Question of the Week: Do you have any actors in your family tree?

Question

Who took time to watch the Oscars?

Do you have any actors or performers in your branches?

Comments

I'm from Norway and the brother to my step grandmother, Ola Isene, born 1898-1973, played in a movie, they made a serie on 5 episodes of it,  in the black/white days. He then was grandfather, Earl of Dorincourt in the film about Little Lord Fauntleroy. He was a famous actor in Norway in his time.

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Lucille Ball is a 7th cousin 1x removed; Lloyd Bridges is an 8th cousin; Boris Karloff (William Henry Pratt), Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, and Robert Jordan are all 8th cousins 1x removed; Gregory Peck is a 9th cousin; Walt Disney and Vincent Price are both 9th cousins 1x removed; Johnny Depp is a 9th cousin 4x removed; Henry Fonda, Lee Marvin and Bill Bixby are all 10th cousins; Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, Randolph Scott, Barbara Stanwyck, Deforest Kelley, and Steve McQueen are all 10th cousins 1x removed; Elizabeth Taylor and Debbie Reynolds are 10th cousins 2x removed;  Carrie Fisher is a 10th cousin 3x removed; Marilyn Monroe is an 11th cousin 3x removed; Robin Williams is an 11th cousin 4x removed; Judy Garland is a 12th cousin 1x removed; and Lon Chaney is a 12th cousin 2x removed.

This isn't really unusual. Anyone who has a Family Search family tree (site is free) can go to www.relativefinder.org (also free) and they will upload your tree and compare it to all the other Family Search trees. You will be very surprised at who all you are related to. I'm even related to Jesse James and Butch Cassidy.

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Yes, my grandmother, Edith Krohn (Hoem?) Schanche Moore, was an actress on the stage in the United States before she married my grandfather, DeWitt Clinton Moore, Jr., who was an actor in the same travelling troupe. Their son, DeWitt Clinton Moore III (my father) was born in Monterey, CA on 6/4/1913 while they were on tour.

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I've always enjoyed the fact that John Loder (aka William John Muir Lowe) is a 2nd cousin twice removed. Though admittedly not a great actor, he was a prolific performer, specializing in leading man roles. He was in Now Voyager (1942), How Green Was my Valley, Hitchcock's Sabotage, and played with Bogart in Passage to Marseille (1944). Married 5 times, including to Hedy Lemarr. I also have an assortment of distant American actor cousins with common ancestors like Johnson, Foote, Holmes, and Westcott who came to the U.S. in the 1630s.

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Hi Gail, That's quite an impressive assortment of actors in your family tree..  My question; did Family Search or Wikitree help find them for you? Thank you.

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My late brother, Daniel Melvin Roth, his first wife, Ray Janne Taylor-Roth, myself and my younger sister Marcia Roth, all performed at Goodyear Community Theater in Akron, OHio from 1964-1970. Dan was "Curly" in "Oklahoma", "Mr. Snow" in "Carousel", "Max Detweiler" in "The Sound Of Music" and "King Pellionore" in "Camelot". Joanne was "Tuptim" in "The King & I" and "Julie Jordan" in "Carousel". Dan & Joanne also performed at Weathervane Playhouse in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio and Music Carnival, near Cleveland, Ohio. They both toured the United States with "The Harry Simione Choral" in 1971.

I appeared onstage for 10 consecutive productions at Goodyear Community theater and was also "Merlin" in "Camelot" in 1970 also with The Downeast Players in Cape Elizabeth, Maine in 1968 & 1969. I was also their accompanist for 4 seasons ('68-'69) and '72-'73 in Wolfeboro. N.H.

I learned through Wiki Tree that I am related to Jimmy Stewart.

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Family Search was indirectly helpful in finding them. I have a tree on Family Search and if you go to Relative Finder.org they will upload your FamilySearch tree and compare it to other FamilySearch trees. They'll give you lists of Presidents you're related to, movie stars, musicians (Elvis Presley is one of mine), signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, people involved with the Salem Witch Trials, all sorts of things.

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James Wesley Horne is the nephew of the 2 great grandmother Martha E Horne.  James was a director of some note (see link in imdb below).  

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0395023/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

His daughter was married to Jackie Cooper and his son was a model who was the Marboro Man, before the actual Marboro Man.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/81444240

James mother was Edith Woodthorpe was minor actor and her sister Georgia was known in San Francisco theater, acted in silent films then in talkies.  https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12351/georgia-woodthorpe https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/137985415

Georgia was the grandmother of academy award winning director George Stevens, whose son is now the President of the American Film Institute.http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0828419/?ref_=nmbio_trv_3

If you click on the bios on the imdb site it will give you more connections and the filmography of each person.   

My aunt met James Horne and his cousin George Stevens when she was about 5.  She knew there was a connection, but it took me a good 20 years to put it together.

