Dakota Fanning, Kate Middleton, And Other Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Related

Hollywood seems like such a big place, but in reality it’s actually much smaller than it seems. Many of today’s top stars share familial connections to other famous people. From Gwyneth Paltrow to Kate Middleton, there are some interesting connections.

Ralph Macchio wearing a dark suit on the red carpet in one photo. In the photo on the right, Melissa — (Getty Images)

Ralph Macchio + Melissa Gorga

Long before her antics made her a star on Real Housewives of New Jersey, Melissa Gorga had another claim to fame. The Karate Kid himself, Ralph Macchio is Gorga’s cousin. A distant cousin, that is. Gorga never actually met Macchio, she confessed to the Huffington Post.

A photo of Elle, in red, standing with Dakota Fanning, in black. A separate photo of Kate Middleton — (Getty Images)

Dakota and Elle Fanning + Kate Middleton

Elle Fanning has played two famous royal characters: Princess Aurora in Maleficent and Catherine the Great in Hulu’s original series The Great. In real life, Elle, and her older sister, Dakota Fanning, have a distant connection to a modern day royal family member. The Fanning sisters are descended from King Edward III of England, as is Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton. Middleton’s mother is also a distant granddaughter of King Edward, which makes Dakota and Elle Fanning Middleton’s 21st cousins.

Two separate photos of Jenny McCarthy and Melissa McCarthy, both featuring the women wearing white — (Getty Images)

Jenny McCarthy + Melissa McCarthy

Though they share the same last name, and both ladies have a wicked sense of humor, not many people know that Melissa McCarthy and Jenny McCarthy are cousins. In fact, the radio host once got her cousin a job on set to help her get started. “When she was starting out, I was fortunate enough to be in a position to get her a job on a show I was doing, to learn the ropes and get some experience on a TV set in front of the camera and behind the scenes,” Jenny told People.

On the left, a photo of Rob Schneider wearing a hat and glasses. On the right, a photo of Elle King — (Getty Images)

Elle King + Rob Schneider

“Ex’s & Oh’s” singer Elle King is famous for her raspy voice, but many don’t know that her famed moniker is actually a stage name. Tanner Elle Schneider is her given name, and comedian Rob Schneider is her father and London King is her mother.

Phill Collins, who's wearing a dark jacket and scarf, standing with Lily Collins, who's wearing a bl — (Getty Images)

Phil Collins + Lily Collins

Actress Lily Collins also comes from famous roots. Her father is Phil Collins, the legendary British musician. Talent clearly runs true in that family.

James and Josh Brolin on either side of Barbra Streisand on the red carpet. — (Getty Images)

Barbra Streisand + Josh Brolin

Surprisingly enough, Barbra Streisand is Thanos actor Josh Brolin’s stepmother. Streisand tied the knot with Josh’s father, James, in 1998. Now Streisand takes great pride in being a grandmother to Josh’s three kids.

A photo of Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a floral dress on the red carpet. A separate photo of Kate Moenni — (Getty Images)

Gwyneth Paltrow + Kate Moennig

Gwyneth Paltrow isn’t the only famous actress in her family. Her cousin is Kate Moennig of The L Word and Ray Donovan fame. The two actresses don’t exactly look alike, so most people don’t make the connection. Besides, as Moennig explained during an interview with the Observer, the cousins are totally different people.

Photo on the left is of Bianca Lawson. On the right, Solange and Beyonce Knowles embrace. — (Getty Images)

Bianca Lawson + Beyonce and Solange

Beyonce Knowles-Carter and her sister, Solange, have a third, talented sister in their family. Actress Bianca Lawson, daughter of Richard Lawson, found herself with two new world-famous stepsisters after her father married their mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson.