Tom Hanks Is Actually Related To Mister Rogers

Tom Hanks is gaining acclaim for his role as Fred Rogers in the film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. When audiences see him on screen, they may see a physical resemblance to the late icon. Perhaps his uncanny likeness to Mister Rogers is actually because these two are related. It’s been revealed from Ancestry.com that Hanks and Rogers are actually distantly related to one another.

Both Hanks and Fred Rogers turn out to be sixth cousins since they share the same great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Johannes Mefford. The Today Show unveiled the relationship from Ancestry reports suggesting that these two share some of the same family blood. The site unveiled that Rogers’ great-great-great-great-grandfather William served in the Navy before being captured by the British in 1782. Coincidentally, Hanks’ great-great-great-great-grandfather evidently was fighting a war at the Chesapeake Bay. “So, Rogers and Hanks not only share the same ancestor, they also descend from two brothers who fought for America’s independence,” Ancestry said in a statement.

Fred Rogers has been known for his children’s program “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” which ran for 31 seasons from 1968 to 2001. The TV personality passed away at the age of 74 in 2003, but his life lessons and kind heart still captures many Americans to this day.

The 2018 documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” by filmmaker Morgan Neville followed his life and the story behind the creation of his widely praised program for kids. The film featured archival footage from Rogers as well as interviews with his wife and kids as well as colleagues who worked closely with him on the show.

The upcoming biographical film will also follow the celebrated icon through the point of view of journalist Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys). The new film is based on Tom Junod’s profile piece for Esquire called “Can You Say…Hero?” Audiences can check out “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” when it’s released nationwide this Friday.