On a recent episode of the PBS television show, the 'Ant-Man' actor reacts to the discovery that he's a distant relative of his Marvel co-star, the 'Black Widow' actress.
- Apr 4, 2024
AceShowbiz - On an episode of PBS' "Finding Your Roots", renowned historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed a surprising connection between actor Michael Douglas and Marvel co-star Scarlett Johansson.
Through DNA research, Gates discovered that the 79-year-old Douglas and the 39-year-old Johansson share "identical stretches of DNA on four different chromosomes." These shared DNA segments trace back to Jewish communities in Eastern Europe along Johansson's maternal lines.
"Are you kidding?" exclaimed a visibly shocked Douglas. "Oh, that's amazing. This is cool. This is so cool."
The discovery delighted Douglas, who expressed his anticipation for seeing Johansson again to share the news. Both actors appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame" as Hank Pym and Natasha Romanoff, respectively.
The episode also revealed a familial connection between "Girls" creator Lena Dunham and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star Larry David. Gates shared that Dunham and David share "multiple, long, identical segments of DNA," indicating at least one common ancestor on her mother's side of the family.
"This is the hottest information I could have ever gotten," said Dunham. "This is incredible. You saved the best for last."
"Finding Your Roots," currently in its 10th season on PBS, has uncovered numerous celebrity connections in the past. Previous episodes have revealed genetic cousinships between Julia Roberts and Edward Norton Jr., Viola Davis and Anita Hill, and Clare Danes and Melissa McCarthy, among others.