Laurie Angel

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My fathers cousins son is an actor who has been nominated for a Genie award as well as several others, his mother is a singer in L.A. and is the one who introduced my parents to each other.

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My mother, by adoption (my maternal aunt by blood) is Sally Kellerman, 1970: Hot Lips Houlihan in M*A*S*H, Robert Altman's film. She got an Academy Award Nomination for that, and her first love is singing. She is 80 now, with 2nd stage Dementia, sad. But, she can still put on a full face of make up, dress up with her usual impeccable style of skinny jeans, and sing a full concert, but have no idea who brought her or where she sang the next day. Life!

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Not a creative bone in my family of which I'm aware, so no actors.  My wife is related to Aussie actors Danny Adcock (2nd cousin once rem), Dennis Grosvenor (2nd cousin once rem, by marriage)and Rel Hunt (2nd cousin).

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Yes, I am an actress.  I am an extra in the current movie "M. Pearls A.A.L".  I am also in YouTube videos as "Sally Mae" in "Bubba's Alley". Great fun!

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Funny this should pop up in my emails moments ago.  Earlier on this morning I received this email from an American cousin -

"Hi Malcolm,

 I have some big Berry news!!!!!

Ernest  Berry(Emily brother) born married  Agnes Teale and had one son Harold Teale Berry Harold Teale married Jullian "Julia" Crawford  in 1935, Julia was married to William Terrance McQueen  2nd of 4 husbands and had Terrance Steven McQueen the famous Hollywood Actor. So Ernest was his step grandfather and Harold Berry was his step father."

   

      This makes me 9 degrees from Steve McQueen which is much closer than all the others so far found, apart that is from my cousin Nicola who has had quite a few bit parts in UK tv including Downtown Abbey.

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Hi, Henry Fonda is my 11th.

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Many distant cousins..

Seven Bacon, 8th cousin, Tallulah Bankhead 9th for all you older people out there, John Wayne 14th, Matthew Perry 12th, James Spader 12th, Robert Duvall 12th, Alec Baldwin 13th, Jane Fonda 12th,  Laura Linny 12th, Joan Crawford 13th, Elizabeth Shue 13th, Jimmy Stewart 15th, Elizabeth Montgomery 11th, Myra Sedgwick 12th, Lee Rimick 11th, and many more, but none of these are close . Even the ones I listed are very distant....lol

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relativefinder.org found them for me based on Family Search trees. I also have an app calle We're Related that is based on Ancestry.com.

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How do you get the app of ancestry.com We're related? I use ancestry.

Thanks

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I've got it on my phone, which is fun, but you can get it free from the App Store. The name of the App is "We're Related".

Answer 1

Cate Blanchett is my 5th cousin 1x removed

Stockard Channing is my 7th cousin 1x removed

And many more after that! :)

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Charlotte_Shockey's_Notable_Relations

Comments

Does my Grandson count? He performs at our Community Theater..  His last role was Ralphie in "A Christmas story".

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I'd count him! :-)

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That's so cool! Cate Blanchett is also my 5th  cousin 1x removed through my Moseley and Fuller side.

Answer 2

I haven't added him to wikitree yet but Perry Fenwick "Billy Mitchell" Is my father's 2nd cousin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Fenwick

Comments

Awesome! :-)

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I remember Perry Fenwick when I watched EastEnders many years ago. He played the role of a kind of  'rough neck'.

Answer 3

Well, my daughters do some drama as a hobby; does that count?

More seriously, Zita Hanrot is my sister-in-law's second cousin once removed (the daughter of her first cousin).

Answer 4

Carol (Eberts-93) Veazie, wife of Rev Henry P Veazie, was a stage, screen and film actress. A later role was as the mother of Rob Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke show.

I haven't gotten him added to wikitree yet, but actor Boothe Howard (nee Harold H Boothby) was a grandson of Jonathan Boothby and Grace Veazie. He played small parts in films, mostly westerns - e.g. Oh Susannah! starring Gene Autrey.

Comments

Loved Dick Van Dyke's show!!

Answer 5

My 2nd cousin is Sharon Rose Gabet, who used to be on daytime soaps.

https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Gabet-15&public=1

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048860/mediaviewer/rm3904779264 (photo)

Answer 6

I have many but I mostly am fond of the historic actors/actresses, mainly my 3rd cousin, Maud Durbin who was a theater stage actress married to stage actor, Otis Skinner. Their daughter, Cornelia Otis Skinner,  is my 4th cousin and she was also an actress and playwright.  

Steve McQueen is  my 7th cousin through my 7th great grandfather, Dugal McQueen. 

Through the Borden line I'm related to silver screen actress, Olive Borden, Lana Turner, and Marilyn Monroe (it is assumed her real father was Stanley Gifford).

Answer 7

I did some stage work way back and my sisters both sang in public and actually are on a record that was recorded and sold locally, One sister manages a Sam Ash store, I also found a distant relationship to Glen Campbell, Campbell-23699.

