Paris Jackson Reunites With Mom Debbie Rowe in Rare Family Photos
Jake Gyllenhaal’s family dynamic is stronger than ever.
The Brokeback Mountain star offered a rare glimpse into his close bond with sister Maggie Gyllenhaal after she left him a touching note during his March 3 appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
In the note—which Maggie, 48, wedged into her seat cushion when she appeared on the talk show the night before—she simply wrote, “You’re a beast,” prompting Jake, 45, to share the deeper meaning behind the succinct message.
“My sister did a show on Broadway that she was acting in,” he explained. “It was an amazing experience for her, but also, she was going through things. I went into her dressing room before opening night—one of the previews maybe—and I just wrote, ‘You're a beast.’”
Since then, the sibling duo have written the phrase on each other’s mirrors to uplift one another during key career moments, with Jake—who stars in Maggie’s new movie The Bride! alongside Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale—surmising that it may also be connected to his sister’s latest directorial effort.
“I think that's part of what her movie is about,” he continued. “And I think it's also about all of us seeing that in each other and communally going out together experiencing—like you would here or like you would at a rock concert, or why you'd go to the movies—to go experience something together and feel that part of yourself.”
David Jon/Getty Images for Warner Bros. Pictures
The Oscar-nominated actor then quipped, “That’s also something she told me to say, that she forgot to tell everybody last night.”
While the pair have long been supportive of one another, Maggie recently shared that their relationship has been especially strong as of late.
“We’ve never been estranged, but we’ve never been as close as we are now,” she said on the Feb. 28 episode of the New York Times podcast The Interview. “I think we’re finally, maybe in the last five years—although more and more and more, even each day—really interacting, which is hard for people to do.”
Jake and Maggie clearly have more in common than just their last name, but some celebrity familial connections are less obvious. To see stars you may be surprised to know are related, keep reading…
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Nancy Cartwright & Sabrina Carpenter
The Simpsons actor, who has voiced Bart since the show premiered in 1989, is the aunt of the "Espresso" singer.
“She's not a blood relative,” Nancy clarified on a January 2026 episode of Toon’d In with Jim Cummings. “Her grandmother was married to my dad, so her dad was my stepbrother.”
And that family connection led to Nancy playing a pivotal role in Sabrina's success.
“They would come out every year and stay with me," she continued. "They lived with me for four months at a time during pilot season and helped her get management [and an] agent.”
The Emmy winner concluded, "She certainly doesn't need my help. I gave her a little boost and she ran with it, and I'm very proud of her.”
Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images/Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Lena Dunham & Larry David
On a 2024 episode of Finding Your Roots, host Henry Louis Gates Jr., revealed that Lena Dunham had a distant ancestor in common with Larry David on her mother's side.
Astrid Stawiarz/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images/Instagram/Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Stassi Schroeder & Gypsy Rose Blanchard
Genealogist Dr. Adina Newman, known on Instagram as My Family Genie, revealed Blanchard and the Vanderpump Rules alum are allegedly related on their paternal grandmother's side dating back all the way to the 1600s.
Schroeder, a self-professed true crime fan, commented on Newman's post, "Omg I'm unwell."
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
Dakota Johnson & Antonio Banderas
The Mask of Zorro star was married to the Fifty Shades of Grey actress' mother Melanie Griffith for 20 years before they ultimately split in 2015, but that doesn't mean the stepfather and daughter's bond has been severed.
Johnson got emotional when she presented an award to Banderas at the 2019 Hollywood Film Awards.
"I come from a family of many a marriage and I got very lucky," Johnson, whose dad is actor Don Johnson, said. "I got a bonus dad who I realized that, over time, is actually one of the most influential people in my whole life," she said. "When I was six years old, my mother married a man who brought an unbelievably bright light and a whole new world of creativity and culture—and one remarkably magical little sister into our family."
Robyn Lively & Blake Lively
The Teen Witch star and the Gossip Girl alum are half-sisters who share the same mom, talent manager Elaine Lively.
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Elle King & Rob Schneider
The "Ex's & Oh's" singer is the SNL vet's daughter, born from his relationship with former model London King.
