20 Silver Screen Figures Who Had Powerful Historical Relatives
The Nepotism Runs Deep
The worlds of Hollywood and history occasionally overlap in ways that are genuinely surprising. Some actors and other silver screen figures come from families that include presidents, political leaders, royalty, inventors, military commanders, and other people who left a significant mark on history. In a few cases, the connection is surprisingly close, while others require going back several generations to find the famous relative.
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1. Benedict Cumberbatch and King Richard III
Benedict Cumberbatch has a particularly interesting historical connection because he is a distant relative of King Richard III. Richard ruled England from 1483 until his death at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, making his reign one of the shortest and most controversial in English history. Cumberbatch even portrayed Richard III in a BBC production, giving the family connection an unusually direct connection to his acting work.
2. Katharine Hepburn and a Suffrage Leader
Katharine Hepburn spent her early life around social reform long before becoming Hollywood royalty. Her mother, Katharine Martha Houghton Hepburn, was active in the women’s suffrage movement and birth-control movement. Hepburn served as the president of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association before devoting her time to family planning education and advocacy.
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3. Brooke Shields and King Henry IV of France
Brooke Shields has a family tree that reaches into European royalty through her paternal ancestry. She is descended from the French royal family and can trace part of her lineage to King Henry IV of France.
Henry IV ruled from 1589 until 1610 and played an important role in stabilizing France during a turbulent period.
PH1 Doty, U.S. Navy on Wikimedia
4. Olivia de Havilland and an Aviation Pioneer
British actress Olivia de Havilland inherited impressive genes, though her famous relative was an aviation pioneer. Her cousin was Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, a British aircraft designer who would eventually found the aircraft company of the same name. Geoffrey de Havilland played an important role in developing aircraft models throughout Britain’s history and is considered one of the country’s top aviation pioneers.
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5. Ralph Fiennes and King James II
Ralph Fiennes comes from a prominent British family with extensive aristocratic connections. Among his ancestors was King James II of England, who ruled from 1685 to 1688 before being removed during the Glorious Revolution. Fiennes' family background includes several generations of British nobility, so his royal connection isn't exactly an isolated curiosity.
Christopher William Adach from London, UK on Wikimedia
6. Grace Kelly and John B. Kelly Sr.
Grace Kelly’s father was an accomplished man who gave his daughter more than just good genes. John B. Kelly Sr. won three gold medals rowing at the Olympics and went on to have a successful career in business. Kelly served as the mayor of Philadelphia, sat on the Fairmount Park Commission, and was appointed by Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve as National Director of Physical Fitness during WWII.
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7. Hugh Grant and William Marshal
Hugh Grant's ancestry includes William Marshal, one of the most influential figures in medieval England.
Marshal served several English kings and became known as a powerful knight, statesman, and military leader during the 12th and early 13th centuries. He eventually became Earl of Pembroke and played an important role in the political affairs of the kingdom.
8. Audrey Hepburn and a Dutch Governor-General
Audrey Hepburn had notable European connections through her mother’s family tree. Her grandfather was Baron Aarnoud van Heemstra, a Dutch nobleman who became mayor of Arnhem before serving as Governor- General of Suriname between 1921 and 1928.
Paramount-photo by Bud Fraker on Wikimedia
9. Tilda Swinton and Lord George Swinton
Tilda Swinton was born into an old Scottish family with a long aristocratic history. Her father, Sir John Swinton, was a major general in the British Army and belonged to the ancient Scottish Swinton family. The family has held the title of Baron Swinton for generations, giving Swinton a direct connection to Britain's aristocratic establishment.
10. Humphrey Bogart and the Mayflower Generation
Humphrey Bogart isn’t distantly related to royalty or politicians, though he did have an impressive relative of his own. Bogart descended from John Howland, a passenger on the Mayflower who eventually became a settler of Plymouth Colony. Howland was alive for some of the earliest years of European settlement in America, making Bogart’s ancestors true pioneers.
Published by The Minneapolis Tribune-photo from Warner Bros. on Wikimedia
11. Helena Bonham Carter and H. H. Asquith
Helena Bonham Carter's family includes a former British prime minister. Her great-grandfather was H.
H. Asquith, who served as prime minister from 1908 to 1916 during a particularly difficult period in British history. Asquith led Britain through the early years of World War I before being replaced by David Lloyd George.
12. Lauren Bacall and Shimon Peres
Lauren Bacall had famous relatives of her own, as her cousin was Shimon Peres. Peres served Israeli citizens as both prime minister and president while working to bring peace to the region. He also won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work, so his career was celebrated worldwide.
13. Kit Harington and King Charles II
Kit Harington has a documented connection to British royalty through his maternal ancestry. He is a descendant of King Charles II, the English monarch whose restoration to the throne in 1660 ended the period of republican government that followed the English Civil War.
14. Myrna Loy and a Montana Politician
Myrna Loy’s father made a name for himself in Great Falls, Montana. David Franklin Williams worked as a banker, real estate developer, and appraiser of farmland before taking on a role in politics. Williams became the youngest person to hold a seat in Montana’s state legislature when he took office.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Eric Carpenter (1909-1976) on Wikimedia
15. Christopher Lee and Charlemagne
Christopher Lee's ancestry was remarkably extensive, with family traditions and genealogical research connecting him to European aristocracy and royalty.
One of the more notable claims associated with his ancestry is a distant connection to Charlemagne, the medieval ruler who became emperor in 800.
16. Goldie Hawn and Edward Rutledge
Goldie Hawn’s father also happened to be descended from American history’s richest periods. Edward Rutledge Hawn was a descendant of Edward Rutledge, a politician from South Carolina who signed the Declaration of Independence. He later served as governor of his home state.
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17. Damian Lewis and Sir William Lewis
Damian Lewis comes from a well-connected British family whose ancestry includes figures associated with the country's military and political establishment. His paternal family has roots among the British upper classes, while his career has frequently placed him in historical and military roles.
18. Katharine Hepburn and Two Reform-Minded Parents
Two members of Katharine Hepburn’s family made it onto this list, so she deserves another mention. Dr. Thomas Norval Hepburn, her father, made a name for himself by helping to establish the New England Social Hygiene Association.
w:RKO Radio Pictures on Wikimedia
19. Bette Davis and a Revolutionary Ancestor
Bette Davis came from a New England family whose roots stretched back to the earliest generations of European settlement in America. Her ancestry included individuals connected to the colonial era and the American Revolution, giving the future actress a family history that predated Hollywood by centuries. Davis eventually became one of the most influential actresses of the studio era.
Alexander Kahle (1886–1968) for RKO Radio on Wikimedia
20. Anjelica Huston and John Huston
Anjelica Huston grew up in a filmmaking family headed by her father, director John Huston. John Huston directed and acted in numerous acclaimed productions, including The Maltese Falcon, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, and The African Queen. Anjelica eventually became an acclaimed actress herself and won an Academy Award for Prizzi's Honor, which was directed by her father.
