
Zoe Kazan’s father, Nicholas Kazan, is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and playwright who has worked in the film industry for more than four decades. Born on 15 September 1945 in New York City, he is the son of Elia Kazan and Molly Kazan.
Nicholas is best known for writing acclaimed films such as Reversal of Fortune (1990), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Throughout his career, Kazan has written or co-written several films, including Frances (1982), Matilda (1996), Fallen (1998), Bicentennial Man (1999) and Enough (2002).
Source: Getty Images
He also directed the psychological thriller Dream Lover (1993) and has written plays for the stage, including Blood Moon (1983) and Mlle. God (2011). Away from filmmaking, Nicholas Kazan has been married to Robin Swicord since 1994. The couple has two daughters, Zoe and Maya, who followed them into the industry.
In a 2014 interview with The Talks, Zoe shared that her father was against her becoming an actress because he worried about the challenges of the profession, saying:
My dad was very particularly against me becoming an actor. He grew up around actors—his father was a director—and he felt that actors, and actresses in particular, were not happy. He was really worried about my potential unhappiness.
Robin Swicord (mother)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Robin Stender Swicord
- Date of birth: 23 October 1952
- Age: 73 years old (as of 2026)
- Place of birth: Columbia, South Carolina, United States
- Profession: Screenwriter, film director, and playwright
Zoe Kazan’s mother, Robin Swicord, was born on 23 October 1952, in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, to Henry "Hank" Grady Swicord II, who served in the U.S. military and Jean Carroll Swicord (née Stender). She has one brother, Steven Swicord, who has largely stayed out of the public eye.
Robin is a screenwriter, film director, and playwright. Her notable credits include Little Women (1994), Matilda (1996), Practical Magic (1998), Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), which earned her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Robin also co-wrote and executive-produced episodes of the acclaimed Netflix miniseries When They See Us. In a 2012 interview with CBS News, Kazan said her parents encouraged her imagination and believed that daydreaming and making up stories were valuable.
If I, like, wanted to come home and just daydream on the couch for four hours, they would make sure that I was undisturbed, because they knew that there was value in just sitting there and thinking up stories.
Who is Zoe Kazan's sister?
Maya Kazan is Zoe's younger sister and is also an actress. Explore more details about her below:
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Maya Kazan
- Date of birth: 24 November 1986
- Age: 39 years old (as of 2026)
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
- Profession: Actress, writer, and director
Maya Kazan is an American actress, writer, and director. Born on 24 November 1986 in Los Angeles, California, Maya studied Film Studies at Wesleyan University before training at the William Esper Studio in New York. She is best known for playing Eleanor Gallinger in The Knick (2014–2015).
Maya has also appeared in Boardwalk Empire, Mosaic, Sleepy Hollow, The Mindy Project, Love Life, and The Little Things (2021). In addition to acting, Maya has expanded her artistic footprint by writing and directing independent short film projects, such as Alia's Birth. She has been married to playwright Ted Feldman since 28 April 2018, and they share one child.
All you need to know about Zoe Kazan's grandparents
Zoe Kazan's grandparents also have notable backgrounds, especially on her father's side, where the family has made a lasting impact on Hollywood. Their achievements helped shape the creative environment in which Zoe grew up. Explore more details bout them below.
Elia Kazan (paternal grandfather)
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Elias Kazantzoglou
- Date of birth: 7 September 1909
- Date of death: 28 September 2003
- Age at the time of death: 94
- Place of birth: Istanbul, Türkiye
- Profession: Film/theatre director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and novelist
Elia Kazan was the father of screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, making him Zoe Kazan's paternal grandfather. He was born Elias Kazantzoglou on 7 September 1909 in Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Türkiye). Elia was the son of George Kazantzoglou, a rug merchant, and Athena Shishmanoglou.
When he was four years old, his family immigrated to the USA, where he grew up in New York City. Elia studied drama at Williams College and the Yale School of Drama, where she met his wife, Molly Kazan. The couple married in 1932 and had four children, including screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, Zoe Kazan's father.
Source: Getty Images
Elia went on to become one of the most influential film and theatre directors in America's history. He directed acclaimed films such as A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954), East of Eden (1955), and Splendor in the Grass (1961), winning two Academy Awards for Best Director.
