The Most Shocking Celebrity Cousin Matches EVER on Finding Your Roots | Ancestry®

[@AncestryUS]

Can you believe these celebrity cousins?! If you could be related to any celebrity, who would it be and why?

[@vickyconerty8822]

I’m actually related to Woody Harrelson. 🙂

[@jackielc68]

Rod Stewart! I have adored and admired him since I was a very young girl. ❤

[@JackLeichter2023]

@AncestryUS Who Is My DNA 🧬 Cousin?

[@CrystalTwinStar]

Amy Grant I have always felt a deep kinship with her and always felt if we would meet casually somewhere we would hit it off well. Many times throughout my life I have felt connected with different people (and even occupations, geographical locations, etc.) and over time I have discovered that, in many cases, there is an actual reason. So, now when I feel a connection with anyone or anything I always delve into exploring it as deeply as I can. Doing this has made life much more interesting, fulfilling and adventurous!

[@1JewelOfTheNile]

Oprah!!! 🙏🏿🤞🏾😁

[@nesnibila4888]

"my brother!" warmed my heart

[@Tylerson]

Jon Lithgow is one of my favorite famous people in the world. He can play some despicable people but out of those characters he always seems so warm and genuine.

[@WillyWylde1919]

It did me too. I wish all humans looked at each other like this.

[@barkerlandar]

Made me cry. spontaneous love reaction

[@daniellescott477]

Yes, mine too❤😊 good morning and day to all. Or afternoon, night😊

[@Pulsonar]

The John Lithgow one stunned me as much as John himself. His “we are brothers” exclamation was so genuine and lovely. I hope they at least had dinner together at some point just to round off a splendid and heartwarming surprise 🙏🏽

[@NotoriousWhistler]

Bernie Sanders: THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE!! Me: That's literally the most believable thing I've ever heard.

[@Liliarthan]

They even look alike 😂😂😂

[@lightyagami3492]

@@Liliarthan Literally LMAOOO

[@lc5929]

Most Ashkenazi Jews are related

[@MISNM0]

😂😂😂😂❤

[@BaldMancTwat]

@@LiliarthanThey look and sound exactly the same lol

[@___David___Savian]

I met John Lithgow once. He really is that kind guy. He does not have one ounce of ego or narcassism in him. He is a true gentleman.

[@AncestryUS]

That must have been an unforgettable moment, David! We're glad that it all went so well and that you found John as genuine and kind as he always appears to be. We appreciate you stopping by to share your own thoughts! ❤️

[@unrealshrimp]

Bruh he was singing silly kids songs on his guitar on the kids show networks he's such a dad guy, warm soul for sure, we don't get many of those

[@NextExiter]

My friend met celebrities doing a lot of housework in LA, and said Lithgow was the only one he met who had the bigger-than-life presence he expected of a star.

[@Susan406]

We live near where he has a summer home and my husband sees him on the golf course sometimes. He absolutely is as wonderful as everyone says. By the way, do yourself a favor and watch the episode of "Amazing Stories" called "The Doll" (1986). Lithgow won a well-deserved Emmy for his performance.

[@susanfletcher3929]

I met him too and I concur.

[@clairegoulet927]

Gosh John Lithgow's truly heartfelt "My Brother!" brought a tear to my eye. I wish we could all see each other like that..

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed these clips, Claire! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!

[@ExpatCollin]

That "my brother" at the end is what this whole world needs right now. Oh, how we need it!

[@zapbutton8553]

Oh yes, it is time❤🫂

[@sdarling6518]

The world needs more equity, diplomacy and accountability; not useless gestures, thoughts or prayers.

[@aljato]

💯💗

[@ytowndroog5940]

💯

[@relfyem]

"My brother!" That brought tears to my eyes.

[@speedRacer05]

Mine too!

[@Snoopydad]

Great to see the white guests really enthusiastic about their cousins of color.

[@Snoopydad]

@@lawrencefrost9063 For most of our history going into the relatively recent past it didn't work that way Bro.

[@brightbubbly8251]

🙄

[@TedEhioghae]

​@@SnoopydadColoured People = People of Colour.

