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!
