Top 10 Celebrities Who AREN'T Related But You Thought They Were

Actors James and Jason Marsden almost simultaneously grew from teen TV idols to versatile genre stars. Their brunet, boyish good looks didn't exactly hurt. It's hard to believe that there's no blood relation between “X-Men”’s Cyclops and the voice of several animated superheroes. James actually hails Oklahoma, and Jason all the way from Rhode Island. But there is a popular rumor that the two Marsdens are good friends. It's even been said that their respective ex-wives grew up together in Nashville. While we can't be entirely sure that James and Jason Marsden are bros, there's nothing to the rumor that they're biological ones.

The name Perlman is feared by many, albeit in a lighthearted way. Rhea Perlman is a comedy icon known for playing lovable cranks like Carla Tortelli on “Cheers”. Fellow New Yorker Ron Perlman has himself built a sterling career on intimidating roles in dramas and thrillers. But despite these similar profiles, and even similarities in their unique bone structures, they are not related! The Peacock series “Poker Face” actually spoofed this coincidence by having the Perlmans play rival gangsters. Even then, they didn’t share a scene. Whether Rhea and Ron crossed paths growing up in the Big Apple, or since leaving, they’ve left equally chilling marks on different genres.

At least one Ritter family has deep roots in the entertainment industry. Seminal country singer Tex Ritter’s son John was a beloved actor. So too are his own sons Jason and Tyler. It's easy to assume that actress Krysten Ritter fits somewhere in this proud dynasty, until you look more closely. The Pennsylvania native’s appearance and mannerisms are starkly different from those of the high-profile California clan. Never mind that her work tends to be much heavier than the sitcom “Three’s Company”. Nonetheless, there's a surprising amount of public confusion over who exactly is carrying on John Ritter’s legacy. Hey, there is worse company for Krysten to be associated with.

High praise followed Christopher Plummer throughout his long acting career. And his only child Amanda has lived up to that reputation. But she does not have children, despite what you may think when you see the young phenom Charlie Plummer. Audiences were further misled when he starred in “All the Money in the World” as the grandson of J. Paul Getty, played by Christopher. The fired Kevin Spacey’s scenes were reshot suspiciously quickly. Christopher’s casting may not have been a coincidence, but the mutual surname was. Charlie does admittedly owe his head for show business to a writer-producer father and actress mother. They just don’t go as far back as the other Plummer family.

There isn’t just a misconception that Oscar-winning actors Diane and Michael Keaton are related. Neither of them is a Keaton! Diane adopted her mother’s maiden name because there was already a Diane Hall when she joined the Actors’ Equity Association. Woody Allen referenced her real surname when writing the title role of “Annie Hall”. Meanwhile, Michael Douglas had to distinguish himself from both a movie star and a veteran entertainer. He asserts that he chose the name Keaton at random, with no intention of riding the contemporary actress’ stardom. False familial impressions likely didn’t factor into the success of these great talents. Michael’s songwriter son Sean is certainly making a name for himself by remaining a Douglas.

The Oscar-winning Ned and Warren Beatty were major movie stars around the same time. In fact, they were born in the same year. If you’re familiar with that hole in the brother theory, you may know the truth about Warren’s surname. It’s actually Beaty with one “t”, repeated to help the public with proper pronunciation. They may also be interested to know that his big sister is Shirley MacLean, who dropped the Beaty altogether. But the late, great Ned did embrace the confusion by regularly joking that he was Warren’s “illegitimate uncle”. At least he did his legal family name justice. Contrary to popular belief, Warren doesn’t even share it.

From “Welcome to the Dollhouse” and “Now and Again”, actress Heather Matarazzo mastered subversive genre fare in her teens. Never mind the nostalgia points in playing Lilly in the “Princess Diaries” movies. Gaten Matarazzo followed such a path when he broke out on Netflix’s “Stranger Things” a generation later. Many figured it was a case of “like mother, like son”. But despite their obscure surname, tastes and even eye shape, these former teen idols are not related. They both had to publicly clear up this confusion as it went viral. After all, cursory research wouldn't offer much clarification. Gaten’s mother… is also named Heather! Things don't get much stranger than these coincidences.

Actor Danny Glover has long been a force across all genres and in greater pop culture. Donald Glover later found humble beginnings as a comedian known for his pop culture savviness. Still, some suggested that the Georgia native’s underdog story was really nepotism. Both Glovers have been quiet about these false rumors through the years. However, Donald did humorously allude to them when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 2018. He has clearly achieved his own genre-bending stardom, along with his screenwriter brother Stephen. More importantly, they did it without even humoring the notion that Danny directly helped in any way.

Robert and Shelley Duvall were both revered actors, with long careers separated by almost two decades. The former would’ve had to have been young for the latter to be his child, had he had any at all. At first glance of that and appearance, one can reasonably assume that the shared surname is just a coincidence. Still, the rumor that the two Duvalls are related has only gained momentum through the years. Public interest saw a particular resurgence following Shelley’s death in 2024. It’s a testament to how rumors about celebrities can sustain or even expand through the years. Robert and Shelley may be synonymous with the name Duvall, but not a mutual family.

Katharine and Audrey Hepburn are two of the biggest icons in Hollywood history, though their careers were very different. There was a drastic separation in brand, appearance and age. Never mind that Katharine was American and Audrey was British. And yet, even at the time, some mistook them for sisters. In fact, Audrey’s aristocratic surname was Hepburn-Ruston, as her father made his own false family connection to Scottish nobleman James Hepburn. The actresses admittedly carried themselves similarly as social elites and uniquely strong-willed leading ladies. There weren’t many allowed in Old Hollywood, let alone two with the same name. The Hepburns may not have shared blood, but they share a towering legacy in their industry.

What are your favorite celebrity bonds, familial or coincidental? Connect with us in the comments.