[@MrsBrit1]

When John reached out to you with absolute joy and called you "brother!" Oh, I loved that! 💗

[@RighteousGemstoned]

We must protect John Lithgow!

[@neatofication]

I know! It was so cute 🥰

[@billiestevens318]

Even if it was take 47

[@Robdobalina]

John was wrong. It's his cousin NOT his brother. I'm furious.

[@clarissagafoor5222]

​@@Robdobalina What an odd emotion to have! And in many, many cultures cousins are siblings!

[@Loupdelou-ly1ve]

The joy on John Lithgow's face!

[@jjwatcher]

I am a 3rd Cousin of Henry Louis Gates Jr according to my DNA, so I wonder if I am related to John Lithgow.

[@BlackwolfllArt-zc9vq]

When i saw Jimmy Kimmel i went: "Please be Matt Damon, Please be Matt Damon, *PLEASE BE MATT DAMON!!"...*

[@fransuke12]

More like, Please NOT Matt Damon 😂

[@cmarq817]

Me too! 😂

[@brainlock72]

Surprise! It’s BEN AFFLECK!

[@Greenballoffire]

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS THINKING HAHAH

[@tannerb434]

I really thought it was gonna be Guillermo 😂😂

[@kristen6393]

I love seeing how many black and white people are related. It's amazing how connected we are but think we are so different. We need more of this.

[@AncestryUS]

Hiya Kristen. We're grateful to you for sharing your thoughts on this mind blowing compilation of amazing discoveries taken from past seasons of the show. It can really inspire us and make us reflect in so many ways and we would recommend taking a peek at our entire playlist here if you are hungry for more: kzbin.info/aero/PL0xuz8BBkD4gm8NBVH8ga1elIoAkBjL-q. 🌳

[@thrshwll1526]

We know how that happened 😢

[@susivarga7303]

​​​@@thrshwll1526 Tell us more. Oh wait, I know, there was nothing out there in the big wide world but plantations and white guys with whips and everyone was American.... 🙄

[@maddiedoes3571]

​@@thrshwll1526if you go back far enough, or even recently enough, plenty of completely healthy and innocent crossovers between white and black people have occurred throughout history. While violence has of course tainted history, it is not all there is 🙏

[@thrshwll1526]

@maddiedoes3571 - I 100% don't believe that. If you go way back, black people, black women in particular, had no choice but to submit to white men. They weren't allowed to say no. I highly doubt 99% of these relationships were not forced.

[@cdcdogs4961]

I have been a amateur genealogist for 25+ years. I think most people will be surprised to know how closely we are all related. 😳😁

[@kellyshomemadekitchen]

Yes! I’ve built my family tree back to the 1200s on both sides and there are so many astounding names, it’s unbelievable.

[@cartersusan]

I like to say, we are all related. We just have to find the right pieces. :) Since we are all descendents of Adam and Eve.

[@cannyexplorer5357]

It goes back to when 1st cousins married each other. In breeding.

[@lmc2375]

Yes, each was a shock. Ronstadt is a distant cousin of mine. Her early ancestors made the most beautiful wagons. Leo Carrillo, The Cisco Kid and my GF knew him. Leo's Grandfather had the Coronado CA Spanish land grant and sold it for $3,000 - was a lot of money back then. I also relate to Gobbi, the opera singer and Francesco Durante, early IT composer and "The Widow" of the 1775 - 1776 de Anza Expedition, said to be a Spitfire is my 6th GGM. You'd have to be to go over the head of Father Font to de Anza himself to see that you and and two young daughters were not left behind. That she did and wasn't. Her husband was killed in an Indian uprising attack at the Presidio in Tubac, while de Anza was out scouting best route from Mx to CA. He was killed/buried 14 Feb 1774. Those going on the Exp had to be married and she no longer was. Must have been something to have lived through. Glad she did.

[@justme6767]

I did DNA trying to find my siblings I found a few maybe you can help me

[@Thailerr]

You know... are we really that shocked that Larry David and Bernie are cousins? The writing was on the wall the whole time 😂

[@AncestryUS]

We all should have seen that one coming!

