# Bizarre Celebrity Relatives
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [October 26, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009 "2002-10-26T18:53:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/1 "2002-10-26T18:53:17Z")
There sure are some wacky unexpected celebrity relatives out there, for example did you know that Nicholas Cage is Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew?
A wacky one I just found out is that actress Sherilyn Fenn _(Twin Peaks)_ is singer Suzi Quatro’s niece!
Any others out there that you know of???
😕
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/2 "2002-10-26T19:41:46Z")
[Bonnie Bedelia](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Bedelia,+Bonnie) is Macaulay Culkin’s (as well as the other little Culkins’) aunt.
[Mariska Hargitay](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Hargitay,+Mariska) of _Law & Order: Special Victims Unit_ (though she will always be Cynthia from _ER_ to me) is Jayne Mansfield’s daughter, and was one of the people in the car when her mother died.
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### Author:  [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/3 "2002-10-26T19:49:39Z")
Take a look at Nicolas Cage’s IMDB entry, he has a zillion show business connections: He is also a nephew of Talia Shire (Adrian from the Rocky movies) and is married to Michael Jackson’s ex, Lisa Marie Presley, so he is Elvis’ son in law! He also used to be married to one of the Arquettes.
Mariska Hargitay and I share the same birthday, although different years (not that far off, though).
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### Author:  [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/4 "2002-10-26T20:46:34Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \*
> \*\*Mariska Hargitay and I share the same birthday, although different years (not that far off, though). \*\*
Wow! I just found out I share Sherilyn Fenn’s birthday!
:eek:
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### Author:  [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/5 "2002-10-26T20:49:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by LolaCocaCola \*
> \*\*
>
> Wow! I just found out I share Sherilyn Fenn’s birthday!
>
> :eek: \*\*
Weird! What are the odds?
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### Author:  [@Minor\_Irritant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minor_Irritant)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/6 "2002-10-26T21:05:36Z")
The one I could never wrap my mind around is the fact that Albert Brooks is Super Dave Osbourne’s brother.
And Talia Shire’s the mother of the kid (Jason Schwartzman, I think) from _Rushmore_, too.
Rae Dawn Chong, from _Commando_ is the daughter of professional pothead Tommy Chong.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/7 "2002-10-26T21:18:35Z")
Just so we don’t all start tripping over ourselves with Talia Shire references, let me post this link:
[http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Shire,+Talia](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Shire,+Talia)
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### Author:  [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/8 "2002-10-26T21:35:22Z")
Anne Murray (obscure Canadian singer) is sister to Gordon Lightfoot (ditto). Mary Martin (the original Peter Pan) is Mother to J.R. (Larry Hagman) of “Dallas” fame. James Arness (Matt Dillon/Gunsmoke) is brother to Peter Graves (Mission Impossible TV series, etc.). David Letterman has a Mom from Indianapolis!
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### Author:  [@Slainte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slainte)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/9 "2002-10-26T21:57:50Z")
Warren Beatty is the brother of Shirley MacLaine.
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### Author:  [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/10 "2002-10-26T22:34:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by japatlgt \*
> **Anne Murray (obscure Canadian singer) is sister to Gordon Lightfoot (ditto).**
Um, where did you hear this? Murray is from Nova Scotia and grew up with five brothers, none named Gordon:
[http://www.annemurray.com/pages/story.htm](http://www.annemurray.com/pages/story.htm)
Lightfoot is an Ontario native. A Google search turned up no references to siblings, so I’m speculating that the performer of such classics as “Carefree Highway” and “Sundown” is an only child.
Obscurity is obviously in the eye of the beholder, but both Lightfoot and Murray have been inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and Canadian Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Gordon and Anne were also both fixtures on USA charts in the 1970’s.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/11 "2002-10-26T23:37:15Z")
Kurt Vonnegut used to be Geraldo Rivera’s father-in-law.
Sissy Spacek is either the niece or the cousin of Rip Torn.
Rip Torn was married to Geraldine Page.
Ethel Merman was married to Ernest Borgnine.
Clark Gable and Loretta Young had a daughter together.
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### Author:  [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/12 "2002-10-27T00:59:47Z")
Norah Jones is Ravi Shankar’s daughter.
Nana Visitor and Alexander Siddig (Formerly Siddig el Fidel) from _Star Trek: Deep Space Nine_ had a child together.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/13 "2002-10-27T01:07:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by japatlgt \*
> \*\*Anne Murray (obscure Canadian singer) is sister to Gordon Lightfoot (ditto). \*\*
Oh yuck! I hate Anne Murray! I think Gordon should shove her down on the _Fitz_!
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### Author:  [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/14 "2002-10-27T01:17:03Z")
Jenny McCarthy is married to John Asher, who is the son of Joyce Bulifant, a regular on “Match Game” (and mother of the sick girl in “Airplane”) and William Asher who was the creator of “Bewitched” and was married (before Bulifant) to Elizabeth Montgomery.
Jenna “Dharma” Elfman’s husband Bodhi is the nephew of musical genius Danny Elfman.
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### Author:  [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/15 "2002-10-27T01:18:26Z")
Richard Wagner was Franz Liszt’s son-in-law.
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### Author:  [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/16 "2002-10-27T02:50:48Z")
You mean Franz Liszt, the well-known Hollywood composer???
George Clooney’s aunt was Rosemary Clooney.
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### Author:  [@ninevah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ninevah)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2002, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/17 "2002-10-27T08:34:33Z")
And Cyd Charisse is also Nana Visitor’s aunt.
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/18 "2003-02-16T16:58:08Z")
Anne Ramsey’s father-in-law, Lt. Commander Logan Ramsey, was stationed in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. He was one of the first ones to radio in about incoming aircraft. (She was married to his son, actor Logan Ramsey, a character actor specializing in redneckish roles.)
Wally George was mentioned in a recent thread in MPSIMS or IMHO. He is the bio-dad of Rebecca DeMornay.
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### Author:  [@SadTomato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SadTomato)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/19 "2003-02-16T17:21:27Z")
Jeanette MacDonald, MGM singing star from the '40s, was the sister of Blossom Rock, “Grandmama” on **The Addams Family**.
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### Author:  [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2003, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-celebrity-relatives/134009/20 "2003-02-16T17:30:27Z")
William Mapother is Tom Cruise’s cousin. William is not that well known, although he did a great job as the evil husband in In The Bedroom. Tom puts him in a lot of his films, so no matter what you think of him, he is good to his cousin.
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