15 Famous Actors You Didn’t Know Were Related to Each Other

Behind the scenes, plenty of famous actors share family trees, sometimes through parents and siblings, and sometimes through relatives several generations back. Show biz is a family biz after all. A few connections are obvious once you know the names, while others are surprisingly easy to miss because the actors have completely different careers and public identities. From established Hollywood families to distant cousins who happened to end up in the same industry, these relationships add another layer to some familiar faces. You may recognize both actors immediately, but their connection could still catch you completely off guard.

Kate Middleton & Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson and Kate Middleton are related through their mothers’ family lines, sharing ancestry connected to English aristocratic families.

Emily Blunt & Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci became part of Emily Blunt’s family when he married her sister Felicity Blunt in 2012, making the two actors sibling in-laws.

Jason Schwartzman & Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage was born Nicolas Coppola, making him the cousin of actor Jason Schwartzman through the Coppola family.

Sofia Coppola & Nicolas Cage

Sofia Coppola and Nicolas Cage are first cousins, with their connection running through the famous Coppola family.

Rashida Jones & Quincy Jones

Rashida Jones is the daughter of legendary musician and producer Quincy Jones, giving her a famous family connection outside acting as well.

Marisa Tomei & Zoe Kravitz

Marisa Tomei is Zoe Kravitz’s godmother, a close family connection that goes beyond their Hollywood careers.

Maggie Gyllenhaal & Jake Gyllenhaal

Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal are siblings, with both building major acting careers independently of one another.

Jake Gyllenhaal & Peter Sarsgaard

Peter Sarsgaard became Jake Gyllenhaal’s brother in law when he married Jake’s sister Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Laura Dern & Diane Ladd

Diane Ladd is Laura Dern’s mother, and the two actresses have appeared together in several films, including Wild at Heart and Rambling Rose.

Jamie Lee Curtis & Janet Leigh

Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Janet Leigh, who became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars after Psycho.

Chris Pine & Anne Gwynne

Chris Pine’s grandmother was actress Anne Gwynne, a popular horror and western star of the 1940s.

Antonio Banderas & Dakota Johnson

Dakota Johnson became Antonio Banderas’s stepdaughter when he married her mother, Melanie Griffith, in 1996.

Jennifer Jason Leigh & Jason Patric

Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patric are related through their famous acting families, with Patric’s father, Jason Miller, having been married to Leigh’s mother, actress Barbara Turner.

Bridget Fonda & Jane Fonda

Bridget Fonda is the daughter of Peter Fonda and granddaughter of Henry Fonda, making her part of one of Hollywood’s best known acting dynasties, with Jane Fonda as her aunt.

Liev Schreiber & Pablo Schreiber

Liev Schreiber and Pablo Schreiber are half brothers, and both went on to become recognizable actors in film and television.