[@Magiasama88]

You mean in the hairline. 🤭

[@721rena]

They literally talk and look alike!

[@maxxandubar503]

Apparently they grew up not too far from each other in New York as well!

[@ragantate3995]

😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@donna25871]

Now if Jimmy Kimmel had turned that page and seen Matt Damon that would have been epic 😂😂😂

[@brandon1234]

I wish it was.😂

[@georgeharman7177]

Or Katt Williams lmao

[@airbrushpower]

Thats what I was half expecting too! lol

[@freedomprophet2891]

@georgeharmann7177 why Kat Williams?? What a f..k does that has to do with anything? You just throwing names out there for no particular reason?

[@cjpatz]

Or Aaron Rogers! That would have been insanely hilarious!😂

[@deepurahulan2474]

"My Brother".....teared me up

[@benr979]

“My brother” made me emotional ngl. You can see the immediate bond wash over them

[@Meli1380]

Well, I guess someone finally won the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon! 😂

[@EdDunkle]

6 DNA strands of Kevin Bacon

[@DEVRIMCI2007]

We are all related to Kevin Beacon. 😀

[@Liliarthan]

They both won on that one. I’d be stoked to be related to either one of them 😄

[@Robdobalina]

Kevin Bacon declined to comment on his disappointment

[@hectorsmommy1717]

They didn't show this but his wife, Kyra Sedgewick, is a DNA cousin of his.

[@AtlanticGiantPumpkin]

I feel like Bill Hader had to flip when he realized he’s related to THE comedy legend Carol Burnett

[@MISNM0]

I mean, right.....???🤯🥲💓

[@xoxocessa]

That's got to feel good. Carol is a phenomenal entertainer.

[@michaelminch5490]

I would have lost my freakin' mind.

[@russergee49]

Seth Myers knows he just won the ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ game

[@aprilflynn]

That was hilarious

[@marycook1644]

I thought Kevin would show up as everyone’s sixth cousin !!! 🦉

[@deejay9851]

My thoughts exactly 💯

[@stream_gene]

The Larry David/Bernie Sanders connection is even more hilarious when you recall David impersonated Sanders for a sketch during Sander's democratic bid lol

[@baintreachas]

that was the whole joke, he constantly impersonated him

[@altamiradorable]

One day, I was in a big corporate meeting filled with people I never met. A man comes towards me and present's himself. Alhough his last name is totally different than mine, I greet him with "hello cousin, pleased to meet you". Gave him my full name and he was stunned. He could not understand the relation. I told him that my first ancestor that came to America married his first great great grand mother that also came to America. He looked at me a bit puzzled and pulled out of his briefcase his genealogy tree he had made last week! And there they were, the two names side by side, married together in 1670.

[@sarahpalmer411]

But how did you recognize him?

[@altamiradorable]

@@sarahpalmer411 Just by his last name.

[@brainlock72]

My mom has two branches, if the name pops up, we KNOW we’re related. One branch has thirty-six spelling variants, but the base name is the same. The other has a more common version, but those are not related, just a handful of cousins in Ohio and Missouri, as last cousin in Germany died a few years back. Some nonsense rule about you couldn’t have kids until the previous head of house died, so I’m surprised it lasted that long. 🤦‍♂️😂 We still don’t know the full story of why 2great-grandpa was told to GTFO or d!e? Only three US cousins have visited the hof: Ohio aunt/opera singer in early 1900s; grandma’s brother/priest 100 years ago; and my sister & niece about a decade back. They met the last hof cousin before he died. Wife was too old to have kids when his father finally died, so that German branch ended.

[@k90v85]

​yea that happened, duh

[@alisongarcia3476]

John Lithgow has one of my favorite laughs. I absolutely adore him

[@GratitudeGriot]

Jimmy Kimmel sees Martha Stewart "I make my own vinegar"😂 hilarious! I LOVE this show!!

[@empebee]

I was really hoping it would be Matt Damon.

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

I can actually see the resemblance between the two.

