Actors you never knew were related

Much like the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, everyone is related in Hollywood. Well, not everyone, but some people. There are the obvious ones, of course, like Liza Minnelli being the daughter of Judy Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, and the acting dynasties like the Redgraves, the Sheens, the Baldwins, the Bridges and the Fondas. But who else is related to who?

Katherine Moennig & Gwyneth Paltrow

Fans of lesbian drama 'The L Word' will be fully up to speed with Katherine Moennig, who played Shane McCutcheon for 70 episodes, as well as turning up in 'CSI: Miami', 'Law & Order', 'Dexter' and 'Dawson's Creek' spin-off 'Young Americans'. But she is also the cousin of Gwyneth Paltrow and her director brother Jake. Paltrow, meanwhile, is daugher of director Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, of 'Meet The Parents' fame.

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Brooke Shields & Glenn Close

'Fatal Attraction' bunny boiler Glenn Close comes from some illustrious lineage. Her father was William Taliaferro Close, a doctor who was the personal physician to the president of Zaire Mobutu Sese Seko, and who stemmed the outbreak of Ebola in the country in 1976. He was also one of the Virginia Taliaferros, a most prominent American dynasty dating back to 17th century settlers. But better than all that, Close is second cousin to, erm, Brooke Shields.

Nicolas Cage & Jason Schwartzman

Nicolas Cage's real name, as you may know, is Nicolas Kim Coppola, making him Hollywood royalty. But to shake off the nepotism, he changed his name to Cage. Nevertheless, he's still nephew to director Francis Ford Coppola and cousin to Roman and Sofia Coppola. But less well known, he is also cousin to hipster-actor-par-excellence Jason Schwartzman.

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Tom Cruise & William Mapother

Remember that creepy guy Ethan from 'Lost'? He was one of 'The Others' and was a bit creepy? Well guess who his cousin is... that's right! Tom Cruise. Cruise's proper full name is in fact Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, which as well as sounding incredibly posh also links him to the Mapothers, descended from Welsh immigrants. William has appeared in five films with Cruise; 'Minority Report', 'Vanilla Sky', 'Mission Impossible II', 'Born on the Fourth of July' and 'Magnolia'.

Melissa McCarthy & Jenny McCarthy

Jenny McCarthy made her name in the nude, appearing in 'Playboy' back in 1993, and then going on to win the coveted title of Playmate of the Year. She went on to become an actress, just like her cousin Melissa McCarthy, who, since her turn in 'Bridesmaids', has emerged as one of the hottest comedy properties in Hollywood.

Macaulay Culkin & Bonnie Bedelia

As a child star, it was lucky for wee Macaulay Culkin that his aunty was also in the business. Step forward Bonnie Bedelia, or Bonnie Bedelia Culkin being her full name. You may know her better, however, as Holly McClane, long-suffering wife of maverick, shoeless, string-vest wearing, yippee-cay-yaying New York policeman John McClane in 'Die Hard' and 'Die Hard 2'.

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Richard Belzer & Henry Winkler

Richard Belzer has many strings to his bow. As well as being a stand-up comedian, author and an actor, he's also the cousin of Henry 'Arthur Fonzarelli' Winkler. Belzer is probably best known for playing Sergeant John Munch in the superior cop procedural 'Homicide: Life on the Street', based on the memoir by David Simon, creator of the spectacular drama series 'The Wire'.

Jason Patric & Jason Miller & Jackie Gleason

We've loved Jason Patric since 'The Lost Boys', which was only his second film. His brooding dangerousness is most underused. But then acting does run in the family. His father was Jason Miller, who played Father Damien Karras in 'The Exorcist'. He scored an Oscar nomination for that role, and later won a Pulitzer for writing the play 'That Champion Season'. Better still, Patric's grandfather was the late, great Jackie Gleason, who, depending how old you are, you will recall from 'The Jackie Gleason Show' in the 50s or 'Smokey And The Bandit' in the 80s.

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Martha Plimpton & The Carradines

Most will recall Martha Plimpton from 'The Goonies', in which she played spunky teenager Stef, the one who gives Corey Feldman a big cuddle at the end. What is less well known is that she's part of the Carradine acting dynasty. She's the daughter of 'Deadwood' and 'Dexter's Keith Carradine, her granddad was western legend John Carradine, and her uncle was the late David Carradine, star of 'Kung Fu' and 'Kill Bill'.

Sissy Spacek & Rip Torn

'Badlands' and 'Carrie' star Sissy Spacek graduated from high school with dreams of becoming a singer. So off she went from her home in Texas to New York to seek her fortune, where she stayed with her cousin, Elmore Rual Torn, better known as Rip Torn, the comedy genius who played Artie in 'The Larry Sanders Show' and, latterly, Patches O'Houlihan in 'Dodgeball'.