Debra Messing Makes ‘Mind-Blowing’ Discovery About Famous Relative as Melanie Lynskey Learns a Musician Is a Distant Cousin
Both the actresses were shocked to learn the famous faces they’re related to on ‘Finding Your Roots’
DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY; COREY NICKOLS/GETTY
Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey’s family trees just expanded to include some surprising familiar faces.
On the Feb. 25 episode of Finding Your Roots, the two actresses learned that they each have distant famous cousins, who had previously appeared on the show with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Lynksey learned she is related to Questlove, who Gates informed her is “18% European.”
“He’s your DNA cousin,” he told the Yellowjackets star. “Your father and Questlove, as well as Questlove’s mother, share a long identical segment of DNA on your 15th chromosome.”
STEVE GRANITZ/FILMMAGIC; DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY
“I am very excited,” Lynskey said, before asking Gates, “How surprised were you when this was the outcome?” Gates said he “couldn’t believe it,” and Lynskey called it “so amazing.”
“He’s such a sweet guy,” she said of Questlove. “That’s incredible.”
Messing also learned of a surprising relative of her own to close out the episode: Bernie Sanders.
“What! Are you kidding me? Bernie Sanders?” she said after learning the Vermont senator is her DNA cousin. “No way! Oh my gosh… That is mind-blowing.”
ARTURO HOLMES/GETTY; NATHAN CONGLETON/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY
Messing and Lynskey are the latest in a string of stars who have been totally surprised by who they’re related to.
Some other standout distant relatives include Michael Douglas and Scarlett Johansson, Bob Odenkirk and King Charles, Ciara and Derek Jeter and Lena Dunham and Larry David.
Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria also learned of their connection from Gates in his 2010 docuseries Faces of America, which revealed that they are distant cousins.
Now, the actresses often refer to each other as “cousin,” Longoria said, which can cause some confusion. At the table read for season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, for example, when Streep introduced the actress as her cousin, everyone was “so confused.”
“Because I’m the most Latina person in the industry and she’s Meryl Streep,” Longoria told DuJour.
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Finding Your Roots airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.
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Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey make eye-opening discoveries that they’re related to other stars
By BRIAN MARKS FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 04:15 GMT, 26 February 2025 | UPDATED: 04:59 GMT, 26 February 2025
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Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey were shocked to discover they had famous — if distant — relatives on Tuesday’s episode of Finding Your Roots.
Debra, 56, learned that she was related to a famous American politician and former presidential candidate, while Melanie, 47, was ecstatic after finding out that she shared a small connection to an influential musician.
In fact, both distant cousins had previously appeared on the PBS series, the host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., revealed.
Toward the end of the episode, Debra was aghast to learn that she is related to Vermont’s independent United States senator, Bernie Sanders.
The 83-year-old politician, who is the longest serving independent in congressional history, previously ran for president in the 2016 and 2020 cycles while seeking the Democratic nomination.
‘What! Are you kidding me? Bernie Sanders?’ Debra reacted after learning that she shared some key portions of her DNA with the senator, via People. ‘No way! Oh my gosh… That is mind-blowing.’
Debra Messing, 56, and Melanie Lynskey, 47, were shocked to discover they had famous relatives on Tuesday’s episode of Finding Your Roots. Debra learned she was related to a famous US politician, while Melanie found out that she was related to a popular musician
Sanders has lately been on a national ‘Fight Oligarchy’ tour in which he visits districts that were only narrowly won by Republicans to urge their constituents to voice their outrage at proposed cuts to Medicaid and other public services.
He has also warned against the increasing influence of billionaires on government, including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos.
Melanie sounded even more excited earlier in the episode when she learned that the Roots dummer Questlove was her distant cousin.
‘He’s your DNA cousin,’ Gates revealed, explaining that the record producer has about ’18 percent European’ DNA.
‘Your father and Questlove, as well as Questlove’s mother, share a long identical segment of DNA on your 15th chromosome,’ he continued.
‘I am very excited,’ the Yellowjackets star gushed after hearing the news, before asking Gates ‘how surprised’ he was by her results, which she said were ‘so amazing.’
Gates admitted that he ‘couldn’t believe it’ when he learned of her connection to Questlove (real name: Ahmir Thompson).
‘He’s such a sweet guy,’ Melanie said of the longtime Tonight Show drummer. ‘That’s incredible.’
