# Celebs with relatives in a different line of work but also well known
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 1, 2021, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319 "2021-12-01T21:19:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/21 "2021-12-01T22:38:32Z")
Bernie Sanders and Larry David are distant (maybe third?) cousins, which they didn’t know until they appeared on _Finding Your Roots._
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### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/22 "2021-12-01T22:41:36Z")
Actor/writer David Hornsby (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mythic Quest) and musician Bruce Hornsby are cousins.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/23 "2021-12-01T23:08:32Z")
This one is fairly well-known, but Mike Nesmith (Monkees guitarist and music video pioneer) is the son of Bette Nesmith Graham, a secretary who invented Liquid Paper and built it into a successful company.
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### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/24 "2021-12-01T23:11:01Z")
Singer Carly Simon’s dad is the Simon from publisher Simon & Schuster.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/25 "2021-12-01T23:14:19Z")
> [@solost](#):
>
> Paul McCartney’s daughter Stella made a pretty good name for herself in fashion design.
Similarly, Ralph Lauren’s daughter Dylan has a [chain of candy stores](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan%27s_Candy_Bar). Honestly, in both cases, having a wealthy father must have helped.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/26 "2021-12-01T23:17:43Z")
Markie Post, from Night Court, was the daughter of [Richard Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Post), a fairly well-known physicist. He taught a graduate class in electromagnetism I took. Great guy.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/27 "2021-12-01T23:23:18Z")
The actor Justin Theroux is the nephew of the novelist Paul Theroux, who is the father of the documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux, with various other prominent people in the family.
(Honestly, imagine being in a high-achieving family like this and having no ambition or ability or just being a fuck-up.)
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/28 "2021-12-01T23:28:47Z")
Elon Musk’s mother, Maye, is a successful fashion model.
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### Author:  [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2021, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/29 "2021-12-01T23:43:55Z")
Brad Pitt’s brother, Doug, is apparently a renowned philanthropist.
> **[Doug Pitt | Philanthropist, Businessman](http://www.dougpitt.org/)**
>
> Doug Pitt is a businessman and philanthropist whose many causes include Care To Learn and acting as the Goodwill Ambassador to Tanzania.
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### Author:  [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/30 "2021-12-02T00:02:58Z")
FedEx founder Fred Smith’s son Arthur is the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/31 "2021-12-02T00:23:05Z")
Screenwriter, author (of World War Z) and voice actor Max Brooks is the son of Mel Brooks.
Author Kurt Vonnegut’s brother Bernard was a renown weather scientist who discovered that silver iodide could be used to seed clouds and produce rain if conditions were right
Brother of Isaac Asimov, Stanley Asimov was a noted journalist who worked for and helped produce Newsday.
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### Author:  [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/32 "2021-12-02T00:23:39Z")
Author David Sedaris, his sister: actress Amy Sedaris
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### Author:  [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/33 "2021-12-02T00:28:50Z")
> [@74westy](#):
>
> Leslie Nielsen’s brother Erik was a Canadian member of parliament, cabinet minister and deputy prime minister.
Continuing in a “north of the 49th” theme, Kiefer Sutherland’s maternal grandfather was Tommy Douglas, former premier of Saskatchewan, and the main political figure behind Canada’s universal health care system
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### Author:  [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/34 "2021-12-02T00:34:21Z")
Woody Harrelson: actor. His father Charles was a mob hitman.
> **[Charles Harrelson](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Harrelson)**
>
> Pages for logged out editors learn more
>
> Charles Voyde Harrelson (July 23, 1938 – March 15, 2007) was an American hitman and organized crime figure who was convicted of assassinating federal judge John H. Wood Jr., the first federal judge to be assassinated in the 20th century. Charles Harrelson was the father of actors Brett and Woody Harrelson.
> Charles Harrelson was born on July 23rd, 1938, in Lovelady, Texas, the son of Alma Lee (née Sparks; 1907–2002) and Voyde Harrelson (1901–1976)...
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### Author:  [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/35 "2021-12-02T00:43:55Z")
Beat generation SF author William S. Burroughs is the grandson of the Burroughs Adding Machine company founder, William Seward Burroughs.
Author Larry Niven is the descendant of the oil magnate Edward Laurence Doheny - the person whose life “There Will Be Blood” is loosely based on. Doheny was also a key player in the Teapot Dome scandal - he was acquitted of bribing an official (who was convicted of taking a bribe - who said the law is logical).
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/36 "2021-12-02T00:51:52Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#):
>
> Brother of Isaac Asimov, Stanley Asimov was a noted journalist who worked for and helped produce Newsday.
Also, Stanley Asimov’s daughter Nanette Asimov (and Isaac’s niece) is a longtime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.
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### Author:  [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/37 "2021-12-02T00:57:54Z")
The Wikipedia page for Justin Theroux, mentioned by @Dewey_Finn above, shows links to 7 relatives of his who are prominent enough to have their own Wikipedia pages. The page for Cary Elwes shows 15: [Cary Elwes - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cary_Elwes)
Most of them were famous in their own time but not today; maybe the most recognizable name is his stepfather Elliot Kastner. Still, it makes me wonder how many other people who aren’t royalty or Kennedys would have that many Wikipedia connections. Cary Elwes’s connections include 2 of his siblings, his father and paternal grandfather (who were both painters) and great grandfather (a diplomat) several great uncles (all clerics) his mother, stepfather, and maternal great-grandfathers.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/38 "2021-12-02T01:05:00Z")
Bruce Springsteens daughter won a silver medal in 2021 Olympics in Equestrian
Bret Hedican won a Stanley Cup and his wife Kristi Yamaguchi won a gold medal in figure skating. And she also won dancing with the stars
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### Author:  [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/39 "2021-12-02T01:14:15Z")
> [@suranyi](#):
>
> Also, Stanley Asimov’s daughter Nanette Asimov (and Isaac’s niece) is a longtime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle.
And his son Eric is the chief wine critic for the New York Times.
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### Author:  [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)
#### Post date: [December 2, 2021, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebs-with-relatives-in-a-different-line-of-work-but-also-well-known/955319/40 "2021-12-02T01:18:17Z")
Wallace Shawn is the son of longtime _New Yorker_ editor William Shawn.
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