[@xoxocessa]

Same! You can definitely tell they're related.@@drewlovelyhell4892

[@colleenovo1084]

@@empebeeI was just coming on here to say that! That would’ve been hilarious

[@Neopanther]

That's not Kimmel.

[@PlutoniaFreeBandz]

I love that she said “Redd Foxx!” 😂

[@eharper7]

I know! Would've been so funny if it had been LaWanda Page.

[@fr0stb1ght34]

​@@eharper7 I woulda died laughing 😂😂😂.

[@Amanda-bj4eo]

John Lithgow's reaction was so sweet and wholesome ❤

[@7peaches7]

Ultimately, we are all related to each other in the grand scheme of things.

[@ninat7483]

When I saw Carol Burnette and Bill Hader my jaw dropped! It make so much sense now 😂😂

[@marciasiehr6561]

3:39

[@AthenaisC]

I'm distantly related to Carrie Fisher via her mother, Debbie Reynolds. That's the coolest claim to fame I've got. 😂

[@publiceyes473]

Hello cousin me too

[@AthenaisC]

@@publiceyes473 ... if I ever need an organ donor, this is the way I'm going to find them. The comment sections on KZbin. 😆 🤣

[@SoTiredoftheToxicBS]

O wow! I would love that! Boss females! ❤

[@publiceyes473]

Wondering if this is a line of four cousins

[@Morfeusm]

May the Force be with you!

[@MakelleBell]

Lithgow, "My brother!".. hilarious and endearing at the same time. 😂❤

[@benparks3564]

"My brother!" Loved that ending.

[@AncestryUS]

Hi Ben, thanks for watching! We are glad to see that you enjoyed this video.

[@waywardsisters918]

My grandmother was never treated that well, and she thought she came from nothing. It's taken me years and years to finally find out that she came from the first king of England. I wish she was alive today to tell you you came from the best and you were the best.

[@Autumn74]

That’s lovely. It would have made her smile ❤

[@Lily_of_the_Forest]

I’m so sorry

[@binaway]

After 950 years almost every person of British decent must be. Simple math.

[@bvbxiong5791]

she's related to king Arthur?!?!

[@Lily_of_the_Forest]

@@bvbxiong5791 her name is MeeMaw Pendragon!

[@allamaraine8066]

Lithgow’s actually made me a little teary-eyed! That was wonderful.

[@ladydeerheart1]

John Lithgow has been one of my most favorite actors since "The World According To Garp". He is amazing in everything he does!

[@olivegreenpants7153]

Thats when I first saw him. Also Glenn Close.

[@SledDog5678]

HUGE John fan here too!!!! He is amazing. From Churchill to Dick Solomon High Commander to his books. Love him!!!!!!!

[@JosieStev]

Cool 😊

[@bigums21]

Roberta! ❤❤❤

[@BrianneVillano]

Harry and the Hendersons

[@CrystalTwinStar]

I loved all the reactions but my favorite was you and Mr. Lithgow! It gave me chills!

[@JMurdochNZ]

John's reaction was adorable.

[@saraschneider6781]

​@@JMurdochNZI'm not a fan of his acting...or at least the writing of the roles he took, but he's a delightful man.

[@ladydeerheart1]

I think he is one of the best actors ... ever!

[@cassmellish]

I would love to be your cousin as well! Love your show!

[@MoonLightOnWater1]

Me too!

[@meagenb4968]

I love that Dr. Gates and Mr. Lithgow are cousins. How fun to be able to be in the room together.

[@AncestryUS]

They are great aren't they! Thanks for watching, it's great to see that you enjoyed this video.

[@WerewolfMaster]

Last one was SUPER wholesome :D

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for watching! We are glad to see that you enjoyed this video.

[@mspfinney]

One of the best shows on tv. The DNA matches just prove we are all in this world together. ❤

[@pernicecartwright8420]

AMEN ❤❤❤❤

[@nunyabiznez6381]

Finney? I have some Finney's in my family tree, they trace back to the Finney's/Phinney's of Nottinghamshire by way of Cape Cod/Rhode Island.

[@mspfinney]

@@nunyabiznez6381 - My Finney is a nickname that is short for Findorff which is German.

