Which TV police officer are you most closely connected to?

Question

In memory of the recently passed Lance Reddick, who played Lt. Cedric Daniels on "The Wire" and Chief Irving in "Bosch," among many other roles, we're featuring him in the Connection Finder alongside other TV police officers.

Here are some notables who played boys (and girls) in blue to check your connection to:

• Bruno Cremer, "Jules Maigret" in Maigret
• Angie Dickinson, "Sergeant Pepper Anderson" in Police Woman
• Don Knotts, "Barney Fife" in The Andy Griffith Show
• Jimmy Little, "Sgt. McBride" in Car 54, Where Are You?
• Helen Mirren, "Det. Jane Tennison," Prime Suspect
• Pat Morita, "Lt. Ohara," Ohara
• Leslie Nielsen, "Frank Drebin," Naked Gun and Police Squad!
• Kyra Sedgwick, "Brenda Leigh Johnson," The Closer
• Tom Selleck, "Police Commissioner Frank Reagan," Blue Bloods
• Ephrem Zimbalist, Jr., "Inspector Lewis Erskine," The F.B.I."

Which one is most closely connected to you? If you're one of the 29.3 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder.

In addition to the above and our many Featured Connections, you can check your connections to any category on WikiTree, such as African-American Notables and Trailblazing Women. Click the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. John Quincy Adams and Lance Reddick. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's Popes feature.

Comments

Tom selleck 20th cousin twice removed. Agnes de heton is our shared ancestor on my moms side. So she had Michigan cousins. He grew up south of where my fathers family was from Saginaw, michigan. Even though my dad mike had Irish ancestry.

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You have the wrong reference for Tom Selleck. He is New York City Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in "Blue Bloods" and  Police Chief Jesse Stone is his character is a series of "Jesse Stone" television movies.

Answer 1

17 degrees from Don Knotts. 10th cousin 1 time removed. MRCA Unknown (Unknown) Miller (abt 1600 - abt 1623), wife of William Miller (abt 1597 - abt 1650).

17 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick. 13th cousin 1 time removed. MRCA William Harris (abt 1502 - 1556).

19 degrees from Tom Selleck. 16th cousin 1 time removed. MRCA Anyll (Venables) Brereton (abt 1375 - bef 1405).

21 degrees from Angie (Brown) Dickinson.

21 degrees from Leslie Nielsen.

21 degrees from Efrem Zimablist Jr.

22 degrees from Lance Reddick.

25 degrees from Bruno Cremer.

27 degrees from Pat Morita.

30 degrees from Jimmy Little.

32 degrees from Helen Mirren.

Comments

Hi Frank. Interesting that we share over 200 Wikitree ancestors yet the closest relationship Wikitree can find for us is 11th cousins. Our New England Immigrant ancestors did a pretty good job of shuffling themselves.

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I have Southern (and/or Mid-Atlantic) State ancestors, and I imagine that difference explains it all. I've got cousins who descend from Mayflower pilgrims, for instance, but no known ancestors among them. No, my ancestors tended to be signers of the Magna Carta instead.

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15 Degrees from Don Knotts

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Thanks for this. I really like the added detail but would prefer to see that same detail for all. It would be ideal is each initial name would be a link or dropdown for detail. I know complex interfaces can be drifficult but I believe those elements are already used here. But in any case, I love the extra detail and prefer it especially for shorter lists like this.

Answer 2

• Bruno Cremer, 
• Angie Dickinson,  
• Don Knotts, 22nd C 1xR (my wife is 15th Cousin)
• Jimmy Little, 
• Helen Mirren, 
• Pat Morita, 
• Leslie Nielsen, 
• Kyra Sedgwick, 10th C 1xR (my wife is 12th Cousin)
• Tom Selleck, 24th C 1xR (my wife is 11th Cousin)
• Ephrem Zimbalist, Jr., 

Note: my wife and I are 17th cousins so we are related to the same people, but she seems to have a closer relationship than me to the majority of Notables we are related to.

Answer 3

While not on this weeks list, Jon Cypher who played the Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels on Hill Street Blues is my 3rd Cousin 1x removed.

