20+ Celebrities We Didn't Realize Are Related

We all know famous families such as the Kardashians and the Baldwins, but what about the celeb relations who don’t flaunt their lineages? As it turns out, the world of showbiz is pretty small, and there are plenty of family connections that have managed to stay under the radar. That’s right: you won't believe how connected famous people really are these days...

1. Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman

As members of the Coppola film dynasty — which includes directors Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola — actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman are actually cousins who share the same grandfather: the legend Carmine Coppola. And while the pair don’t look very similar, the fact that they tend to appear in quirky movies suggests they both have an affinity for the eccentric.

2. Glenn Close and Brooke Shields

Glenn Close and Brooke Shields are both screen legends — perhaps it’s because they share a common ancestry. Yep, the Dangerous Liaisons and Lipstick Jungle stars are, in fact, second cousins once removed. They’re connected by 19th-century shipping broker Charles Arthur Moore. And the more you look, the more you can see similarities — their lips, for example!

3. Al Roker and Lenny Kravitz

Though their careers have put them on different ends of the style spectrum, weatherman Al Roker and rock star Lenny Kravitz are distant cousins. Yep, their granddads were cousins, too. Speaking about the connection on the TODAY show in 2011, Roker joked that it has helped sharpen his image, saying, “Kids think it’s cool.”

4. Sissy Spacek and Rip Torn

Sissy Spacek’s Texas roots aren’t the only thing she has in common with Men in Black star Rip Torn: the two are cousins. Torn is even partly responsible for having kickstarted the Carrie actress’ career, as he got her into Lee Strasberg’s famous Actors Studio in the 1970s. Helping family is always a good idea!

5. Snoop Dogg and Brandy

Rapper Snoop Dogg and R&B-singer Brandy are first cousins. And even though they found fame in different music genres, they did come together for a collaboration on Snoop’s track “Special” (also featuring Pharrell).

6. Jason Sudeikis and George Wendt

Jason Sudeikis had a comedic mentor from a young age: his uncle, Cheers star George Wendt. That said, Sudeikis told Playboy in 2011 that Wendt wasn’t great at giving advice. Yep, Wendt apparently jokingly suggested that his nephew “get on one of the best sitcoms of all time and then ride it out.”

7. Tom Cruise and William Mapother

Lost star William Mapother has a blockbuster-headlining first cousin in Tom Cruise, whose real name is Thomas Mapother IV. Crazy, right? But William likes to downplay the Cruise connection in public and told Reddit users, “Anything I write/say about him gets taken out of context.”

8. Berry Gordy and Redfoo

Motown founder Berry Gordy shaped the careers of some of the greatest R&B and pop artists of all time — Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, to name a few. And it appears he’s also passed his musical genes down to his son Stefan — a.k.a. Redfoo from LMFAO.

9. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck

They may be best buds in real life — having found fame together co-writing and starring in 1997’s Good Will Hunting — but Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are also distantly related. The two share a common ancestor in pilgrim William Knowlton Jr., making the Hollywood duo tenth cousins once removed.

10. Gwyneth Paltrow and Katherine Moennig

It’s no secret that Gwyneth Paltrow’s mom is actress Blythe Danner, but she’s not the only famous person in the Iron Man actress’ family. L Word star Katherine Moennig is her cousin, and the younger actress’ penchant for more risqué roles has seen her labeled “the alternative Gwyneth.”

11. Justin Bieber and Ryan Gosling

Canada’s a pretty big place, so it came as a surprise to us to find out that two of its biggest stars are in fact related. According to Ancestry.com, singer Justin Bieber is actor Ryan Gosling’s 11th cousin once removed, and the pair’s ancestry dates back to original frontiersmen in Quebec.

12. Liev Schreiber and Pablo Schreiber

Ray Donovan star Liev Schreiber is the half-brother of Orange Is the New Black actor Pablo Schreiber. And despite the pair having been born over a decade apart, Liev’s imprint is heavy on Pablo, who told The Daily Beast that his big bro is “usually the smartest person in the room.”

13. George Clooney and Miguel Ferrer

Having someone like George Clooney in the family must be difficult, but Miguel Ferrer doesn’t seem intimidated by his cousin’s movie-star looks and mega-star status. In truth, the pair have a strong bond. So it’s no surprise the RoboCop actor was a guest at Clooney’s wedding to Amal.

14. Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis

Both pioneering actresses in their own right, Janet Leigh and her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis revolutionized the horror genre with their roles in Psycho and Halloween, respectively. And Curtis — also the daughter of screen icon Tony Curtis — paid homage to her mother’s classic shower scene in a 2015 episode of Scream Queens.

15. Lea Thompson and Zoey Deutch

The resemblance between actress Lea Thompson and daughter Zoey Deutch is uncanny — especially in Deutch’s movie Everybody Wants Some. “Uh-oh, is everybody going to compare us?” Zoey told the NY Daily News after noticing her character’s likeness to her mom’s Back to the Future look.

16. Rob Schneider and Elle King

Fans of soulful singer Elle King may be stunned to learn that she’s the daughter of dorky Deuce Bigalow star Rob Schneider. Schneider’s busy career meant that the pair had a bit of a rocky relationship for a while, but they seem super close these days. “Now the relationship I have with my father is what I always wanted,” King told People magazine in 2018.

17. Prince Charles and Ralph Fiennes

Though film stars are treated like royalty in Hollywood, few can admit to being related to genuine nobility. But that’s not the case for Ralph Fiennes. The Spectre star is actually the eighth cousin of Prince Charles. So it’s unlikely Fiennes will be sitting on a throne any time soon!

18. Céline Dion and Madonna

Miraculously, a study of genealogy and information found these two singers have a common ancestor. The man was a carpenter who lived during the 17th century. Bring on a familial world tour!

19. Melissa McCarthy and Jenny McCarthy

At first glance, their common last name seems a coincidence. But comedian Melissa McCarthy and svelte TV host/comedian Jenny McCarthy are actually cousins. The duo — who were born two years apart — spent time together as children, and Jenny even landed Melissa an early job in TV.

20. Steven Spielberg and Gwenyth Paltrow

Not only does the famed director spend a lot of time with Paltrow; he’s her godfather. He may not have directed The Godfather, but he’s definitely a cool one himself.

21. Brooke Shields and Meryl Streep

That’s right: these two powerhouse actresses are related. How? Well, it turns out that Streep’s father and Shields’ mother have the same German ancestor. That makes the pair distant cousins.

22. Antonio Banderas and Dakota Johnson

If you’ll remember, Banderas was once married to actress Melanie Griffith, who had Dakota with her previous husband, Don Johnson. Though their relationship isn’t connected through blood, at one point, the actor was her stepfather. And they’re still close to this day.

23. Lily Allen and Alfie Allen

It may take seeing their names next to each other to realize that the British pop singer and the Game of Thrones cast member are sister and brother, respectively. Creative talent must run in the family!

24. Emma Roberts and Julia Roberts

Not that they’re keeping it a secret from the public or anything, but for one reason or another, many people never realized Julia is actually Emma’s aunt. The more you know!

25. Kyra Sedgwick and Edie Sedgwick

Learning you’re related to Andy Warhol’s muse has to be pretty exciting. As it turns out, these two are connected through Edie’s cousin Henry Sedgwick V, who just so happens to be Kyra’s father. Confused? Yeah, us too.

26. Robyn Lively and Blake Lively

Sure, they pop up at award shows together and they share the same last name, but did you ever put two and two together? If not, no worries. As it turns out, these actresses are half-sisters.

27. Shirley MacLaine and Warren Beatty

Really, who had any idea that these two actors were siblings? Yep, that’s right. MacLaine was born Shirley MacLean Beaty, and she later changed her name for the stage. He added an extra “T” in his name when he became an actor. Some Hollywood stars would rather not flaunt their star-studded connections. And there are also a handful of celebrities who feel the same about their love lives. Here are the famous matches you’ve probably never seen together.

28. Emma Stone and Dave McCary

Yes, Emma Stone is married now! In September 2020 the La La Land star tied the knot with Dave McCary – the Saturday Night Live writer she’d been dating since 2017. But as Stone isn’t one for big press announcements – she’s not even on social media – casual fans can be forgiven for not knowing much about her personal life. The wedding announcement even came through People magazine rather than McCary’s Instagram account, which had previously been used to reveal his and Stone’s engagement.

29. Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford

The Great Gatsby star Carey Mulligan wed Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons back in 2012. Yes, that long ago! And now the pair have two children, Evelyn Grace and Wilfred, who entered the world in 2015 and 2017, respectively. But the couple conduct their relationship largely out of the public eye. Back in 2015, Mulligan told Vogue, “Marcus is the only thing that’s mine that I can keep totally away, so I try to.” That’s nice.

30. Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes

While Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes were snapped together at the 2012 premiere for The Place Among the Pines, they haven’t really been pictured together since. Some fans may even have no idea that they’ve been in a relationship since 2011 and are now mom and dad to two kids. But Mendes seems to be content with that. When someone joked on Instagram that she and Gosling should attend more public events, Mendes replied, “No thank you, I’m good. Rather be home with my man than anywhere else in the world.”

31. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden

In January 2020 Cameron Diaz and Good Charlotte guitarist Benji Madden announced the birth of their implausibly named daughter Raddix. But in keeping with how they’ve conducted their publicity-shy marriage, the couple made sure that fans knew they’d be maintaining a strict level of privacy with regards to their new arrival. Diaz wrote on Instagram, “We won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact she is really, really cute!”

32. Adam Brody and Leighton Meester

Fans of classic teen shows The O.C. and Gossip Girl were delighted when Adam Brody and Leighton Meester married in 2014. Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf! Together! And since then, the couple have had two children – not that you’d know unless you’re an avid gossip mag reader. Regarding his and Meester’s avoidance of the spotlight, Brody told GQ in 2019, “She’s more inherently private than I am. I don’t seek publicity, but if I’m sitting next to you on the subway, I’ll tell you everything about me.”

33. Margot Robbie and Tom Ackerley

When Margot Robbie shared a photo of herself with Tom Ackerley as she got ready to attend the Oscars in February 2020, it was a rare public moment for the couple. The movie star and the producer tied the knot in 2016 after initially living with some pals in London. Speaking to Elle in 2018, Robbie revealed that the house had “turned into The Jerry Springer Show” for a period when their roommates discovered she and Ackerley were dating. Scandal!

34. Dave Franco and Alison Brie

GLOW star Alison Brie and 21 Jump Street’s Dave Franco have been together since 2011 and husband and wife from 2017. They tend to keep their relationship on the down-low, though. In fact, their first red carpet appearance as a couple only came a whopping four years after their relationship began. And as Brie recently starred in Franco’s directorial debut, The Rental, the pair are seemingly able to work together while still staying relatively under the radar. That’s quite a trick in 2020!

35. Cobie Smulders and Taran Killam

Long before she appeared in How I Met Your Mother, Stumptown or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a 22-year-old Cobie Smulders met fellow actor Taran Killam at a pal’s birthday celebrations. And it’s fair to say that romance blossomed from there. The couple went on to wed in 2012 and have two children, you see, although they rarely publicize their relationship. Yet Smulders did take the opportunity to say of Killam, “Isn’t he just a dream? I’m a very lucky woman,” during a 2019 slot on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Aww.

36. Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson

Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most acclaimed directors of modern times, with eight Academy Award nominations to his name. Maya Rudolph is a celebrated comedian who you may know from Saturday Night Live and the hit movie Bridesmaids. And yet you’ve probably never seen the pair together. Strange, right? Their relationship began almost two decades ago, though, and has since seen them become parents to four children. And while they’re not actually married, Rudolph and Anderson refer to each other as “wife” and “husband,” which is kind of cute.

37. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz

Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz are another famous couple who seem to have a strict “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to the media. Their two children are never discussed with the press, for instance, and even their wedding was a secret affair in the Caribbean. But Cruz has her reasons. In 2019 she explained to Tatler that it would simply be strange for her and her husband to conduct their relationship in the public eye and that she “just couldn’t do it.” Hard to argue with that.

38. Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale

Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale must be involved in some kind of voodoo. How else do you explain keeping your relationship under wraps while still working together on several occasions? They’ve both appeared in Annie, Spy and Adult Beginners. In the latter movie, they were even seen on screen as husband and wife! But the fact that Byrne and Cannavale have been together since 2012 and have two sons is hardly common knowledge. Quite a feat.

39. Amanda Seyfried and Thomas Sadoski

During an appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden in 2017, Life in Pieces star Thomas Sadoski revealed that he and fianceé Amanda Seyfried had secretly tied the knot. It was surprising in one way, but also unremarkable in another because Seyfried and Sadoski have always conducted their relationship in an understated manner. They’re just like us, you see. Only richer. And better looking.

40. Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn

Taylor Swift has been in a relationship with English actor Joe Alwyn since 2016, although the two are rarely seen together. It’s serious, too, as reports emerged in 2018 claiming that the pop star thought it was time for her and her beau to marry. And while no engagement has materialized yet, Swift has included many references to her boyfriend in her music. She’s even written a song all about him: the aptly named “London Boy.”