"DNA cousins"

Surprise: these superstars are related!

Michael Douglas was surprised with the news that he is related to Scarlett Johansson.(Bild: Viennareport, Krone KREATIV)

Michael Douglas was amazed when he found out that he has a surprising relationship with Scarlett Johansson.

The 79-year-old Hollywood star took part in the PBS series "Finding Your Roots" to gain a deep insight into his ancestry. It emerged that the actress he appeared with in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame" is a "DNA cousin" of his.

The revelation happened on the show when host Henry Louis Gates Jr. told Michael that he and 39-year-old Johansson share "identical DNA branches on four different chromosomes".

Michael Douglas learns from presenter Henry Louis Gates that Johansson is his "DNA cousin".(Bild: www.viennareport.at)

Douglas thinks it's cool
The genetic similarities extend along Scarlett's maternal lines to Jewish communities in Eastern Europe. Michael Douglas reacted to the news with admiring amazement: "Are you kidding? Oh, that's amazing. All right. That's cool. That's so cool."

Scarlett Johansson(Bild: APA/AFP/LOIC VENANCE)

Dunham related to Larry David
However, the relationship revelations didn't stop there. In the same episode, "Girls" creator Lena Dunham also learned of her remarkable connection to a major celebrity.

While delving into her genealogy research, Dunham realized that comedy icon Larry David is her cousin. Stunned by the revelation, she exclaimed, "My husband is going to freak out! It's Larry David! The other L.D.! This is the hottest information I could ever get."

Henry Louis Gates Jr. shared with Lena that she and her mother Laurie Simmons share "several long, identical segments of DNA" with the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" creator.

This suggests that they have at least one common ancestor along the maternal line. Lena reacted to the news with amazement: "This is incredible. You saved the best for last."