He was born in New York City, to photographer Arthur Elgort and opera director Grethe Barrett Holby. His father is of Russian Jewish heritage, while his mother has English, German, and Norwegian ancestry. As a child, Ansel tried out for the School of American Ballet, and attended Stagedoor Manor summer camp and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. He began his professional acting career on stage, appearing in Matt Charman's play, Regrets, which was performed off-Broadway.
Son of famed fashion photographer Arthur Elgort.
He has a reputation for revealing plot-spoilers about his movies in interviews.
Ansel's paternal grandfather, Harry Elgort, was a Russian Jewish immigrant, while Ansel's paternal grandmother, Sophie Didimamoff, was the daughter of immigrants from Russia. Ansel's maternal grandfather, Warren Barrett Holby, was a prominent Westchester real estate developer, and had English and German ancestry. Ansel's maternal grandmother, Aase-Grethe, was Norwegian; during World War II, she served in the Resistance for the Norwegian Government-in-exile, and helped save Jews in Norway from the Holocaust. For these activities, Aase-Grethe was imprisoned in a concentration camp by the Nazis (from 1943 to 1944).
Son of Grethe Barrett Holby, an opera director. His siblings are photographer Sophie Elgort and filmmaker Warren Elgort.
Also records EDM under the moniker Ansølo.
He is Tommy Ross in Carrie.
He is Caleb in Divergent.
He is Gus in The Fault In Our Stars.