Celebrity is a family thing sometimes. In entertainment and sports, there are people who are famously related. You’ve got siblings like Peyton and Eli Manning or parent-and-child situations like Will and Jaden Smith. However, not every family connection is that obvious or that well-known. Here are some famous people you might not have known were related. In this instance, married couples don’t count.
One of Hill’s breakout films was the teen comedy Superbad. Meanwhile, Feldstein’s breakout movie was the teen comedy Booksmart. Those came several years apart, but it still binds the siblings in one way.
Vanderbilt is a member of the Vanderbilt family, and she also got into the fashion world once she was striking out on her own. While she was married a few times, her last marriage yielded her son Anderson, who went on to become a famed newscaster and one-time “Jeopardy” guest host.
After a handful of notable relationships, actress and singer Streisand married actor James Brolin in 1998. Both already had kids, but one of those kids is particularly notable. That’s Josh Brolin, who has starred in films like Men in Black III and No Country for Old Men. You may have surmised that the Brolins were related, but you may not have known Josh’s stepmother.
From gangster rap to hanging with Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg has had quite a life and career. One of his cousins is Mercedes Varnado, best known as WWE superstar Sasha Banks. Snoop once performed while his cousin was walking to the ring.
Hey, we did say one of Snoop’s cousins is Sasha Banks. He’s got a few cousins and another one that is famous. Brandy and Snoop both succeeded at music and acting, with Brandy having starred in the TV show Moesha.
Mickey Hargitay had a solid acting career — he once played Hercules — but he could not reach the levels of fame of his one-time wife, Mansfield. She was one of the most famous faces of her era, even though she tragically died at the age of 34. During her marriage to Hargitay, she had a daughter Mariska, who would star in, like, 500 episodes of Law and Order: SVU.
Yes, it’s true. The raunchy comedian and the current Senate Majority Leader are indeed related. Amy and Chuck are cousins and have even worked together on political matters. Not so much on comedic matters.
You may know Shire best as Adrian from the Rocky movies or perhaps from her turn as Connie in the Godfather films. She picked up her professional last name from her first marriage, but her second marriage gave her a son: Jason Schwartzman, who has acted in films like Rushmore.
Norm! That’s how most of us know Wendt, thanks to his turn on Cheers. However, Sudeikis probably called him “Uncle George.” Yes, the Ted Lasso star is the nephew of Norm.
These two Hollywood legends spent decades on screen, and yet you might not know they were related. The different last names may have played a role there. These siblings were quite successful. Beatty and MacLaine have won Oscars.
It’s possible you know the actress Goldie Hawn is Hudson’s mother. You might also know that Hawn and Kurt Russell have been together for decades. You may also know that Wyatt, who was a professional hockey player before turning to acting, is Kurt’s son. And yet, we bet there are a lot of people who have not put together that Russell and Hudson are half-siblings.
Both Melissa and Jenny have a propensity to get a little raunchy. We could definitely imagine Jenny saying some of the stuff Melissa spouts in Bridesmaids. However, did you know that it might run in the family? The movie star and the former MTV star are cousins.
We feel like a lot of people know that Melanie Griffith is Dakota Johnson’s mother, even though they don’t share a last name. That might be because Griffith’s mother, Tippi Hedren, was also an actress. It’s a lineage! As such, it can be overlooked that Miami Vice star Don Johnson is Dakota’s dad.
Talia Shire’s name before her first marriage? That would be Coppola, and she is Francis Ford Coppola’s sister. This would also make her Sofia Coppola’s aunt. However, the Coppola family extends even further than you realized. Before he changed his name to strike out on his own, Cage was known as Nicolas Coppola. Yes, he’s a Coppola. Specifically, a nephew of Francis (and Talia).
Laura Dern shares a name with her father, the acclaimed actor Bruce Dern. Her mother is no slouch when it comes to acting chops. Oscar nominee Ladd is Laura’s mother. The mother and daughter have worked together a couple of times, including on Dern’s TV show Enlightened.
Rip Torn was such a wild man it can feel weird to imagine him having a family. Didn’t he just emerge from a volcano spewing obscenities and intensity? In truth, he was cousins with Spacek, who knows a thing or two about blood thanks to starring in Carrie.
We knew Kiefer’s father was the actor Donald Sutherland, but honestly, this one completely took us by surprise. Sarah, who is probably best known for playing Catherine on Veep, is the daughter of Kiefer. The family acting tree continues to branch.
Redgrave is a Grammy short of an EGOT, and her sister, Lynn, also had a fine acting career. In addition to her acclaimed sibling, Redgrave had a couple of children that got into acting. Richardson was having a fine career, even winning a Tony for Cabaret, when tragedy struck. She died at 45 due to a skiing accident.