[@BodaciousWench]

Yup. Everyone’s cousins

[@AncestryUS]

We are delighted to hear you are enjoying the show, mspfinney! We hope you continue to love the rest of the season. Thanks for sharing! 🌳💚

[@chadelia7447]

Both you and John are treasures. May we never know what it's like to live without either of you! Enjoyed every moment!

[@veronicaferguson8548]

Dr Gates is a national treasure! Him and John Lithgow distant cousins 😂

[@Missmori]

Larrie and Bernie's reactions to eachother were just ADORABLE.

[@mikehair5904]

I love seeing the positive acceptance of our shared DNA connections. We are far more connected than some people would want us to be. Too many people are still stuck on the outside and ignore the inside

[@R9naldo]

Everyone is God's child 💪🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾✝️

[@jmspegel]

If we all started with Adam and Eve it makes sense to me. 🧜🏼‍♀️

[@cdonorab]

Love their reactions. The one I find the funniest though were Bernie and Larry's reactions. Been doing genealogy for a while and found a lot of connections from myself to famous people,but find it interesting how many famous people are related to other famous people. Think my best celebrity connection is Matthew Perry. He was my fifth cousin once removed.

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

Oh. 😔 Sorry that you lost him.

[@melissaha]

My condolences, he sure waa a best Friend and is missed..

[@CHIsports81]

I am sorry for your family's loss. I loved their reactions too! As soon as I saw Larry, I said it had to be Bernie. I lost it when it was. 🤣

[@drewlovelyhell4892]

@@CHIsports81 Sadly, the Jewish gene pool has become quite small for some reason...

[@Duvalin-Luna]

What is once removed?

[@stevef3685]

i'm an amateur genealogist, my daughter caught a tv show that Ellen Degeneris did and saw a piece of her family tree. I had once told her that all Acadians were related, so she immediately ran to me and put me on the case. And yes they were related, but something like 8th cousins. She was more impressed when she found out that meant she was also related to Beyonce at 10th cousins.

[@EllaBee90]

So this means we are cousins too. Hi! Ellen is my 9th cousin and Beyoncé is 8th. 🙂

[@wplants9793]

Madonna and Ellen are related

[@stevef3685]

@@wplants9793 - So yeah, would be a relative too. They were both descended from Martin Aucoin, and my wife is from that line as well.

[@LMmccallL57]

I'm Beyonce's cousin on her dad's side. Our great-grandparents were brother and sister.

[@Knight-Bishop]

Okay, so add me to that, through my mother. Hello all 😅

[@halfricangaming8198]

John with the "My Brother" I loved that

[@homonaledi640]

All the hate between them and us, we're actually blood relatives.

[@721rena]

What hate? Where? I just saw very happy loving people on this show

[@noc1891]

@@721rena i dont think he was talking about the people in the show but everyone else

[@luciustitius]

„I make my own vinegar“ cracked me up - „cousins“, too. So random…

[@nunyabiznez6381]

I had a similar reaction when I found out I was related to a famous artist by saying "I draw my own pictures."

[@deadiemeyers1661]

We should all treat each other as family. Because we are. 💗

[@rebeccamd7903]

With dna, I found out my best friend is my 6th cousin. It amazed us both because she’s from New York and I’m from West Virginia. We were both this happy!! 🥰

[@brainlock72]

My sister found out her bestie is a fourth cousin on dad’s side. I had to laugh, as she previously admitted to a drunk make out session with her! 😂😂

[@orthohawk1026]

The first supervisor I had at the University of Iowa Hospital turned out to be my 9th cousin. We were talking one day at break, and she mentioned her maternal grandfather, whose last name was my mom's maiden name. After some investigation, I found the connection. Then when I bought my house, I discovered that the lady who owned it before me, her oldest brother married my dad's oldest sister.

[@JAYCEETAYLOR]

"Yes, and we only had to go back 700 years to find a link"

[@ragantate3995]

😅😅😅😅

[@twittertwice]

That’s called ANCESTORS…

[@JAYCEETAYLOR]

@@twittertwice If I go back 700 years you and I are probably related...LOL!