Answer 4

16 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick (10th cousins, 2x removed)
18 degrees from Angie Dickinson
18 degrees from Don Knotts (8th cousins, 4x removed)
20 degrees from Tom Selleck (12th cousins, 1x removed)
21 degrees from Efrem Zimbalist
21 degrees from Lance Reddick
21 degrees from Leslie Nielsen
26 degrees from Bruno Cremer
30 degrees from Jimmy Little
30 degrees from Pat Morita
31 degrees from Helen Mirren

Comments

Mike, Cindy and I are related to the same persons on the list.  I am your 22nd cousin.  Cindy is probably a closer cousin to you.

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Hi David, the reality is that we likely share cousinships with most people on that list, even within a genealogical timeframe. We can see what relationships exist with the current tree, but the current tree represents only a tiny fraction of our (or anyone's) shared-ancestor candidates.  A more fully connected tree would also reduce the ordinal (distance) to common ancestors, so who really knows?

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Hi David. According to the Relationship Finder, you and I are 8th cousins once removed. Our connection is through the Estes line.

Answer 5

Don Knotts 10c1r

Kyra Sedgwick 13c1r

Tom Selleck 15c2r

Comments

Hi K, our common ancestor count is now exactly 200.

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I'm showing 217 common ancestors, but whose counting. I'm working on those that moved west making sure my Hunter's are not the same as my wife's. I didn't consider the aspects of genealogy 40 plus years ago. So far, so good.

Answer 6

Kyra Sedgewick is just 14 steps away ... because she's married to Kevin Bacon, who is 6 degrees away from me (technically 6th cousin, but I'm counting it as the same thing)

Comments

Rob, I am also direct cousins with both Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon. How close to each are THEY, I wonder?

Answer 7

I am 9th cousins with both Don Knotts and Kyra Sedgwick. Kyra Sedgwick wins the tiebreaker with 213 common ancestors to Don Knotts with 81 common ancestors.

Answer 8

•  21 degrees from Lance Reddick
• 26 degrees from Bruno Cremer
• 20 degrees from Angie Dickinson
• 19 degrees from Don Knotts 20th C
• 30 degrees from Jimmy Little
• 32 degrees from Helen Mirren
• 30 degrees from Pat Morita
• 19 degrees from Leslie Nielsen
• 17 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick 10th C
• 19 degrees from Tom Selleck 11th C 1xr
• 19 degrees from Efrem Zimbalist 

Comments

Mike, above, Cindy and I are all related to the same people on the listas you .  I'm your 24th cousin.

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It's a small world isn't it!?  Thanks for letting me know!  

Answer 9

I am 19 degrees from Efrem Zimbalist

20 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick (and she is 23rd cousin three times removed)

26 degrees from Don Knotts (and he is 23rd cousinthree times removed

27 degrees from Lance Reddick

29 degrees from Bruno Cremer

29 degrees from Leslie Nielsen

29 degrees from Tom Selleck (and he is 26th cousin once removed)

29 degrees from David Draper (and we are very distant cousin)

30 degrees from Angie Dickinson

31 degrees from Jimmy Little

37 degrees from Helena Mirren

39 degrees from Pat Morita

Comments

Well, very distant from me!  But that's OK, because I was never a Notable, but I did pinstripe their vehicles!

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Hi David

Thats how they phrase it on the relation page on wikitree. And pinstripe the vehicles is good enough for me.

Anyway, do'nt cry, ours common mother and father far behind . was noble. And if they hadn't been there, neither you nor l would have been here either. So for me ancestors are equally important whether they are near or far back.

                                      Hug from Kari (Norway)

Answer 10

I am most closely connected to Lance Reddick, Don Knotts and Kyra Sedgwick at 25 degrees.

Comments

Samantha, I guess all of us are related to the same Notables!

I guess we should have a family reunion!

Answer 11

Don Knotts, ten degrees, my closest TV police officer connection.

