'Hocus Pocus' star Sarah Jessica Parker played a Salem witch—turns out she's descended from one of the real-life accused witches. | By Mike Batie Disney's Hocus Pocus has become a favorite Halloween classic. For many, the holiday just isn't complete without an annual viewing of the Sanderson sisters wreaking havoc on Salem, Massachusetts with their witchy ways. Sarah Jessica Parker played one of these fictional witches—also named Sarah. In reality, Parker is descended from a

The late actor and producer Chadwick Boseman helped many find a stronger sense of identity in their African roots. Chadwick Boseman's passing came as a surprise for many across the world a few days ago, as he kept his health condition private. It's evident he was adored by many, as shown by the reaction to the tweet that announced his passing from colon cancer, which hit the top of Twitter's metrics as it went viral with over six million likes at the time of this writing. Bos

Matthew Noszka has an impressive Polish heritage of immigrant ancestors chasing and achieving the American dream. Follow their journey from Poland in the 1800s to the present. By Mike Batie Matthew Noszka is an American actor and model. Noszka recently starred in Netflix's holiday ensemble flick Let It Snow, playing the role of JP Lapierre opposite Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and Mitchell Hope (Disney's Descendants). I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline with

Actor Logan Lerman likely wouldn't be here today if his Jewish ancestors hadn't fled Nazi-controlled Europe when they did. | BY MIKE BATIE Many will recognize actor Logan Lerman from the epic war drama Fury, in which Lerman stars alongside Brad Pitt. Logan has a distinguished list of acting credits including (but not limited to): The Perks of Being a Wallflower Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Three Musketeers (2011) Stuck in Love 3:10 to Yuma, Noah The Patriot The Butterfly

Ansel Elgort's grandmother was an amazing hero who saved many of Norway's Jewish children from being murdered by the Nazis. | BY MIKE BATIE Ansel Elgort has already had great success as a young actor, starring in franchise films such as Divergent and blockbusters such as Baby Driver and the movie that put him on the radar of most people: The Fault in Our Stars. At the time of this writing, Ansel's newest movie The Goldfinch recently hit theaters, and he will star in Steven Sp

Musician and actor Braeden Lemasters is descended from a Civil War officer with a colorful past. Braeden Lemasters is a singer-guitarist in the hit band Wallows, which has been playing to sold out crowds on tour in North America and Europe for their album Nothing Happens. Braeden and friends Dylan Minnette and Cole Preston formed the band in their youth. Braeden is also an actor, having had roles in shows such as Six Feet Under (his first acting role), Men of a Certain Age (w

The actor who plays the role of Lancel Lannister in Game of Thrones is actually a descendant of Clan Bruce and the royal houses of Scotland and England. You likely know Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister, the cousin and lover of Cersei Lannister in HBO's hit series Game of Thrones, based on the novels by George R.R. Martin. He's also starred as Jerome Clark in the series House of Anubis, as Eduard Einstein in the series Genius, as Young Ben Hur in the TV miniseries Ben Hur, as

Josh Hutcherson starred as the revolutionary fighter 'Peeta' in The Hunger Games, and in fact the real-life actor is descended from countless American Revolutionary War soldiers. You most likely know Josh Hutcherson as 'Peeta' from The Hunger Games movie series, the fighting ally and love interest of Katniss Everdeen. Josh has been in the movie biz for quite some time, starring in roles such as Red Dawn (2012), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Zathura, Bridge to Ter

Interesting parallels can be drawn between Tom Holland's ancient ancestor and the character of Spider-Man, who Tom portrays in the Marvel movies. | BY MIKE BATIE Tom Holland is the latest actor to wear the mantle of Spider-Man, and arguably the most-beloved. Along with Holland's charming looks, his dance, choreography, and gymnastics training seem to have predestined him for the role. The British actor wowed audiences in Billy Elliot on the West End in London. Holland also ga

American Horror Story and Unbroken actor Finn Wittrock is descended from a Medieval court astrologer to Emperor Frederick III. | BY MIKE BATIE At the rate Finn Wittrock's career is going, it won't be long until we see his name in a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame. Being a descendant of a German imperial court astrologer, it's as if Finn's destiny for stardom was written in the stars. This rising star has appeared in a number of movies including Unbroken, The Big Sh

Take a look at the fascinating family tree of actor Chris Evans and discover how his ancestry embodies the spirit of Captain America. | BY MIKE BATIE You probably know actor Chris Evans best as Captain America in the Marvel movies based on the comic book character. In real life, Chris Evans is actually descended from a long line of patriots who fought as soldiers in the United States military from the very founding of the country—from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812,

The 13 Reasons Why actor and Wallows band musician has a musical heritage going back nearly 600 years. Dylan Minnette performing with his band, Wallows. | Photo by Yising Kao / Via yisingkao.com You probably know Dylan Minnette best as the star of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. In addition to his acting chops, he's also a talented musician. Dylan Minnette has had various roles in movies and television, and more recently plays Clay Jensen in Netflix's hit drama 13 Reasons Why. He's