He also co-founded the Actors Studio, helping launch the careers of popular actors including Marlon Brando and James Dean. Elia Kazan died on 28 September 2003, at the age of 94, at his home in Manhattan, New York City, United States.
Molly Kazan (paternal grandmother)
- Full name: Molly Day Thacher Kazan
- Date of birth: 16 December 1906
- Date of death: 14 December 1963
- Age at the time of death: 56 years
- Place of birth: Haverhill, Massachusetts, United States
- Profession: Playwright and dramatist
Molly Kazan was born Molly Day Thacher on 16 December 1906, in South Orange, New Jersey, to lawyer Alfred Beaumont Thacher and Emma Cecelia Erkenbrecher. She graduated from Vassar College and later studied at the Yale School of Drama.
As a playwright, dramatist, and theatre administrator, Molly wrote several plays, including The Egghead (1957), Rosemary, and The Alligator. She also worked as a play reader and theatre administrator. Molly died from a cerebral haemorrhage on 14 December 1963, according to The New York Times.
Henry Grady Swicord II (maternal grandfather)
- Full name: Henry "Hank" Grady Swicord II
- Date of birth: 24 July 1926
- Date of death: 18 August 2000
- Age at the time of death: 74 years
- Place of birth: Samoset, Florida, United States
- Profession: Military veteran, businessman, and civic leader
Henry "Hank" Swicord II Hank was born to his parents, Julia Worn Swicord and Henry Grady Swicord Sr., in Samosat, Florida, on 14 July 1926, and grew up on his family's farm in Climax, Georgia. He studied at Emory University and the University of South Carolina.
Henry served as a U.S. Navy officer during World War II and the Korean War, and married Jean Carroll Stender in 1948. Together, they had four children, including Robin Swicord. After leaving the Navy, Swicord settled in Panama City Beach, Florida, where he co-founded Flagala Hardware and Construction.
Henry was also active in civic organisations and received several community awards for his leadership and public service. He died of lung cancer on 18 August 2000, at the age of 74.
Jean Carroll Stender Swicord (maternal grandmother)
Source: UGC
- Full name: Jean Carroll Stender Swicord
- Date of birth: 25 September 1927
- Date of death: 11 July 2022
- Age at the time of death: 94 years
- Place of birth: Summerville, South Carolina, United States
- Profession: Writer, entrepreneur, and community volunteer
Jean Carroll Stender Swicord was born on 25 September 1927, in Summerville, South Carolina. She later moved to Columbia, South Carolina, where she graduated from Dreher High School before attending Winthrop College.
Jean was a talented writer from a young age, with her first collection of poems published while she was still a teenager. Alongside her husband, she helped establish the family business, Flagala, and was active in community and charitable work in Panama City Beach for many decades. She died on 11 July 2022, at the age of 94.
FAQs
- Who is Zoe Kazan? Zoe Kazan is an American actress, playwright, and screenwriter known for starring in The Big Sick and writing the film Ruby Sparks.
- What is Zoe Kazan’s age? The famous actress is 42 years old. She was born on 9 September 1983.
- What is Zoe Kazan’s religion? Zoe Kazan does not identify with a specific religion and was raised in a primarily secular household.
- Is Zoe Kazan Turkish? The actress is not ethnically Turkish.
- Who are Zoe Kazan’s parents? Her parents are Hollywood screenwriters and directors Nicholas Kazan and Robin Swicord.
- Who are Zoe Kazan’s grandparents? Zoe’s grandparents are Elia Kazan, Molly Day Kazan, Henry Grady Swicord II, and Jean Carroll Swicord.
- Who is Zoe Kazan’s sister? Her younger sister is actress and director Maya Kazan.
- Is Elia Kazan Turkish or Greek? Elia Kazan was ethnically Greek but born in Turkey.
Zoe Kazan comes from a family with a remarkable Hollywood legacy, but she has built a successful career on her own. With the support of her parents, a close bond with her sister, and the influence of her famous grandparents, she continues to honour her family's creative tradition while creating her own path as an actress and writer.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