[@shannonstevens2476]

Crying over John Lithgow's reaction ❤❤❤

[@rosewalsh1255]

I love when there are unexpected matches at the end of these shows...it just goes to show you anything is possible :)

[@AncestryUS]

We love to hear you are enjoying the show, Rose! What was your favorite part?

[@nunyabiznez6381]

I fish for cousins sometimes here on this channel. I have Walsh's in my family tree who are Irish and some in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

[@kiciacoldspring1621]

That “My brother” at the end was perfect❤️💪🏾

[@HellhammerSS]

Yeah reminded me of my buddy from school back in the 90's after the teacher made us all watch Roots we agreed not to let "that stuff" to mess with us. 💪

[@RoyGBiv-mb8xt]

Bernie’s reaction was so genuinely hilarious! Lithgow’s reaction was so heartwarming!

[@heresmytake2782]

Now, both Lithgow and Gates Jr. can hold up a mirror together and say, "OH MY GOODNESS! we're GORGEOUS!"

[@sheilafrench4175]

So heartwarming to see how happy they are to see who their distant cousins are.

[@victorsamsung2921]

Funny how one of those you admire, including your children, ends up being a distant relative, like Terry Crews.

[@G.G.8GG]

Finding Your Roots has given me more heartwarming moments than any other show. It's so beautifully done. I wish every single person could sit at that table and take that journey.

[@rankoorovic7904]

Larry David and Bernie Sanders being related was a surprise for about half a second

[@AncestryUS]

Hi, Richard. Thanks for your comment. We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed this episode of Finding Your Roots. It was very interesting and enjoyable to watch.

[@garymathena2125]

This is one of my most favorite shows, Professor Gates is a great man, he really elevates this show.

[@bryndabaker6782]

I'm not even sure why, but this brought tears to my eyes. What a wonderful thing for these folks to discover!

[@shadykatie100]

Me too! That was one lovely moment.

[@wvu05]

Bernie and Larry David finding out they're realted was so wholesome.

[@ronniebillhicks]

i like john Lithgow even more now,.........what a genuinely nice and wholesome human being

[@freelikeyve]

“I knnnow you lyin” 😂 I luv Niecy.

[@maisonneuve]

John Lithgow is a gem. Truly one of the most underrated actors of his generation. Remember that kids show he had for a while? I mean. Just a stand up human being.

[@ann40069]

I discovered that one of my ancestors came over during the great puritan migration in 1630. He was a Founders of Watertown Massachusetts. Later on as I did more research I discovered my distant relatives Clara Barton American Red Cross and John Chapman aka Johnny Apple Seed, Writer and poets Ezra Pound, and T.S. Elliott. It's amazing the things I keep finding out.

[@nunyabiznez6381]

You probably have a lot more people to find if you are descended from a Massachusetts family. Massachusetts Puritans were obsessed with record keeping so we from that state have access to a lot of material for research. I can trace over a hundred from that migration including my male line who came from Wiltshire not far from Stonehenge though it seems my male line haplogroup is Roman.

[@sun_chariot6141]

That's awesome!

[@ohmightywez]

I read the biography of Clara Barton when I was8 years old, and I was just so impressed by her life and her courage. What an amazing ancestor to have. She changed the course of history in the United States and around the world. She took the incredible work done by Florence Nightingale and made a new entity of it that has served the globe.

[@lightyagami3492]

I have made similar discoveries in my family tree (in regards to famous relatives.) except in my case im descended from multiple founders of Hartford Connecticut and their names are engraved on the monument dedicated to the founders.

[@blueyes6474]

“I make my own vinegar” 😂😂😂 it all makes sense

[@HadrianGuardiola]

😂😂😂

[@CHIsports81]

"My brother!" That was the best. 😢 I am distantly related to Courtney Cox. My mom watches this show, is way deep in Ancestry (we can date one side back to 1,000-something AD) and she happened to remember a shared relative that was mentioned. Wild!

[@AncestryUS]

Whoa! Your mom must be an amazing family history researcher 👏

[@scottshinbaum1772]

Courtney Cox was on "Who Do You Think You Are," and they found that she was directly descended from William the Conqueror. That was a pretty cool reveal.