Hey, we’re not Schneider’s good friend Adam Sandler. Give us a break for not knowing his family situation. The star of The Animal has a daughter in King, a musician. You may know King from her hit song “Ex’s and Oh’s.”
Even with the same last name, this one is a surprise. British musician Lily Allen is quite successful, but she’s not the only one in the family. Her brother Alfie followed his father Keith into the acting realm. He played Theon Greyjoy in Game of Thrones and that creep who kills John Wick’s dog.
Qualley is an actress on the ride. She was good in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and now has her own starring vehicle in the Netflix show Maid. Qualley is the daughter of MacDowell, who is likely best remembered for her turn in Groundhog Day.
We probably don’t need to tell you Lisa Marie Presley is Elvis’ daughter. With all due respect, it’s the most famous thing about her, because Elvis was probably the most famous person in the world for a while. Going down another generation, you might lose the plot. Lisa Marie’s daughter is actress Keough, arguably best known for Mad Max: Fury Road.
You may think to yourself, “Julia Roberts has had some famous relationships, but as far as I know, she doesn’t have a famous kid. I would have heard about that. She and Emma must not be related.” Ah, you need to move one spot over in the family tree. Emma is the daughter of Julia’s brother, actor Eric Roberts, making Julia her aunt.
We’re back to talking about actresses with ties to Mad Max: Fury Road . Kravitz is in that, and she is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz. However, did you know Lenny had his daughter with Bonet? Also, Bonet was married to Jason Momoa, so Aquaman was her stepfather as well.
If you just know Jones from The Office or Parks and Recreation, you may not know much about her. As such, you could be completely out of the loop on her famous lineage. Rashida is the daughter of the iconic music producer Quincy Jones and Mod Squad actress Peggy Lipton.
Booker is a politician. RuPaul is the world’s most famous drag queen and the winner of a whole bunch of Emmys. When Booker was doing the TV show Finding Your Roots, he found out that he and RuPaul were cousins. It's easier to win Emmys than Presidential nominations in this family.
Morrow is, unfortunately, best remembered for his horrifying and tragic death in a helicopter accident on the set of Twilight Zone: The Movie. However, we shouldn’t forget his acting career, particularly his starring role in the TV series Combat! His legacy lives on in his daughter Leigh, who has been in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Hateful Eight.
Gabor was early on the “famous for being famous” train, and Hilton picked up that ball and ran with it. Plus, both had sisters who were also famous. Zsa Zsa was married a staggering nine times, with one of those marriages being to Conrad Hilton Sr. It was, by all accounts, a horrifying marriage for her. However, one of Conrad’s other kids was Barron, who begat Richard, who begat Paris.
Rossellini was born in Rome, and her father was Italian director Roberto Rossellini. However, as successful as both of their careers may have been, they pale compared to Bergman. Isabella’s mother, Ingrid, who was Swedish, won three Oscars. She was also in Casablanca.
When Burton wasn’t busy marrying Elizabeth Taylor — he did it twice to no avail — he was a great actor. While he never won an Oscar, he was nominated seven times. His daughter eventually would rise to prominence as an actor herself. She’s had her most success in Shondaland, as he’s been in both Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal.
As far as choreographers go, Allen is arguably only rivaled by Bob Fosse for fame. That being said, she’s also acted, and in fact, both acted in and choreographed the TV version of Fame. Allen has a few Emmy nominations, and so does her sister Rashad, for a show starring a guy we don’t talk about anymore. You know the one.
Nora first rose to fame on Saturday Night Live in the ‘80s, but she’s continued to be a successful working actor since then. Working actor is also a good descriptor of her brother, Kevin. He’s been in a lot of stuff, but he’s arguably at his best as Ben in Veep.
Robyn’s peak came when she was a teen actor in the ‘80s. In fact, she starred in Teen Witch. Blake, meanwhile, didn’t rise to fame until the 2000s. There is a 15-year age gap between the half-siblings, which could easily make it hard to connect the dots.
Chris Pine needs no introduction, at least among Star Trek or Wonder Woman fans. If you grew up watching TV in the ‘70s and ‘80s, you might be just as familiar with his father. Robert was a successful television actor for decades, with his biggest role coming in CHiPs, where he played the gruff sergeant. Additionally, Chris’ grandmother (Robert’s mother-in-law) was actress Anne Gwynne, considered one of Hollywood’s first “scream queens.”
