Random Celebrities Whose Ancestors Made History (13 items)

(#10) Cary Elwes
- 60
One of British-born actor Cary Elwes's ancestors is John Elwes, who some claim was Charles Dickens's inspiration for the character Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol.

Despite inheriting mountains of wealth and becoming a Member of Parliament, John Elwes didn't like spending money: He routinely wore through clothes and didn't want to pay the upkeep for his home. His frugality was so well known that contemporaries even called him "the celebrated miser."

Charles Dickens gave John Elwes a new name - he reportedly came up with the name "Ebenezer Scrooge" after stumbling across a headstone for "Ebenezer Scroggie" in Edinburgh - and one of the most well-known Christmastime characters was born.
(#4) Edward Norton
- 54
Actor Edward Norton is known for his award-winning roles in films including Primal Fear, The Incredible Hulk, American History X, Fight Club, Birdman, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Norton, who has received three Oscar nominations, grew up with a family rumor that he was related to Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, a Native American chief who ruled in the 17th century in the area claimed by colonists near Jamestown, VA. She was captured as a teenager by English settlers, then married farmer John Rolfe, who took her to England. Pocahontas perished in 1617. Many legends have surrounded her role in American history.
In an episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS that aired in January 2023 (the show explores celebrities' ancestors), Norton learned that Pocahontas and Rolfe were indeed his 12th great-grandmother and great-grandfather. Host Henry Louis Gates Jr. told Norton he traced the ancestry via the couple's 1614 marriage certificate. "You have a direct paper trail," Gates said.
“It just makes you realize what a small… piece of the whole human story you are,” Norton said.
(#5) Rose Leslie
- 36
Many children dream of living in a castle - but actor Rose Leslie actually got to do it. The Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones star grew up at Lickleyhead Castle, her family's 16th-century Scottish home.

Through both her father - who is the head of Clan Leslie - and mother, Leslie claims significant historical figures as kin. Like her husband Kit Harington, Rose Leslie counts King Charles II as an ancestor.

Charles, a lover of the theater, indirectly enabled Leslie's career: It was during Charles's reign beginning in the 1660s that it became legal for women to professionally act.
(#12) Riz Ahmed
- 40
London-born actor and rapper Riz Ahmed has deep roots in South Asia, since both his parents immigrated from Pakistan.

Among Ahmed's ancestors is Sir Shah Muhammah Sulaiman. As Ahmed described him, Sulaiman was "the first Indian judge appointed by the British in Uttar Pradesh." In other words, Sulaiman was a trailblazer in colonial India.

Like Ahmed, Sulaiman had multiple talents. In addition to his successful legal career, he was a mathematician and education advocate.
(#3) Rashida Jones
- 47
Actor Rashida Jones claims descent from 20th-century immigrants on her mother Peggy Lipton's side and a line of American and European royalty through her father Quincy Jones. Quincy Jones participated in PBS's African American Lives to learn more about his heritage. He discovered that the majority of his ancestry can be traced to Africa, but some 34% of his DNA comes from Europe.

Among Rashida Jones's ancestors through her father are Edward I and Betty Washington Lewis. Edward I of England - nicknamed "Hammer of the Scots" for his attempts to take over Scotland - is credited with regularizing the English Parliament. Betty Washington Lewis was George Washington's sister and an advocate for American independence.
(#8) King Princess

Born Mikaela Straus, the performing artist King Princess has deep roots in her native New York City. In fact, she can claim as an ancestor the owner of one of the city's most recognizable stores: Isidor Straus, her great-great-grandfather, purchased Macy's in the late 1800s and also served as a New York representative in Congress.

Isidor Straus isn't only remembered for his entrepreneurship or public service. He and his wife Ida were among the RMS Titanic's victims in 1912. When speaking of her great-great-grandparents' fate, Princess said, "Those fools died. It's so historic at this point, there's no trauma."