[@speedRacer05]

That was soo awesome!! The ending, priceless!! You could see genuine joy. They should have stood and hugged!

[@AncestryUS]

Thank you so much for the kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed this compilation of some of the best moments from Finding Your Roots. Thanks for stopping by!

[@kokoroach8904]

That was the coolest. Most wholesome ending I’ve ever seen. How cool is this. So awesome

[@poeticpoems1234]

I hope they do another episode of cousins ☺️

[@laceypennies]

"You're my brother" I felt that ❤

[@debbiethompson6240]

What a great short video, Celebrity DNA Cousins! Everyone seemed surprised and happy when they turned the page!

[@authorrayrogers]

I'm distantly related to Jimmy Carter. What a fine person to have on our family tree!

[@AncestryUS]

It's so cool to hear you've been able to make this discovery, Ray. Thanks very much for sharing!

[@sw6155]

My family in Brazil is the quintessential Brazilian family… my grandparents have descendants that vary from blond/blue-eyed to black/black-eyed… Our family reunions are always a big beautiful party! 🥰🥰🥰

[@Liliarthan]

With those Brazilian genes? I’m surprised that those events don’t get swarmed by modelling talent scouts every time 😄

[@hollybug-76542]

Portuguese, Indigenous, African

[@pethearbennig72]

There's no such thing as black eyes. Just dark brown.

[@MishaSims]

i love how the world isn't as big as we think it is. these were great

[@stefanie7823]

I’m just over here being perfectly happy with the fact that Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of my cousins 😁 Seth Meyers and Kevin Bacon was probably the only one that I was surprised by and yet not surprised by. They kind of have the same energy.

[@TLo6080]

That’s so cool! Thanks for sharing ❤

[@hectorsmommy1717]

Princes Diana was one of my distant cousins, but so is HH Holmes. For every "bragging right" we have a skeleton in the closet (in the case of Holmes we have maybe 100)

[@lilysawyer1]

I think the concept of 6 degrees of separation is SO true. I loved the end when John Lithgow found out he's related to Dr. Henry Louis Gates.

[@AncestryUS]

We're glad you enjoyed the clip, Lily! Thanks so much for watching. 😊

[@divarose0]

This was so wonderful; made me teary-eyed. Would love to see more of this.

[@AncestryUS]

Thanks for the kind words, Diva! We're so glad you enjoyed this segment from Finding Your Roots. Thanks for stopping by!

[@TheMichaelBeck]

Larry David and Bernie Sanders. Yup, I can see that. I found out in HS at the funeral of one of my mother's family that I was 3rd cousins with one of my football coaches and 4th cousin of his son, our QB. It really is a small world. Cheers.

[@hottubtimemachine1200]

They were all surprised and John Lithgow’s reaction was priceless. ❤ the reactions of the all!

[@rhyljones5051]

1:38 - MASSIVE prank opportunity missed. You know what I'm talking about.

[@hoshi2063]

Oh my god I can’t believe they didn’t do that

[@Faithful1Blessed2]

What’s amazing is how all these people relates actually has some of the same features. Funny thing is whenever I see someone that has features that I know are in my family I literally claim them as mines. Lol we’re all just distant cousins, relatives in some form. This has always been my thoughts.

[@melissacastle5172]

I have watched so many of these episodes. This is by far my favorite short! It reminds us that we all share a common ancestor- we are all part of the human race. The joy should be there, the love should be there, always for our fellow human beings. ❤

[@debralynnpaxton5238]

So precious seeing that Dr. Gates, Jr. and John Lithgow are cousins ❤❤❤

[@GeorgeMorgan6600]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@jenw5056]

I love watching Finding Your Roots. So much history you bring to light I think some of your episodes could be invaluable in a high school history class.

[@Sanity_Faire]

It would have been fun in school to be in a class where everyone got their dna done 🥹 I think 🤔👀

[@seanjamescameron]

Don't ever assume the audience already knows, 80% of those people I had no idea who they were.