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Ludacris & Monica
The Fast & Furious star is cousins with the R&B singer thanks to her stepfather, Reverend Edward Best, who happens to be the rapper's uncle.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Conan O'Brien & Denis Leary
The late-night host and the Rescue Me alum are third cousins.
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Steven Spielberg & Jessica Capshaw
The onetime Grey's Anatomy doc has called the legendary director stepdad ever since he married her mom Kate Capshaw in 1991.
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Yara Shahidi & Nas
The Grown-ish star calls the rapper her second cousin. She was even the flower girl in his 2005 wedding with now ex-wife Kelis.
Paul Bruinooge/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Lea Thompson & Zoey Deutch
The actress is the daughter of the Back to the Future icon.
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Kiefer Sutherland & Sarah Sutherland
Not only did the Veep vet make a name for herself playing a famous daughter on the HBO comedy, but she's also a famous daughter in real life. The erstwhile Jack Bauer star is her father.
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Phil Collins & Lily Collins
Some Emily in Paris viewers were très shocked to discover Lily is the daughter of the English Grammy winner.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Amy Schumer & Chuck Schumer
The comedian and the New York Senator are actually related, as he's the first cousin of her father.
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Kate Middleton, Dakota Fanning & Elle Fanning
According to a 2014 People interview, a family historian from Ancestry.com claimed that the Fannings and the Princess of Wales are all descendants of King Edward III, who ruled England from 1327 to 1377, making them very distant relatives—21st cousins, to be exact.
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
Jonah Hill & Beanie Feldstein
The actors are actually brother and sister.
©Academy Museum Foundation; Photo by Hunter Abrams
Niecy Nash, Danielle Brooks & Sterling K. Brown
Talent runs in this family, as the Reno 911! alum, Orange Is the New Black actress and This Is Us star are all cousins.
"We are blood related!" Nash wrote on Instagram January 2024, sharing a photo of the trio at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Third Annual Fundraising Gala. "REAL cousins!"
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Jason Sudeikis & George Wendt
The SNL alum calls the Cheers icon Uncle George whenever he sees him. At least, we assume he does.
John Shearer/Getty Images for AMC/Dave M. Benett/Getty Images
Stephen Dillane & Frank Dillane
Yep, Game of Thrones' Stannis Baratheon is the real-life dad of Fear the Walking Dead's Nick Clark.
Jason Merritt/Getty Images; Danny Martindale/WireImage
Lily Allen & Sam Smith
The brunette beauty and the "Stay With Me" singer are third cousins. During a radio interview, Smith admitted that the pair have never met because their family is "huge."
Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Netflix/AP Images
Liev Schreiber & Pablo Schreiber
The Salt actor and the memorable Law & Order: SVU guest star are half-brothers.
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Melissa McCarthy & Jenny McCarthy
You may not have guessed but the Bridesmaids comedian and the former View co-host are cousins.
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Julia Roberts & Emma Roberts
The We're the Millers actress has the perfect mentor in the Pretty Woman star, who happens to be her auntie.
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Lacey Schwimmer & David Schwimmer
Who knew the stunning Dancing With the Stars pro is second cousins with the Friends alum?
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Alexander Skarsgård & Stellan Skarsgård
The True Blood vampire caught the acting bug from his dear old dad who stars in both The Avengers and Thor franchises.
J. Vespa/WireImage; Sylvain Gaboury/FilmMagic
Sofia Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Nicolas Cage & Francis Ford Coppola
The Ghost Rider actor comes from an extremely talented family. One of his cousins directed The Bling Ring, the other starred in Saving Mr. Banks and his uncle directed The Godfather.
Eamonn McCormack/WireImage
Lily Allen & Alfie Allen
The outspoken British singer is the older sister of the Game of Thrones star. She even wrote a song about him titled "Alfie."
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Brooke Shields & Glenn Close
The Damages star and the Lipstick Jungle actress are second cousins.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Shirley MacLaine & Warren Beatty
The Terms of Endearment actress originally inspired her baby brother to get into show business.
Lester Cohen/WireImage.com
Rashida Jones & Quincy Jones
The Parks and Recreation actress is the daughter of the legendary music producer.
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