12 pairs of famous people you didn’t know were related: from Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning to Julia and Emma Roberts, Brad Pitt and Barack Obama, and best buds Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Feb 25 , 2024

Barack Obama and Brad Pitt have a common ancestor, while Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning are both descendants of King Edward III. Photos: @blackinformationnetwork, @bradpittofflcial, @hrh_princesscatherineofwales, @fanningoutfit/Instagram

There’s a peculiar satisfaction to realising that two famous people are related. You already know their faces, something about them always seemed oddly familiar but you couldn’t pinpoint why – and then you realise.

Of course, some celebrity relatives look more alike than others – the latest generation of nepo babies are a case in point – but others less so. And, in a handful of cases, their relationship may be several people removed, making the link even harder to spot.

So who are the most surprising famous people you probably didn’t know were related? Here are 12 pairs of them.

1. Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein

Beanie Feldstein and Jonah Hill are siblings. Photo: @enews/Instagram

Of all the pairs on this list, these two Hollywood actors surely look the most alike when seen side by side. The You People actor is the older brother of Feldstein, who has starred in everything from Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird to American Crime Story, in which she played Monica Lewinsky.

2. Emma Roberts and Julia Roberts

Good looks and acting chops run in the family? Emma Roberts and her aunt Julia Roberts. Photo: @cinemacatsss/Instagram

Fabulous strawberry blonde hair? Check. Megawatt Hollywood smile? Check. Is it any wonder that these two actresses are related? Julia Roberts is in fact Emma Roberts’ aunt. That’s right, the Holidate star’s dad is Julia’s older brother, Eric Roberts, who’s also an actor.

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3. Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard

Hollywood director Ron Howard (right) and his daughter, Bryce Dallas. Photo: @lucasbdh16/Instagram

These days, Ron Howard is best known for directing films such as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, but people of a certain age will remember him playing Richie Cunningham in Happy Days. Back then, the fresh-faced, flame-haired actor looked even more like his daughter – Jurassic World actress Bryce Dallas Howard.

4. Jenny McCarthy and Melissa McCarthy

Jenny and Melissa McCarthy are cousins. Photos: @jennymccarthy, @melissamccarthy/Instagram

The View co-host Jenny McCarthy and Bridesmaids comedian Melissa McCarthy are cousins. In 2015, Jenny even shared a pic on Instagram of the pair as kids at the zoo looking less than impressed due to the “102 degree” heat.

5. Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning

Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning share the same lineage. Photo: Getty Images, EPA-EFE

OK, so this one is a little tenuous, but still legitimate according to Ancestry.com, who discovered in 2014 that actress Dakota Fanning is the 22nd great-granddaughter of King Edward III, who ruled England between 1330 and 1376. The Princess of Wales’ mum Carole Middleton is a direct descendant of the same king, making them distant cousins, per Us Weekly.

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6. Amy Schumer and Chuck Schumer

Comedian Amy Schumer’s cousin is New York senator Chuck Schumer. Photo: @matt_mcohen/Instagram

Comedian Amy Schumer has never shied away from politics, particularly over the Israel-Gaza war. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, given that she’s actually the cousin of New York senator Chuck Schumer.

7. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are not just best buds, they’re distant cousins, too. Photo: Instagram

Everyone knows that these two are best buds – it’s why Damon had the funniest line in the recent Dunkin’ Donuts Super Bowl ad with the Pearl Harbour star. But did you know they’re related too? According to the New England Genealogical Society, the pair are 10th cousins, once removed.

8. Hillary Clinton and Madonna

Hillary Clinton and Madonna not only share genetics, but a lasting legacy, too. Photos: @2rawtooreal/Instagram, AP

If being a feminine icon could run in your genes, these ladies clearly have it. According to Us Weekly, the former presidential candidate confirmed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that the pair are 10th cousins.

9. Kiefer Sutherland and Sarah Sutherland

Donald Sutherland, his son Kiefer Sutherland and granddaughter Sarah Sutherland are all actors. Photos: @cine_bts, @dwphoto11211/Instagram

If you thought the Sutherland acting dynasty only extended as far as Donald (The Hunger Games, Pride and Prejudice) and Kiefer (24), then you’d be wrong. Fans of brilliant satire Veep starring Julia Louis Dreyfus may not have realised that her daughter Catherine in the show is played by none other than Sarah Sutherland – Kiefer Sutherland’s daughter.

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10. Phil Collins and Lily Collins

Lily Collins’ dad is famous musician Phil Collins. Photo: @entertainmenttonight/Instagram

Lily Collins’ role as American marketing executive Emily Cooper in Emily in Paris launched her into the stratosphere during the pandemic. But not everyone immediately cottoned on to the fact that she’s actually the daughter of 80s legend Phil Collins.

11. Cory Booker and RuPaul

New Jersey senator Cory Booker is drag queen RuPaul’s cousin. Photos: EPA-EFE, @rupaulofficial/Instagram

Many will be surprised to learn that New Jersey senator Cory Booker is the cousin of none other than RuPaul. The politician even made a cameo on the season 13 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race, per People.

12. Barack Obama and Brad Pitt

Barack Obama and Brad Pitt share common ancestry. Photos: @blackinformationnetwork, @bradpittsfight/Instagram

Per The Guardian, researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society discovered that former US president Barack Obama and the Bullet Train actor are ninth cousins. Their common link was a man named Edwin Hickman, who died in Virginia in 1769.

Fame and celebrity

Some celebs share the same surname – like Hollywood star Julia Roberts and her niece Emma, or Phil and Lily Collins – so perhaps we should have guessed, while others are more distantly related
Dunkin’ Donuts jokers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are cousins (albeit 10th), as are Amy and Chuck Schumer and RuPaul and Cory Booker – but who links royal Kate Middleton and actress Dakota Fanning?