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 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
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Corporate support for Season 11 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is provided by Gilead Sciences, Inc., Ancestry® and Johnson & Johnson. Major support is provided by…MORE
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FINDING YOUR ROOTS
Season 11 Episode 8 | 52m 10s
Video has Closed Captions
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Debra Messing & Melanie Lynskey to ancestors who made bold decisions that forever reshaped their family trees. Moving from shtetls in Eastern Europe to a fruit stand in NY City to the wilds of New Zealand, Gates introduces his guests to relatives who took great risks, overcame enormous hardships—and unwittingly transformed the lives of their descendants.
Aired 02/25/2025 | Rating TV-PG
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