Fox10phoenix: Tom Hanks, who plays Mr. Rogers in “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” is related to the titular character, a fact he reportedly did not know while portraying the beloved children’s television personality.
Hanks, born in 1956, is sixth cousins with Fred Rogers, who was born in 1928, according to a family tree compiled by Ancestry.com. They share the same 5x great-grandfather, Johannes Mefford, who immigrated from Germany to America in the 18th century, the website said.
“For more than 30 years, Ancestry has helped millions of people discover the story of what led to them, including the remarkable connection between Fred Rogers and Tom Hanks. It’s no surprise they are related as the similarities between the two are uncanny. Even if we don’t know it, our pasts impact our present.
You never know what you’ll find on your journey of personal discovery,” said Jennifer Utley, director of research at Ancestry.com.