Unearth The Voyage
Some of today’s biggest stars have family trees that reach back to kings, prime ministers, and legendary figures who changed the world. It turns out that fame can run pretty deep in the blood.
From Hollywood actors to British royals, these celebrities share surprising connections to some of history’s most powerful and influential people. Their ancestors didn’t just make history, they helped write it.
1. Tom Hanks and His Lincoln Family Connection
Tom Hanks has played plenty of presidents on screen, but his real-life connection to American history runs deeper than most people realize. The beloved actor is a distant relative of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, the mother of President Abraham Lincoln.
That makes Hanks and Lincoln third cousins, four times removed.
This fascinating link was uncovered through genealogical research and was even featured on the PBS show “Finding Your Roots.” Hanks seemed genuinely moved when he learned about the connection. It added a whole new layer to his already impressive career of playing iconic American figures.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln died when Abraham was just nine years old, yet historians credit her with shaping his early values and love of learning. Knowing that one of America’s greatest presidents shares ancestry with one of Hollywood’s most respected actors is a pretty remarkable piece of history.
2. Benedict Cumberbatch and His Royal Ancestor Richard III
Benedict Cumberbatch played Richard III on stage, but few people knew at the time just how personal that role really was. DNA testing confirmed that Cumberbatch is a distant cousin of the controversial English king who ruled in the 15th century.
The connection was revealed around the same time Richard III’s remains were discovered under a Leicester parking lot in 2012.
Richard III is one of history’s most debated monarchs. Some view him as a ruthless schemer who had his nephews killed to claim the throne, while others see him as a misunderstood ruler.
Cumberbatch’s portrayal on stage helped reignite public interest in the king’s complicated legacy.
The actor was even invited to read a poem at Richard III’s reburial ceremony in 2015, making his family connection feel all the more meaningful. History and Hollywood rarely collide so perfectly.
3. Helena Bonham Carter and Prime Minister H.H. Asquith
Helena Bonham Carter has always had a flair for playing larger-than-life characters, and it turns out her real family history is just as dramatic. She is the great-granddaughter of Herbert Henry Asquith, who served as British Prime Minister from 1908 to 1916.
Asquith was one of the most significant political figures of the early 20th century.
Under his leadership, the UK introduced major social reforms and navigated the early years of World War I. He was also at the center of intense political controversy, including debates over women’s suffrage, a cause that would shape modern democracy.
Bonham Carter has spoken openly about her pride in her family heritage.
Growing up with that kind of history in your bloodline clearly leaves a mark. Whether she’s playing a queen or a villain, Bonham Carter brings a depth to her roles that seems to come naturally from her remarkable roots.
4. Anderson Cooper and Robber Baron Cornelius Vanderbilt
Anderson Cooper is one of America’s most trusted journalists, but he was also born into one of the country’s wealthiest dynasties. His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was the heiress to the Vanderbilt fortune built by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt in the 19th century.
Cornelius Vanderbilt was one of the richest Americans who ever lived.
Known as “The Commodore,” Vanderbilt built his empire through steamships and railroads, fundamentally reshaping American transportation and commerce. His business tactics were aggressive and often controversial, earning him the nickname “robber baron” alongside other industrial giants of his era.
Despite being heir to such an enormous legacy, Cooper has spoken candidly about not inheriting much of the family fortune and building his own career through hard work. That self-made ethic, combined with a bloodline tied to one of America’s most powerful figures, makes his story genuinely fascinating.
Family wealth doesn’t always define a person’s path.
5. Harry Lloyd and the Ghost of Charles Dickens
Harry Lloyd, best known to many as Viserys Targaryen in “Game of Thrones,” carries a very literary family legacy. He is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens, arguably the most famous novelist in the English language.
That is a creative heritage that would be hard for anyone to live up to.
Charles Dickens wrote timeless classics like “Oliver Twist,” “A Tale of Two Cities,” and “Great Expectations.” His stories shone a light on poverty and social injustice in Victorian England, and they still resonate with readers around the world today. Dickens was more than a writer; he was a social reformer through storytelling.
Lloyd has acknowledged the connection with a sense of pride and humor, noting that such a towering ancestor comes with both inspiration and pressure. Still, he has carved out his own impressive acting career, proving that talent can indeed travel through generations in remarkable ways.
6. Kit Harington and King Charles II of England
Jon Snow may know nothing, but Kit Harington’s family tree knows quite a lot about royalty. The “Game of Thrones” star is a direct descendant of King Charles II, who ruled England, Scotland, and Ireland in the 17th century.
The connection was revealed during research for the BBC show “Who Do You Think You Are?”
King Charles II was a colorful and charismatic monarch nicknamed “The Merry King.” He was known for his love of theater, science, and his many romantic relationships. He restored the monarchy after the English Civil War and helped shape modern British culture in lasting ways.
Harington reportedly was surprised and delighted to discover the royal connection. There is a certain poetic irony in an actor who played a king on one of the most-watched TV shows in history actually having royal blood running through his veins.
Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
7. Danny Dyer and the Medieval King Edward III
Nobody expected the tough-talking EastEnders actor Danny Dyer to have royal blood, but that is exactly what researchers uncovered. Dyer is a direct descendant of King Edward III of England, who reigned in the 14th century and is one of the most celebrated monarchs in English history.
The revelation was made on the BBC show “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Edward III ruled for 50 years and transformed England into one of Europe’s dominant military powers. He founded the Order of the Garter, England’s most prestigious order of chivalry, and led campaigns during the Hundred Years War.
His reign helped shape the English national identity in profound ways.
Dyer’s reaction to the news became a viral moment, as his down-to-earth personality clashed hilariously with the grandeur of his ancestry. The discovery reminded everyone that royal lineage does not always look the way you might expect, and that history hides in the most surprising places.
8. Hilary Duff and Her Surprising Link to Edward III
Hilary Duff is best known for her role as Lizzie McGuire and her pop music career, but genealogists have traced her family tree back to the same medieval English king that Danny Dyer descends from. Edward III of England, who ruled from 1327 to 1377, appears in her lineage as well.
It just goes to show how far royal bloodlines can spread over the centuries.
Edward III had numerous children, and his descendants scattered across Europe and eventually the Americas over the following centuries. Genealogical research has revealed that many people with English heritage can trace distant connections back to him, though few are as directly linked as some on this list.
For Duff, the discovery adds an unexpected layer to her already well-known story. Going from teen pop icon to medieval royalty descendant is quite the plot twist.
Her family history proves that ancestry can hold the most delightful surprises.
9. Brooke Shields and Her Deep European Nobility Roots
Brooke Shields has been a household name since she was a child model and actress, but her family background has a regal dimension that goes far beyond Hollywood glamour. Shields has documented European noble ancestry that traces back through French and Italian royal lines, connecting her to some of the oldest aristocratic families on the continent.
Through her father’s side, researchers have traced lineage that links to various European ruling families. This kind of noble heritage was once common among the interconnected royal houses of medieval Europe, where strategic marriages kept powerful families tied together across borders and generations.
Shields has always carried herself with a natural grace that her fans have admired for decades. Knowing that her roots reach into the courts of European nobility adds a certain context to that poise.
Her story is a reminder that America’s cultural icons often carry centuries of world history within their family names.
10. Jake Gyllenhaal and His Swedish Noble Heritage
Jake Gyllenhaal is known for his intense performances in films like “Donnie Darko” and “Nightcrawler,” but his heritage carries a different kind of intensity. Through his Swedish father, director Stephen Gyllenhaal, Jake descends from Swedish nobility with a lineage that stretches back several centuries.
The Gyllenhaal family name itself is a noble one in Sweden.
The name “Gyllenhaal” translates roughly to “golden hall” in Swedish, and it was granted as part of an ennoblement in the 17th century. Swedish nobility operated similarly to other European aristocracies, with titles and estates passed down through generations of influential families.
Jake’s sister, actress Maggie Gyllenhaal, shares the same distinguished ancestry. It is rare for a Hollywood sibling duo to carry such a historically significant surname.
Their Swedish noble roots give their family story a depth that goes well beyond the bright lights of the entertainment industry.
11. Tilda Swinton and Her Ancient Scottish Noble Bloodline
Tilda Swinton has always seemed like someone from another era, and perhaps that impression is not entirely coincidental. She comes from one of Scotland’s oldest and most distinguished noble families, the Swintons of Swinton, whose recorded history dates back to at least the 11th century.
That makes her family one of the longest-documented noble lineages in the entire British Isles.
The Swinton family is believed to have taken their name from a place in Berwickshire, Scotland, and their history is intertwined with some of the most turbulent chapters of Scottish and English medieval history. Their ancestral estate has been held by the family for nearly a thousand years, which is an almost unimaginable span of time.
Swinton herself has acknowledged this heritage with characteristic understated elegance. Her unique screen presence, often described as timeless and ethereal, takes on a whole new meaning when you consider she genuinely carries centuries of history in her bloodline.
12. Sophie Winkleman and Her Aristocratic English Heritage
Sophie Winkleman is perhaps best known as Lady Frederick Windsor, having married Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince Michael of Kent, in 2009. But even before her marriage into the royal family, Winkleman came from a distinctly aristocratic background that gave her a strong connection to England’s upper class heritage.
She is the stepdaughter of Baroness Willoughby de Eresby, one of the oldest baronies in England, and her family background includes ties to British aristocracy that stretch back several generations. Growing up in that environment shaped her sense of culture, history, and tradition in meaningful ways.
Winkleman has built her own career as an actress, appearing in American and British productions, while also carrying the responsibilities that come with her royal connections. Her story illustrates how aristocratic lineage and modern ambition can coexist, and how the echoes of England’s noble past continue to resonate in the lives of people living very much in the present.
