Elaine Joyce and Bronson Pinchot are both American actors who have appeared in various films, TV shows, and stage productions. They have also shared the same surname, Pinchot, which has led some people to wonder if they are related. However, the truth is that they are not related by blood or marriage. Here is why.
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The Origin of the Pinchot Surname
The Pinchot surname is not very common in the United States. According to Ancestry.com, it is of French origin and means “one who came from Pincourt, a place name derived from Old French pin, meaning ‘pine tree,’ and court, meaning ‘farmstead’ or ‘settlement.’”
The Pinchot family in America can be traced back to Constantine Pinchot, who was born in France in 1780 and immigrated to the United States in 1805. He settled in Milford, Pennsylvania, where he became a successful businessman and politician. He had several children, including James Wallace Pinchot, who was the father of Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the United States Forest Service and a two-time governor of Pennsylvania.
The Family Trees of Elaine Joyce and Bronson Pinchot
Elaine Joyce was born as Elaine Joyce Pinchot on December 19, 1943, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is of Hungarian descent. Her parents were Iliclina (née Nagy) and Frank Pinchot. She has a brother named Frank Pinchot Jr., who is also an actor.
Bronson Pinchot was born as Bronson Alcott Pinchot on May 20, 1959, in New York City. He is also of French and Russian descent. His parents were Rosina (née Asta), a typist and house cleaner, and Henry Pinchot, a bookbinder. His father was born in New York and raised in Paris. His paternal grandparents were from Russia and settled in France following the Russian Revolution. Upon returning to the United States, his father changed his surname from Poncharavsky to “Pinchot.” He has a younger brother named Justin Pinchot, who is also an actor.
As you can see, Elaine Joyce and Bronson Pinchot do not share any common ancestors or relatives. They are not cousins or siblings. They just happen to have the same surname because their fathers adopted it from different sources.
The Careers of Elaine Joyce and Bronson Pinchot
Elaine Joyce began her career as an extra in musical films such as West Side Story (1961), The Music Man (1962), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), and Funny Girl (1968). She made her TV debut in an episode of Route 66 (1962). She was one of the dancers on The Danny Kaye Show (1965-1966). She also had recurring roles in The Young and the Restless (1973-1974) and Days of Our Lives (1984-1985); made guest appearances in such series as The Andy Griffith Show (1967), The Red Skelton Show (1967-1969), Love, American Style (1970-1973), The Carol Burnett Show (1971-1978), Kojak (1974), Charlie’s Angels (1977), Green Acres (1971), Hawaii Five-O (1971-1978), Quincy M.E. (1978), The Feather and Father Gang (1977), The Love Boat (1978-1986), and ���������weepstake (1979). She was also a regular panelist on several game shows, including Match Game (1973-1982), Tattletales (1974-1984), Super Password (1984-1989), Password Plus (1979-1982), What’s My Line? (1968-1975), and I’ve Got a Secret (1972-1973). She also hosted the first season of The All New Dating Game (1986-1987).
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she was featured in many series, including Mr. Merlin (1981-1982), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-1991), Melrose Place (1992-1993), Magnum P.I. (1986-1987), Simon & Simon (1986-1987), Too Close for Comfort (1985-1986), and Murder, She Wrote (1990-1995). In 1972, she made her Broadway debut in the title role in Sugar, the musical adaptation of the film Some Like It Hot, in which she portrayed band singer Sugar Kane, the role originated by Marilyn Monroe in the movie. Joyce won the 1972 Theatre World Award for her performance. She also starred in the 1980 film Motel Hell as Edith Olsen and the 1986 film Trick or Treat as Angie Weinbauer, the mother of Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price).
Bronson Pinchot began his career with a small role as one of Joel’s poker playing friends in Risky Business (1983). He then appeared in The Flamingo Kid (1984) and After Hours (1985). He gained fame for his role as Serge, an associate art dealer with a funny accent and ambiguous sexuality, in Beverly Hills Cop (1984) and its sequel Beverly Hills Cop III (1994). He also played Balki Bartokomous, a naive immigrant from a fictional Mediterranean island who comes to live with his distant cousin Larry Appleton (Mark Linn-Baker), on the ABC sitcom Perfect Strangers (1986-1993). He also starred in another sitcom, The Trouble with Larry (1993), where he again played a visitor who comes to stay. He also appeared in films such as Second Sight (1989), Blame It on the Bellboy (1992), True Romance (1993), It’s My Party (1996), Courage Under Fire (1996), and The First Wives Club (1996). He also appeared in TV series such as Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1994-1995), Meego (1997), and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018-2020). In 2012, he starred in his own reality series, The Bronson Pinchot Project, on the DIY Network, where he renovated old houses in Pennsylvania. He has also worked extensively as an audiobook narrator, with over 100 recordings as of 2014. He has won several awards for his narration, such as the Audie Award and the AudioFile Earphones Award.
Conclusion
Elaine Joyce and Bronson Pinchot are both talented and versatile actors who have entertained audiences with their comedic and dramatic performances. They are not related by blood or marriage, but they share a common surname that has different origins. They have also both worked with some of the same actors, such as Eddie Murphy, Carol Burnett, and Mark Linn-Baker. They are both still active in their careers and have left a lasting impression on the entertainment industry.
