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15 Superstars Who Have Surprising Ancestors From History

If you found out that your family originated from illustrious ancestors one day, you could be proud in spades. Furthermore, you can easily find some great common among your members with them. That will actually boost your confidence, and even make your life much better.
In showbiz, there are many lucky celebrities related to extremely famed ancestors such as royals, presidents, empire leaders, and more. It’s a surprise to learn that Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp and England’s Queen Elizabeth II have the same roots, or that Tom Hanks is the descendant of 16th US President Abraham Lincoln.
Presumably, their fame and talent are hereditary from their ancestors. We’ve compiled 15 cases of superstars with unexpected ancestors In History. Some of them have even just found their special relationship lately. In the end, you’ll also want to research your ancestors to find out if you’re related to some of the greatest heroes in history.

#1 Johnny Depp

Source: Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images

Johnny Depp is a big name in Hollywood. He has something that others envy, and one of them is his royal roots. There are certain royal ties between Johnny Depp and Queen Elizabeth, including the same ancestor. Both of them have ties to King Edward III of England in the 1300s.

#2 Cindy Crawford

Source: Instagram

Supermodel Cindy Crawford is distantly related to one of the monarchs of American literature. In addition, one branch of her family tree includes writer Ernest Hemingway.

#3 Tom Hanks

Source: Jackie Brown/Splash News/Corbis

Not many people, even fans of Tom Hanks know that the actor is the descendant of the 16th US president - Abraham Lincoln through Hank’s mother’s side. The two are essentially third cousins, Hanks even once fluently narrated a biography of Lincoln.

#4 Sophia Loren

Source: Instagram

In the 80s, Sophia Loren is one of the all-time icons of sex appeal on the silver screen. Besides, she has relations with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini as her sister's marriage to Mussolini’s youngest son. However, she’s never proud of this family tie due to Mussolini’s connections to political violence.

#5 George Clooney

Source: Splash News

George Clooney is another famous person who can count Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, as an ancestor. Lincoln's family originated from Kentucky, as did George's, and the two families are related via a common ancestor named Lucy Hanks. Does the name “Hanks” ring any bells to you?

#6 Patton Oswalt

Source: Instagram

Comedian Patton Oswalt has a genetic link to the renowned Mongol Empire leader - Genghis Khan.. Patton once humorously remarked that Genghis Khan was rumored to have been incredibly productive with his genetic material during an interview with Conan O'Brien in 2017.

#7 Robert Pattinson

Source: DANNY MOLOSHOK/Reuters/Corbis

The Twilight cult vampire is claimed to be a distant relative of Vlad the Impaler. In addition to having one of the greatest nicknames in history, Vlad the Impaler is thought to have served as the model for the most well-known vampire of all time, Dracula.

#8 LMFAO

Source: Instagram

LMFAO is an uncle/nephew duo that took the world by storm with the massive hit “Party Rock Anthem". The members are related to not only each other but also to Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. and former President Jimmy Carter.

#9 Hugh Hefner

Source: Splash News

Hugh Hefner, the late founder of Playboy, was not a Puritan himself, but he was a close relative of William Bradford, a prominent Puritan who traveled to America on the Mayflower and served as governor of the Plymouth colony. It's interesting to note that Hef and previous president George W. Bush both had the same ancestry.

#10 Jim Parsons

Source: Variety

Jim Parsons, a star of The Big Bang Theory, has a progenitor who figuratively made an indelible stamp on French history. His sixth great-grandfather was Louis-Francois Trouard, who designed and constructed the chapel at Versailles and numerous other historic sites that are still standing in France today.

#11 Riley Keough

Source: Instagram

Riley Keough is such a promising actress. On top of that, she’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley. That’s a perk for her when playing a singer role in the upcoming (and highly anticipated) Amazon adaptation of Daisy Jones and The Six, as she can tap into her musical DNA from her late grandfather.

#12 Helena Bonham Carter

Source: Instagram

Helen Bonham Carter is from a well-connected British family with a long history in politics and diplomacy. She’s also related to a British prime minister and Florence Nightingale.

#13 Ozzy Osbourne

Source: Instagram

Rocker Ozzy Osbourne is related to American outlaw - Jesse James. He found this connection After having his DNA sequenced, which also revealed that Ozzy is closely related to King George I. We can see Osbourne and Jesse James having something in common – rebelliousness.

#14 Glenn Close

Source: Instagram

The “Dangerous Liaisons” actress is a fourth cousin, seven times removed with the first President George Washington. Interestingly, she’s also related to England's Prince Harry who is also a distant cousin of Washington.

#15 Zooey Deschanel

Source: Instagram

The 42 years old actress discovered interesting facts about her family from a TV show about genealogy Who Do You Think You Are? The fact is that her grandparents were prominent figures in the American Civil War and owned a farm that served as a stopping point for the renowned Underground Railroad.
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