17 Degrees from Lance Reddick

18 Degrees from Kyra Sedgwick, Sedgwick-172,  9th cousin once removed, MRCA Margery (Unknown) Ball (abt. 1621 - 1709), Unknown-335174, Philip Knight (1614 - bef. 1668), Knight-893; Kyra's husband, 17 Degrees from Kevin Bacon, Bacon-2568, 9th cousin, MRCA Elizabeth Valler (1624 - 1694), Valler-102, John Somers (abt. 1624 - abt. 1661), Somers-9

10 Degrees from Don Knotts, Knotts-63, two branches (1-10), 17th cousin, MRCA Katherine (Beaumont) Luttrell (abt. 1360 - 1435), Beaumont-166, Hugh Luttrell (abt. 1363 - 1428), Luttrell-26, his wife, Kathryn Elaine (Metz) Amundson, Metz-2138, 4th cousin MRCA Abigail (Coburn) Wheeler (1767-), Coburn-624, Benjamin Wheeler (1763-), Wheeler-5195

20 Degrees from Tom Selleck, Selleck-170, 17th cousin once removed, MRCA William (Brereton) de Brereton Kt., (abt. 1349 - 1426), Brereton-51, Anyll (Venables) Brereton (abt. 1375 - 1405), Venables-16

21 Degrees from Ephrem Zimbalist, Jr.

21 Degrees from Leslie Nielsen

21 Degrees from Angie Dickinson

24 Degrees from Helen Mirren

26 Degrees from Bruno Cremer

29 Degrees from Jimmy Little

30 Degrees from Pat Morita

Answer 12

Kyra Sedgwick - 10th cousins twice removed

Tom Sellick - 11th cousins twice removed

Don Knotts - 20th cousins twice removed

Lance Reddick - 18 Degrees

David Draper - very distant cousins

Answer 13

• Bruno Cremer, "Jules Maigret" in Maigret    24 deg
• Angie Dickinson, "Sergeant Pepper Anderson" in Police Woman  23 deg
• Don Knotts, "Barney Fife" in The Andy Griffith Show   15deg 17c3xR
• Jimmy Little, "Sgt. McBride" in Car 54, Where Are You?   28deg
• Helen Mirren, "Det. Jane Tennison," Prime Suspect  32 deg
• Pat Morita, "Lt. Ohara," Ohara 33deg
• Leslie Nielsen, "Frank Drebin," Naked Gun and Police Squad!  23 deg
• Kyra Sedgwick, "Brenda Leigh Johnson," The Closer   11c1r  20deg
• Tom Selleck, "Police Chief Jesse Stone," Blue Bloods   18c 3R
• Ephrem Zimbalist, Jr., "Inspector Lewis Erskine," The F.B.I."   22 deg

 

Answer 14

My closest by degrees if Kyra Sedgwick at 16 degrees, but only a very distant cousin.

Answer 15

• 15 Degrees to Jesse Donald Knotts - 9th Cousin once removed
• 17 Degrees to Angie (Brown) Dickinson
• 17 Degrees to Kyra Sedgwick - 10th Cousin once removed
• 18 Degrees to Tom Selleck - 11th Cousin once removed
• 19 Degrees to Lance Solomon Reddick
• 21 Degrees to Leslie William Nielsen
• 22 Degrees to Efrem Zimbalist Jr
• 27 Degrees to Bruno Jean Marie Cremer
• 29 Degrees to James Oswald Little
• 30 Degrees to Helen (Mironoff) Mirren
• 31 Degrees to Noriyuki Morita

Answer 16

Interesting:

[[Knotts-63|Don Knotts]] is closest degree wise @ 18º, 20th cousin 2R. MRCA are [[Bohun-3|Humphrey (Bohun) de Bohun (abt.1276-1322)]] and [[Plantagenet-533|Elizabeth (Plantagenet) de Bohun (abt.1282-1316)]] (so maybe?)  3 branches, through Mom.[[Lowery-3311|Betty (Lowery) Rose (1945-2021)]]

but closest cousin is: [[Sedgwick-172|Kyra Sedgwick]] at 22º, but 14th cousin 1R (MRCA is [[Trotter-880|Richard Trotter (abt.1525-abt.1575)]] ) (4 branches, through Mom)

[[Selleck-170|Tom Selleck]] 23º, 4 branches, through Mom. 17thC2R

[[Brown-55801|Angie Dickinson]] 21º, 5 branches, Mom.
[[Zimbalist-2|Efrem Zimbalist Jr. ]] 23º 6 branches, (through Mom's side)
[[Nielsen-6232|Leslie Nielsen ]] 23º, 5 branches (through Mom's side)
[[Reddick-1075|Lance Reddick]], 24º, 6 branches, Mom.
[[Cremer-688|Bruno Cremer]] 28º, 5 branches, Mom.
[[Little-21108|JJimmy Little]] 30º, 6 branches, Mom.
[[Morita-21|Noriyuki Morita ]], 32º, 7 branches, through Dad.
[[Mironoff-1|Helen Mirren DBE]], 35º, 6 branches, through Dad's side. [[Rose-18646|Richard Rose]]

Answer 17

• Bruno Cremer - 28 degrees
• Angie Dickinson - 23 degrees
• Don Knotts - 20 degrees
  • 15C5R - MRCA Joane (Bruley) Danvers (abt. 1396 - aft. 1469)
• Jimmy Little - 28 degrees
• Helen Mirren - 33 degrees
• Pat Morita - 31 degrees
• Leslie Nielsen - 23 degrees
• Lance Reddick - 24 degrees
• Kyra Sedgwick - 20 degrees
  • 9C3R - MRCA Dorothy (Harbottle) Hawley (1619 - 1699)
• Tom Selleck - 22 degrees
  • 17C2R - MRCA Elizabeth (Butler) Dutton (1374 - 1425)
• Efrem Zimbalist - 23 degrees

Answer 18

My closest connection is my late husband, Stephen Michael Feather. He was a real police chief, but he also played one on TV. He was in an episode of Doris Day's "Best Friends". I also did theater as a kid with Vanessa (Liptak) Ray, who plays Eddie Janko on Blue Bloods.

Ancestors and Cousins:

1 degree - Stephen Michael Feather Sr. (late husband)
16 degrees - David Draper (8th cousins, 2x) - MRCA - Josiah Means
17 degrees - Don Knotts (11th cousins, 1x) - MRCA - Robert Fuller
20 degrees - Kyra Sedwick (11th cousins) - MRCA - Gerrit Gerritsen Lansing
21 degrees - Tom Selleck - (11th cousins) - MRCA - James Hubbard

Connections:

20 degrees - Efrem Zimbalist
21 degrees - Lance Reddick
21 degrees - Leslie Nielsen
22 degrees - Angie Dickinson
26 degrees - Bruno Cremer
27 degrees - Jimmy Little
30 degrees - Pat Morita
32 degrees - Helen Mirren

Comments

Hi Shonda, you must have some interesting memories!

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I do and I treasure them all! 

Answer 19

Most of these are fairly distant (not my peeps). Ellen is:

• 18 degrees from Lance Reddick
• 18 degrees from Kyra Sedgwick - 9th cousin
• 19 degrees from Don Knotts - 8C2R
• 19 degrees from Leslie Nielsen
• 19 degrees from Efrem Zimbalist
• 20 degrees from Tom Selleck - 9C1R
• 22 degrees from Angie Dickinson
• 25 degrees from Bruno Cremer
•  28 degrees from Jimmy Little
• 30 degrees from Pat Morita,
• 32 degrees from Helen Mirren

Comments

Hello Ellen, No wonder I see your name often- we have over 300 ancestors in common.

Answer 20

I am related to three of the TV police officers!

1) 15º Don Knotts: 20th cousins/1xr MRCA Joane (Holand) Radcliffe

2) 16º Kyra Sedgwick: 9th cousins/2xr MRCA John Thompson

3) 21º Tom Selleck: 17th cousins, MRCA Elizabeth (Butler) Dutton

Other non-related TV police officers by degree:

19º Lance Reddick; 20º Angie Dickinson; 21º Efrem Zimbalist; 22º Leslie Nielson; 26º Bruno Cremer; 29º Jimmy Little; 32º Pat Morita.