Debra was aghast to learn she’s related to Vermont’s independent US senator, Bernie Sanders. The 83-year-old politician ran for president in the 2016 and 2020 cycles for the Democratic nomination; pictured August 20 in Chicago
Sanders has lately been on a national ‘Fight Oligarchy’ tour in which he visits districts narrowly won by Republicans to urge constituents to voice their outrage at proposed cuts to Medicaid and other public services; seen February 12 in Washington, DC
‘What! Are you kidding me? Bernie Sanders?’ Debra reacted, via People. ‘No way! Oh my gosh… That is mind-blowing’; seen in April 2024 in NYC
Melanie sounded even more excited earlier in the episode when she learned that the Roots dummer Questlove was her distant cousin. ‘He’s such a sweet guy,’ Melanie said of the longtime Tonight Show drummer. ‘That’s incredible’
Sandes appeared on Finding Your Roots in 2017 and learned that he was related to Larry David (R), who had impersonated him on Saturday Night Live in the 2016 election cycle; seen on the Today Show with Al Roker (center)
Questlove appeared on the same season and was shocked to learn he’s descended from the last-known group of enslaved people who were transported to the US from Ghana on the Clotilda in 1860, eventually landing near Mobile, Alabama; seen in 2019 in Indio, Calif.
The two may have even had a chance to commiserate about the discovery after the episode was filmed, as both attended the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday.
Sanders appeared on Finding Your Roots back in 2017, when he learned that he and Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David are distant cousins, which delighted fans, as the comedian had been a guest on Saturday Night Live to play the comedian throughout the 2016 — and, later, 2020 — presidential elections.
Questlove appeared on the same season. He was shocked when Gates revealed that he is descended from the last-known group of enslaved people who were transported to the United States from Ghana, eventually landing near Mobile, Alabama.
The DNA testing indicated that his ancestors were part of a group of 100 slaves who were shipped on the schooner Clotilda (often misspelled as Clotilde) in 1860.
‘I’m not over-acting,’ an astounded Questlove said after hearing the news. ‘I’m at a loss for words.’
He said he was ‘overwhelmed’ because he never knew who he was, ‘I mean, until an hour ago.’
Finding Your Roots airs on Tuesdays on PBS at 8 p.m. ET.
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Debra Messing Makes ‘Mind-Blowing’ Discovery About Famous Relative as Melanie Lynskey Learns a Musician Is a Distant Cousin
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty; Corey Nickols/Getty
Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey’s family trees just expanded to include some surprising familiar faces.
On the Feb. 25 episode of Finding Your Roots, the two actresses learned that they each have distant famous cousins, who had previously appeared on the show with Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Lynksey learned she is related to Questlove, who Gates informed her is “18% European.”
“He’s your DNA cousin,” he told the Yellowjackets star. “Your father and Questlove, as well as Questlove’s mother, share a long identical segment of DNA on your 15th chromosome.”
Related: Sharon Stone’s ‘Mind Is Completely Blown’ After Learning Her Relative Is ‘One of the Most Important People in History’ (Exclusive)
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
“I am very excited,” Lynskey said, before asking Gates, “How surprised were you when this was the outcome?” Gates said he “couldn’t believe it,” and Lynskey called it “so amazing.”
“He’s such a sweet guy,” she said of Questlove. “That’s incredible.”
Messing also learned of a surprising relative of her own to close out the episode: Bernie Sanders.
“What! Are you kidding me? Bernie Sanders?” she said after learning the Vermont senator is her DNA cousin. “No way! Oh my gosh… That is mind-blowing.”
Arturo Holmes/Getty; Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Messing and Lynskey are the latest in a string of stars who have been totally surprised by who they’re related to.
Some other standout distant relatives include Michael Douglas and Scarlett Johansson, Bob Odenkirk and King Charles, Ciara and Derek Jeter and Lena Dunham and Larry David.
Related: The View’s Ana Navarro Hugs ‘Cousin’ Amy Schumer After Learning They Share an ‘Unbroken DNA Thread’
Meryl Streep and Eva Longoria also learned of their connection from Gates in his 2010 docuseries Faces of America, which revealed that they are distant cousins.
Now, the actresses often refer to each other as “cousin,” Longoria said, which can cause some confusion. At the table read for season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, for example, when Streep introduced the actress as her cousin, everyone was “so confused.”
“Because I’m the most Latina person in the industry and she’s Meryl Streep,” Longoria told DuJour.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Finding Your Roots airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.
Read the original article on People