Comments

Just made the connection to Actress Louise Fletcher yesterday

Answer 8

I have many cousins who are connected through the global tree primarily through some sort of marriage connection, but I'm glad to report that I do have a blood relative (we share a many great-grandfather somewhere) named Humphrey Bogart. I always thought that was very cool to have one of the great actors of our time as a direct relative.

Answer 9

Great Question! The first thing that came to my mind is that my 5 1/2 year old granddaughter wants me to act with her every time we are together! I am Doc Hudson and she is Lightning McQueen from the movie "Cars." She so wants to be an actress someday and I hope she gets her dream!!

Comments

Put her into a Theater camp, then join your local Community Theater.  Ours uses the younger children in small , few lines, parts  in the youth series of plays,but they get experience and love being on stage.

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Great idea! Will look into it!

Answer 10

My great grandmother, [[Smith-143250|May Catherine Smith]] while not a famous actress, was a protege of Madame Helena Modjeska, and knew her in her final years. She traveled the country with Modjeska on her farewell tour- 1906-1907.

May acted for a few years until she married in 1911.

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18020758/may_smith_called_upon_by_madame_modjeska/

Answer 11

The main celebrity sort-of actor I have in my tree is Tennessee Ernie Ford. I say sort-of actor because he did do some guest star roles in various shows. At the very least, he is my 4th cousin 1x removed through his father and my paternal grandmother. The family story that I cannot prove other than the physical resemblance and things we have been told is that he was also my 1st cousin 1x removed. Supposedly, his mother and my paternal grandmother were half sisters - having the same biological father. I remember as a child, visiting his mother with my grandmother and her referring to him as her nephew. When we were older, she would only say she was more closely related through his mother than his father but refused to elaborate. My grandmother was part of the "family choir" in the album "Hymns at Home" he recorded at his home church, Anderson Street UMC, in Bristol, Tennessee.

I have also proven the connection to Marlon Brando as a 6th cousin 3x removed.

Answer 12

Clark Gable is my third cousin (twice removed). I'm kind of torn about my feelings over that. On one hand, how awesome to have such a megastar in the family. On the other hand... it doesn't feel right to be drooling over your own cousin in a movie. I haven't been able to look at him quite the same since I found out.

Comments

LoL!!! Hey there's a little space there to drool away! ;) LOL

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Just put on “It Happened One Night” and drool with the rest of us!

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I gotta admit... I still drool a little.

Answer 13

Yes, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Kevin Bacon,  Robert Duvall, Matthew Perry, Tallulah Bankhead, Elizabeth Montgomery, Laura Linny, Alex Baldwin, Elizabeth Shue, James Spader, Jimmy Stewart, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Myra Sedgwick, Joan Crawford, Burgess Meredith, Bill Paxton, Lee Remick, Meryl Streep, Patrick Swayze, and a few others. And none of them know me.....lol

Answer 14

​I have a few Actors related to me through blood (DNA), and my Family Tree. Lucille Ball is my 6th Cousin 2x Removed, Robin Williams is my 8th Cousin 2x Removed, Kristen Bell is my 8th Cousin, Katharine Hepburn is my 8th Cousin, Josh Hutcherson is my 7th Cousin, Ron Howard is my 8th Cousin, Johnny Depp is my 8th Cousin, and Matt Damon is my 8th Cousin. I have seen where The Baldwin Brothers, Humphrey Bogart, and Clint Eastwood are my Cousins also. I am a want to be Actor, but a small time stage not known.

Comments

I wonder if we share DNA. We have some of the same star relatives.!

Answer 15

Gladys Vera Peters, born Feb 26, 1895 in London is listed in the 1911 Census as an Actress. I can't find any information on her. She was my second cousin, daughter of my Great Aunt Nell (Rose Ellen Wheeler) and James Robert Peters. I'd love to know what kind of actress she was, if she was locally famous, etc. - even her death date!

Answer 16

I have the Fondas in my line. Henry, Peter, & Jane.

Answer 17

My second cousin once-removed was Patrica Beth Reid.  Her stage name was Kim Stanley.  She was the voice of the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird and was in a number of guest roles on TV.  Kim Stanley won several Emmys.  I only discovered her about 2 years ago.  She had a child by William Clift (Montgomery Clift's older brother).

Answer 18

My 1st cousin twice removed was Edward Van Sloun. He acted major parts in many of the old horror movies.

Answer 19

My grandfather, John Charles Costello (AKA John Charles on stage) 1859-1938 was an initially an amateur stage actor and lawyer, then a movie actor with Brooklyn's Vitagraph studios, and lastly a New York stage actor again. Researching his life and locating any acting information was the reason for my starting my genealogical tree. My Aunt and Grandmother had bit acting roles in the early 1900's too.

Answer 20

My 4th cousin 3x removed was Johnny Weissmuller AKA "Tarzan."