What’s that in the air tonight? Could it be that the actress Lily Collins is Phil’s daughter? It’s true. Though they work in entirely different mediums, both have been quite successful — Phil as a musician, and Lily in Emily in Paris.
Reynolds starred in one of the iconic Hollywood musicals Singin’ in the Rain, while her daughter made her name in a different medium. Fisher, of course, played Leia in the Star Wars movies up until her death. Fisher’s daughter Billie Lourd is also an actor.
Country musicians often sing about the simple things, pickup trucks, being a cowboy, and stuff like that. They rarely sing about being a billionaire mogul with controversial business practices. As such, it’s unlikely that musician Strait will ever write a song about his cousin, Amazon honcho Bezos.
Since Sting goes by a monosyllabic nickname professionally, it can be trickier to track his family. His real name is Gordon Sumner, and knowing that, you can connect the dots. Mickey is his daughter, and you may have seen her in Frances Ha or the TV version of Snowpiercer.
We enter the world of sports now. Barry is a 12-time MLB All-Star and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. His son took another sporting route. Shane is a professional basketball player who was taken in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft. While he didn’t stick in the NBA, he’s found success playing in Europe.
Walker was the first overall pick of the 1967 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, and he ended up a two-time All-Star in his career. He also fathered future NBA player and ESPN personality Rose. That being said, Walker was not involved in Rose’s childhood. They eventually began talking, but Walker died in 2007 before they met.
Marbury had a solid NBA career, although he’s a living legend in China as one of the first basketball players to head over there to play professionally. His cousin Telfair was a New York high school legend, but his NBA career didn’t go as well as Marbury’s. Telfair even followed Marbury to China but had less success there.
Carter and McGrady both had great careers and even got to play together briefly. That must have been fun for them. The two are cousins, but who had the better career in the NBA? Well, only one of them basically recalibrated our idea of what the NBA Dunk Contest can be. Score one for Vinsanity.
Mark was a home run slugging machine who once hit 70 homers in a season. Of course, he was then tainted by steroids. His brother Dan went a different route, playing quarterback. He was drafted in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Seahawks, but he didn’t have a good NFL career. However, at 6’8’’, he is one of the tallest NFL players ever.
Jon “Bones” Jones had a fine MMA career, even being considered the best fighter in the world for a bit. In recent years, he’s been known as much for controversies and decisions that have tainted his legacy. His brother Chandler hasn’t had that experience. All he’s done is rack up sacks in the NFL for a decade. They have another brother, Arthur, who also had an NFL career.
Mike Love is one of the Beach Boys (though he’s not Brian Wilson and never will be from a talent perspective). His nephew is in a very different realm. Kevin is an NBA star known for his rebounding skills and for winning a ring with the Cavaliers. Oh, and he played his college ball in California. Mike knows a thing or two about that state.
There are a lot of known family connections in wrestling. We don’t need to tell you that Dusty and Dustin Rhodes are related, or Ric and Charlotte Flair. While “The King” is affiliated with Memphis wrestling, and the Honky Tonk Man’s whole gimmick was a riff on Elvis, you might have no idea that these two were cousins.
Usually, if father and son athletes play the same sport, they play a similar position. Vlad Guerrero Jr. is a slugger just like his dad, after all. Tom “Flash” Gordon was a pitcher, a three-time All-Star who remade himself as a successful closer later in his career. His son Dee, though, is primarily a second baseman. Dee made a couple of All-Star Games and was a speedster.
Rick Barry was a Hall of Fame player who shot his free throws underhand, which will always make him a legend. He also had five sons who became professional basketball players. The two most successful of those sons were Jon and Brent. Interestingly, both went on to be broadcasters as well, though Jon went to work for ESPN while Brent went off to TNT.
Popeye was a bit of an NBA journeyman, but he stuck it out for a decade in the league, which is nothing to sneeze at. When Popeye was with the Nuggets, he talked to Joe Sakic about his son playing hockey. This apparently was a fruitful conversation. His son Seth is now an NHL player, having recently joined the Chicago Blackhawks. A lot of people peg him as a future Norris Trophy winner.
Irvine played in the NHL for the Kings and Rangers, so he got to play in the spotlight of two gigantic cities. It was a solid career, but his son ended up getting even more spotlight than him. Christopher Irvine became known professionally as Chris Jericho, as a lot of pro wrestlers do end up with stage names. Jericho became one of the most successful wrestlers ever and even managed to finagle that into a gig fronting a metal band, some acting, and even being a game show host.
Chris Morgan is a Detroit-based culture writer who has somehow managed to justify getting his BA in Film Studies. He has written about sports and entertainment across various internet platforms for years and is also the author of three books about '90s television.
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