12 pairs of famous people you didn’t know were related: from Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning to Julia and Emma Roberts, Brad Pitt and Barack Obama, and best buds Ben Affleck and Matt Damon

Feb 25 , 2024

Barack Obama and Brad Pitt have a common ancestor, while Kate Middleton and Dakota Fanning are both descendants of King Edward III. Photos: @blackinformationnetwork, @bradpittofflcial, @hrh_princesscatherineofwales, @fanningoutfit/Instagram

Some celebs share the same surname – like Hollywood star Julia Roberts and her niece Emma, or Phil and Lily Collins – so perhaps we should have guessed, while others are more distantly related

Dunkin’ Donuts jokers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are cousins (albeit 10th), as are Amy and Chuck Schumer and RuPaul and Cory Booker – but who links royal Kate Middleton and actress Dakota Fanning?

There’s a peculiar satisfaction to realising that two famous people are related. You already know their faces, something about them always seemed oddly familiar but you couldn’t pinpoint why – and then you realise.

Of course, some celebrity relatives look more alike than others – the latest generation of nepo babies are a case in point – but others less so. And, in a handful of cases, their relationship may be several people removed, making the link even harder to spot.

So who are the most surprising famous people you probably didn’t know were related? Here are 12 pairs of them.

1. Jonah Hill and Beanie Feldstein

Beanie Feldstein and Jonah Hill are siblings. Photo: @enews/Instagram

Of all the pairs on this list, these two Hollywood actors surely look the most alike when seen side by side. The You People actor is the older brother of Feldstein, who has starred in everything from Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird to American Crime Story, in which she played Monica Lewinsky.

2. Emma Roberts and Julia Roberts

Good looks and acting chops run in the family? Emma Roberts and her aunt Julia Roberts. Photo: @cinemacatsss/Instagram

Fabulous strawberry blonde hair? Check. Megawatt Hollywood smile? Check. Is it any wonder that these two actresses are related? Julia Roberts is in fact Emma Roberts’ aunt. That’s right, the Holidate star’s dad is Julia’s older brother, Eric Roberts, who’s also an actor.

3. Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard

Hollywood director Ron Howard (right) and his daughter, Bryce Dallas. Photo: @lucasbdh16/Instagram

These days, Ron Howard is best known for directing films such as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, but people of a certain age will remember him playing Richie Cunningham in Happy Days. Back then, the fresh-faced, flame-haired actor looked even more like his daughter – Jurassic World actress Bryce Dallas Howard.