It’s easy to think that we know almost everything there is to know about A-list celebrities these days. We don’t have to get all of our information from the tabloids any more.
Instead, we can get dating announcements on Instagram or a celebrity might confirm a rumor with a tweet. Everyone’s lives are so public now that its’s hard to imagine that a celebrity could keep something as important as a family member under wraps.
That just makes it even more surprising when we find out that big name celebs are actually related, especially when we had no idea they’d ever been linked in the first place.
Most of us know the super famous family members – Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson, Chris and Liam Hemsworth, the Wachowskis… but unless you follow the celebrities on our list pretty closely, you probably had no clue that they were related.
Even names aren’t always a hint, since so many actors use stage names or have super common last names. You might catch these celebrities together in a random picture or at an event, but most people never put two and two together.
Ready to test your celebrity trivia skills? Read on to see which 15 A-Listers You Never Knew Were Related.
Taryn, Eli, and Peyton Manning
Whether you watch Netflix or ESPN, you’ve definitely heard of at least one of these family members.
Taryn Manning got her big break playing opposite Britney Spears in Crossroads, but she’s best known now for playing Pennsatucky on the Netflix Original Orange is the New Black. Manning has some relatives that many fans don’t know about, though.
Peyton and Eli Manning, on the other hand, are part of a football powerhouse family. Apparently, when your dad is also a huge star NFL quarterback, there’s a good chance that those stellar genes will get passed down… twice.
It’s been reported that all three are second cousins. However, Taryn Manning has stated that the relation is actually much more distant than that.
Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson
Reba and Kelly aren’t just fantastic singers and people. Surprisngly, they’re also part of the same family – or at least they used to be.
Reba McEntire married Narvel Blackstock in the late eighties, becoming the stepmother to his three sons. One of them, Brandon, would go on to become a talent manager. He eventually met and married Kelly Clarkson.
While Kelly and Brandon are still married, McEntire and Blackstock are not. McEntire is unfortunately formerly related to Clarkson, since McEntire got divorced a few years ago.
They’re still big fans of each other, though, and will tell any one who listens about how great the other woman is.
Now that’s the kind of support we want to see.
Jenny and Melissa McCarthy
The next pair of famous A-Listers actually grew up together. Jenny McCarthy, best known for being part of The View and her time as a Playmate, and actress Melissa McCarthy, best known for being hilarious in pretty much everything, are first cousins.
They’ve even shared a few throwback photos of them as kids on Instagram before.
Things seem to be good between the cousins now, but rumor has it that it wasn’t always. Jenny broke into show biz before Melissa did, and allegedly made comments that Melissa would never make it unless she lost weight.
Jenny vehemently denies this now, but the story keeps following her around. Melissa is arguably the more famous McCarthy cousin now, though, so… karma?
Antonio Banderas and Dakota Johnson
Antonio Banderas and Dakota Johnson seem to exist in completely different worlds. Banderas might have chosen a more family-friendly turn in his career with roles in movies like Spy Kids and Shrek, but he got his start in Pedro Almodóvar movies that really pushed the boundaries.
Dakota Johnson, on the other hand, is most famous for starring in Fifty Shades of Grey… a different way to push boundaries of movies.
For a brief period of time, though, they were related by marriage. Up until 2015, Banderas was married to none other than Melanie Griffith – Johnson’s mother.
The couple is divorced now, so Banderas is no longer Johnson’s stepfather. Although the two are friendly, they haven’t said that they had much of a familiar relationship.
It makes sense that you wouldn’t be super close with someone who wasn’t in your life for long.
George Wendt and Jason Sudeikis
The next pair on our list, though, have a lot of memories together. George Wendt is best known for his role on Cheers, along with his other movie and television roles.
He was able to take what he’d learned from that experience and help to mentor his nephew, SNL alum Jason Sudeikis.
Sudeikis has often joked in interviews about his experiences with his famous uncle, including career advice (“get on one of the best sitcoms of all time and then ride it out”) to favorite experiences (death-defying BMW rides).
It must be pretty influential to have one of the most recognizable stars of the eighties as a close member of your family. Sudeikis definitely has made the most of it.
Kate and David Spade
Not all of the famous family members on our list are actors and actresses. Kate Spade became a huge brand name in the fashion business, creating distinctive jewelry and handbags.
They’re pretty hard to miss. Next time you watch something like Grown Ups, you might want to keep an eye out to see if you can spot some of her products in her brother-in-law’s movies.
David Spade, known for his comedic acting, is related by marriage to Kate Spade.
Kate married his younger brother, and the two have been part of the same family ever since. They’ve made a few rare red carpet appearances together, but for the most part, they keep their family lives to themselves.
Since Spade is a common name, these two aren’t always linked together – but in this case, the same last name isn’t a coincidence.
Blake and Robyn Lively
Two sisters, two wildly different shows– well, two half-sisters, in reality.
Robyn Lively rose to fame after being in the Teen Witch movie, though she’s been on a variety of different shows ranging from Twin Peaks to Saving Grace since then. Blake Lively is best known to most audiences as Serena on Gossip Girl.
The two sisters are fifteen years part, so they’ve never had the traditional sibling relationship.
They stick by each other’s side, though, and are always there to support one another.
They’ve made several joint red carpet appearances and frequently gush about each other in interviews. Blake even shared a throwback photo to the public, which depicted her as an infant with her big sister.