[@babyboomer-ck3bk]

Small world! This is amazing and exciting. I can't imagine how excited these celebrities were to learn of this.

[@AncestryUS]

So glad you enjoyed!

[@aliasmarg8ta127]

My favorite part of Finding your Roots is the "who is your cousin" segment. I loved that Kyra Sedgewick and Kevin Bacon shared a very distant relative.

[@odessa745]

Sweet home Alabama

[@stillhere1425]

Ew! Not seriously, that’s plenty of distance, but didn’t you always think they looked like members of the same tribe?

[@hectorsmommy1717]

@@stillhere1425 Not really but I did know they were both descended from old Colonial Connecticut families so a connection was almost inevitable. I was surprised that there wasn't a connection between John Lithgow and Sally Field because he is descended from something like 5 Mayflower passengers and she is from 2.

[@jillanderson3242]

My favorite is when Marisa Tomei found out she was related to Julianne Moore

[@Jean-tt6on]

Okay why did I cry at John's reveal 😭😭😭😭😭

[@VikingBen69]

Dr Gates keep up the excellent work your show makes me smile and sometimes even brings a tear to my eye. This show really brings out the guests true emotions it’s one of the most honest shows on television today.

[@jorgeskuf]

idk why but the pose the host makes on his picture for john lithgows section cracks me up

[@honkeykong9563]

Not one of the cousin reveals, but I do recall my favorite revelation on this show during which Anderson Cooper was informed his ancestor was a Slave Master who was killed by a Slave. Anderson said he thought that was "Awesome."

[@Liliarthan]

I don’t watch this show often but I saw that one too. I really like Anderson Cooper. 😄

[@She17pj]

Last count I have over 17,000 DNA Cousins, my DNA shocked me, I have a ton of White Relatives, discovering my African Roots was so rewarding its therapeutic to find the truth ♥️♥️♥️

[@hollybug-76542]

Found out my 8th GGrandfather was from Angola, came as an indentured and married a woman from Ireland who also was indentured until they both gained their freedom. Interracial marriage wasn't an issue at the time.

[@orthohawk1026]

Mine shocked me as well: family tree is chock full of all these German names (on both sides, but more on mom's), and my DNA came back as 83% British (also from both sides, but more on Dad's), barely any German, and the big surprise was 8% Italian. There are a couple lines that stop 3 or 4 generations back, so I figure that's where the Italian comes from.

[@sunnydaysatl]

Mahalia Jackson is my great cousin- wish I could sing like her. Everyone says we look a like I’m just smaller.

[@d.r.3362]

I loved Mahalia Jackson since I was very young, first becoming aware of her when she opened the day's tv broadcast. Couldn't wait to hear her, even then realizing her power and emotion. With tv now being 24/7 it's hard to believe that there was once a time when tv signed off at night and didn't come back on until morning.

[@lindam9618]

I wish you could sing like her, too! 😊

[@nrsimmons178]

One of the most profound scenes in the movie Imitation of Life is her singing "Troubles of the World" at Annie's funeral, and I bawl each time I watch it, without fail! Awesome, epic voice! 🥰

[@lisanandez]

I have been trying to do the family history since 1977. I have hit so many brick walls and got so discouraged over the years. I traced my father's side back to the 1500's. My mother's side is a box of jigsaw puzzle pieces that do not make a complete picture. I love watching these episodes and this one in particular, made me cry tears of joy. I LOVED the surprised and genuine reactions of each and every one of you.

[@fooglies]

What's crazy is you can actually tell most of them actually have similar facial features, despite being distant relatives.

[@Conmezzo]

One of my favorites was Cory Booker and Ru Paul.

[@teenchy]

That, and Roy Wood Jr. and John Lewis.

[@BenChurchill76]

I love this show!! And, the "surprise" cousins at the end are always amazing.

[@edithbannerman4]

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

[@oceanrock733]

I share two Mayflower passenger ancestors with John Lithgow, so maybe I also share DNA with Dr. Gates. Incredible!

[@connietreloar2102]

My husband is descended from John and Pricilla Alden.

[@brainlock72]

My Mayflower ancestors didn’t survive the first winter.