18 Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Descendants of Famous People

In case you didn't know this yet, Tom Hanks, an actor who's considered to be Hollywood royalty, is related to one of the greatest American presidents, Abraham Lincoln. Hanks is related to Lincoln through the president's mother, making him the third cousin four times removed of the former president.

Oona Chaplin comes from a family of actors, unsurprisingly she has also chosen this career path. Her mother is actress Geraldine Chaplin and her grandfather is Charlie Chaplin. Oona is best known for her role as Talisa Maegyr in Game of Thrones and appearances in The Crimson Field and the series, Taboo.

Jamie Lee Curtis who firmly established herself as a scream queen following her debut in John Carpenter's horror film Halloween is a daughter of 'glamor girl' Janet Leigh. Leigh, who's also an actress, is probably best remembered for her iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller, Psycho.

The sensational singer and songwriter Minnie Riperton, known for her 1975 hit single “Lovin’ You” is the mother of actress, voice actor, comedian, and singer Maya Rudolph. She was a part of Saturday Night Live for 7 years, after which she went on to appear in Inherent Vice, Bridesmaids, Away We Go, The Way Way Back, and a number of other films and television shows.

Marlo Brando, one of the most influential actors of the 20th century is the grandfather of Tuki Brando. However, being a grandchild of a celebrity didn't make Tuki's life easy. His father was murdered right before his birth, his mother killed herself when Tuki was 5 years old and after the passing of his famous grandfather, Tuki was omitted from his will. Despite his struggles in life, Tuki Brando graduated medical school and is making a name for himself as a model who already worked with Versace.

Chris Pine is an accomplished American actor who followed in the footsteps of his grandmother, Anne Gwynne. Back in the day, Gwynne became one of the first scream queens for acting in numerous horror films. Her grandson Chris Pine is best known for his role in Star Trek, Hell Or High Water, and Wonder Woman.

Jane Austen, the famous novelist is an eight-times great aunt of actress Anna Chancellor. In 1995, Chancellor starred as Caroline Bingley in Austen's Pride and Prejudice adaptation.

These three lovely ladies are three direct generations of actresses that were a part of history’s most popular films and series. Two of the three actresses, namely Carrie Fisher and Billie Lourd, have been cast in the Star Wars movies that many of us know and love, while Debbie Reynolds is best known for her work in Singin’ In the Rain, In & Out, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Herbert Henry Asquith was a prominent figure in English history. He was the First Earl of Oxford and Asquith as well as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War 1. Little known fact, he is the great grandfather of eccentric award-winning actress Helena Bonham Carter. She is best known for her role as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Marla Singer in Fight Club, and Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables.