Hollywood Ancestry
- Jun 2, 2022
- 2 min read

'Top Gun: Maverick' Actors Tom Cruise and Glen Powell both Trace their Ancestry to King Edward I

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell star in 'Top Gun: Maverick' together — see how they are both descended from King Edward I of England.

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell in Top Gun: Maverick HWA by Mike Batie

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell can both trace their ancestry back to King Edward I of England. / Paramount Pictures

After a phenomenal, record-breaking opening weekend, Tom Cruise and Glen Powell are enjoying the raving reviews and crowds flocking back to the theater to experience Top Gun: Maverick.

DESCENDANTS OF ENGLISH ROYALTY

The two actors are also both descendants of King Edward I 'Longshanks' of England. While this king has many millions of descendants living in Europe and North America today, it's fun to see the connection between these two movie stars.

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell with ancestor King Edward I - by Mike Batie

Tom Cruise (left) and Glen Powell (right) can both trace their ancestry back to King Edward I 'Longshanks' of England (center). / Images: Gage Skidmore, National Portrait Gallery, NASA

The family tree of high-profile actor Tom Cruise has already been well-established, showing he is the 20th great-grandson of King Edward I. I looked into Glen Powell's family tree and discovered that on his mother's side, Powell is the 23rd great-grandson of King Edward I. That means Cruise and Powell are 20th cousins 3x removed.

LINES OF DESCENT FROM KING EDWARD I

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell line of descent chart from King Edward I - by Mike Batie

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell's line of descent from King Edward I. / Chart by Mike Batie - Hollywood Ancestry

Glen Powell has nothing but wonderful things to say about his "cousin" Tom Cruise. He told People Magazine:

Tom's as great as people think he is. He's as nice, he's as hardworking, he's as generous, he's available. He's the man.

Tom Cruise with Glen Powell Top Gun actors - HWA by Mike Batie

Tom Cruise with Glen Powell / Image via Glen Powell's Twitter

RELATION TO OTHER ACTORS THROUGH KING EDWARD I

Tom Cruise and Glen Powell are related to these other descendants of King Edward I:

Dylan Minnette - 24th great-grandson

William Moseley - 22nd great-grandson

Josh Hutcherson - 25th great-grandson

Chris Evans - 23rd great-grandson

Tom Cruise, Glen Powell, Dylan Minnette, William Moseley, Josh Hutcherson, Chris Evans related - by Mike Batie

All of these actors are distant cousins with descent from King Edward I of England. / Chart by Mike Batie - Hollywood Ancestry

ARE YOU ALSO DESCENDED FROM EDWARD I?

If you have any European roots, chances are good you are descended from King Edward I of England as well. Finding your line of descent is the key. Once you know this, you can find your relationship with many distant, living cousins today. You can even calculate your cousinship with these actors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT GLEN POWELL'S ANCESTRY

I have another post about Glen Powell's patriarchal line, in which he is descended from the Lipka Tatar people. Check it out here.

Click to learn more about Glen Powell's Lipka Tatar ancestry on his patriarchal side.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Storytelling binds generations. Films and family history are both powerful forms of storytelling that do just that. Family history research has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. Having researched my own family tree extensively, I enjoy looking into the family trees of my favorite actors and entertainers. To see their roots and where they come from is always inspiring. I’m often left in awe of the experiences of their ancestors and how they connect to the present day. I hope to inspire others to research their own family trees and find out where they come from by sharing interesting insights from the family trees of notable figures.

—Mike Batie

Questions? Comments? Shoot me a message on the contact form on my About page.