Gloria Steinem and Christian Bale
Gloria Steinem – famous feminist, successful attorney, women’s rights leader and… Batman’s stepmom?
You almost never see Steinem and Bale linked together in the media, but the two used to be related by marriage.
Steinem was married to the famous actor’s father for years until their relatively recent divorce. Since she came into Bale’s life later, she wasn’t exactly his mother figure. That makes it more impressive that they still have a good relationship, even after the divorce.
After all, just because the marriage ended doesn’t mean they had to cut all ties. It seems like the two have at least remained friendly.
Just don’t expect any Gloria Steinem cameos in upcoming Christian Bale movies, and we’d bet Christian Bale won’t be in any of Steinem’s courtrooms.
Quincy and Rashida Jones
If you listen to Leslie Knope tell it, Rashida Jones’ Parks and Recreation character is the most beautiful, perfect human being to ever walk this earth.
Jones herself didn’t always feel that way, though. As Quincy Jones’ mixed-race daughter, there were a lot of people with negative opinions about her family growing up.
Rashida Jones has been critically acclaimed for her television work, but it’s hard to get out of your parent’s shadow when your dad has a record 79 Grammy nominations.
Because of the difference in skin tone, though, people don’t always link the two of them together. Jones is still close with her father, though, even if they’re not always publicly linked. She also has two other half-siblings who work in the entertainment industry.
Amy and Chuck Schumer
Amy Schumer has been steadily making a name for herself in the comedy world for years now. From stand up to sketch comedy to her recent movies, Schumer is becoming a new It-Girl of comedy.
Meanwhile, her cousin has been making a name for himself in a completely different realm– politics, to be exact. It may seem weird, but Amy Schumer and Chuck Schumer are cousins.
It makes sense when you listen to them both talk about growing up on the East Coast, but most people wouldn’t link the comedian and the senator together.
We can only hope that Amy will tap her cousin to make a cameo appearance in one of her projects. Or maybe her old Super Bowl commercial will make an appearance in real life and we’ll see Amy Schumer along her cousin on the campaign trail. Stranger things have happened.
Emilio Estevez, Martin Sheen and Charlie Sheen
We don’t hear much from Charlie Sheen any more, but at the peak of his Two and a Half Men fame, it seemed like he was everywhere. Depending on what kind of movies and TV you watched, you probably saw his dad, Martin Sheen, pretty often too.
The last name makes it pretty obvious that the two are related, and celebrity news sites linked them together often.
Sheen’s brother took a different path in show business, though. Emilio Estevez chose not to use the family last name in order to make a name for himself.
You can usually catch him in independent movies, or alongside his father in films like The Way.
If you’re looking for it, you can see the family resemblance shared between all three men.
Warren Beatty and Shirley McClaine
Warren Beatty has had a long and successful career in film, though most young people unfortunately probably recognize him as the guy who helped create one of the most dramatic Oscars moments in history. (It really wasn’t his fault, though.)
Fans of Downton Abbey, on the other hand, will recognize Shirley McClaine as Cora’s mother, the rich American who gives the Dowager Countess a run for her money when it comes to being blunt.
While older fans might be aware, most younger cinephiles have no idea that the two actors are siblings.
McClaine is Beatty’s older sister, and is still very protective of him if her post-Oscars interviews are anything to go by.
It seems unfair that one family could produce two multi-award-winning actors, but this list definitely shows that talent seems to run in families.
Francis Ford Coppola and Nicolas Cage
The Coppola family is extremely well known in the movie business. Francis Ford Coppola is a legendary director, with decades of film experience and awards to his name.
Other members of the family have also become notable in the industry, whether they were working in front of or behind the camera. One woman in particular stands out, though – Francis Ford Coppola is also the father of Sofia Coppola, who has made her own name as a writer and director.
Nicolas Cage might not seem to fit with this family, especially since his movies tend to be… different, we’ll say.
However, that’s just because similar to Emilio Estevez, Cage chose not to use the Coppola last name to create his own identity.
Francis Ford Coppola is his uncle, and Sofia Coppola is his cousin.
He doesn’t explicitly deny his family in interviews, but they are talked about way less frequently than they would be otherwise.
Al Roker and Lenny Kravitz
What do America’s favorite weatherman and a famous singer have in common? A common ancestor– a great-grandfather, to be exact.
Al Roker and Lenny Kravitz don’t seem like the most likely choice for secretly related A-list celebrities. Part of that might be because they had no idea they were related for years.
The two are distant cousins, since their grandfathers were first cousins. Both of them have commented on their newfound family member a few times in interviews.
While they might not have grown up together, they definitely seem happy to realize that they share a few chromosomes.
Talk about Hollywood being a small town. Imagine finding out you’re related to the guy you’ve watched read the weather for years.
Snoop Dogg, Ray-J, and Brandy
If you were a child of the nineties, there’s no way you missed Brandy. From other hit TV show Moesha to her turn as Cinderella in the most multic ultralight kingdom of all time, the actress and singer was everywhere.
Her brother Ray-J didn’t do so poorly for himself in t he entertainment business until he was hit by the Kardashian curse.
Most people know that the two are siblings, but most don’t know that Brandy and Ray-J have an even more successful cousin – Snoop Doggy Dogg himself. They’re not just distant cousins either – they’re first cousins who are still pretty close.
If social media is anything to go b y, the famous family supports each other in their work – and extends invites to the family cookouts.
Who did we forget? Did any of these celebs surprise you? Let us know in the comments!
