People With Famous Family Members Share What That Was Like Growing Up

Apparently my boyfriend's uncle is Steve Harris from Iron Maiden and me being a huge fan of Iron Maiden since I was like four? I had no clue he has a house in my country and walks around town in pink polos. Once I was walking with my boyfriend and I saw Steve Harris walking across the street and I freaked out and then my boyfriend told me "chill, he's my uncle" and calls him to introduce me. We've been dating for two years now and I'm still shook at family gatherings (especially my dad because he's also a huge iron maiden fanboy 😂)

I don't think my father, the inventor of **Toaster Strudel**, would be too pleased with me answering this question.

Both my parents are actors. I've been used to seeing and hearing them perform (theatre and radio) for my whole life. My dad has done voice work for some computer games. I was playing one once and he walked in the room and said "that chimpanzee is me" then walked out again.

My boss is a celebrity and her 5 year old kid is starting to realise something is up. He recently questioned why random people always ask her for photos and my boss told him that people were just being friendly. Since then he started asking people for selfies when he wants to be friendly, it’s cute.

My father is very well known in his scientific field. I never really thought twice about it as a kid. I got to do lots of cool things (field trips, nature tv shoots, etc.) and it was just the norm. I went to a convention with him when I was 21 and he was the keynote speaker, and I realized he was a rock star. Folks just loved meeting him. They brought his books to sign, asked for pics, etc. My dad is super humble and chill, so it was at that point I realized the greatness of my dad. He put his kids (and now his grandkids) on his shoulders so they could see the amazing world he got to experience because of his success.

Bill Nye is my uncle, and it wasn't really until third grade that it sunk in for me that everyone else thinks it's incredible that they're now only 2 degrees of separation away from someone on TV. That was the year that we started watching his videos for science lessons.

And no I don't really like Saves the World. Based on his irl personality it's easy to see why the original Science Guy show worked; he genuinely loves explaining things. Explaining fundamental scientific ideas to little kids, in humorous and easy to understand ways, made for some great TV. This new show is full of assumptions and inane debating, like it's trying to "get" the "other side."

But he's a good person. If you've heard stories about him being a jerk they're probably true; strangers can get pretty unbearable sometimes.

Not particularly famous with younger people now, but Chief Dan George is one of my relatives. When I tell anyone this who's over 40 years old, they generally get really awkward about it. I never knew him personally because he died before I was born. I know what he was famous for, and I knew his son really well who recently died. Native people are my father's side of my family and I grew up my whole life around my extended family on his side who are also all related to him. Whenever it gets out who I'm related to, people like to gimme their opinions about native folks, which I find unnecessary. They're my family, that's about it. I also find it awkward when people gush about it, since Ive grown up being partially native myself and have had to deal with racism and everyone's negativity about them as a people.

Dan George wanted everyone to recognize that it's not easy being native in a white person's world. Even today it's not easy for a lot of my relatives and other ones all across this continent.

My great uncle was Mickey Rooney. His active career was a lifetime ago but it is still pretty interesting seeing him in movies. He was an amazingly kind and wonderful person.

My grandma grew up with/was friends with James Dean, and she stayed active in the fan club until she passed. She was in a documentary about him, and she loved talking to fans because she just loved people and was so proud of Jimmy and loved being able to talk to people about him. When she passed away, there was a piece about her in their fan club newsletter even.

I’m always surprised at the amount of James Dean fans I have who recognize me and approach me and talk to me about my grandma and how much they loved and appreciated her. I love it. My grandma and I were so close, and I think the happiness and warmth I feel talking to them about her must be kind of what she felt like talking to them about Jimmy, and it’s just the warmest, coziest thing.

Since most of these comments are by people loosely connected to famous people, I'll throw mine in. My Great-Great Uncle was Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, one of four men to hold the rank of Fleet Admiral. I'm also a descendant of Johns Hopkins, the namesake of the famous school.

My Nana was an actress on a popular British TV soap and a few films in the 70's, and my Grandpa was a director/producer of a few very popular TV shows too. My Mum told me it was just normal for people to recognise her parents in the street, and she didn't really know any different, and I suppose growing up I didn't really know any different too. I sometimes see old reruns of one of the films my Nana was in so I like to watch the part with her in it. Avid fans of my Grandpa's TV show (Dr Who) who would know the old episodes always like to ask me lots of questions about him, so that's nice :).

Not an actor, but I'm a TV News Helicopter Reporter. My kids cringe every time they see me on air.

I recently did a career day at their high school and the broadcast journalism class had me do a cheesy plug/commercial for their student-run morning announcements, so now my kids get to see me every morning.

I know they are probably mortified every time they see it, but it makes me happy knowing that I get to say 'Good Morning!' to them every day at school.

My best friend's step cousin (step great cousin?) is Tim Curry. He's the reason she has a fear of clowns.

My great grandfathers cousin was patsy cline... no one knows, no one cares, doesn’t change how I live my life, but it’s not often I get to bring it up :).

My dad is a famous professional golfer and my godfather is in the golf hall of fame. I spent my entire childhood at golf courses. I was used to people at golf courses and even restaurants coming up to say hi to him, but I didn't really realise he was anything special until I was probably 7 or so. I told my friends I was going to be missing school for a week because I was going with my dad to the Uk for the British Open. It wasn't the first time I'd missed school, but I was finally at that age where it actually mattered if I missed school. Nothing really changed since none of my friends cared about golf. I never even learned to play golf so I stopped spending time at golf courses and it was easy to forget he was anything different.

My friend’s grandpa sculpted the statue of the Christ in Rio, Brazil! I could not believe it when she told me, but a quick search confirmed it. Apparently it’s only one of the many pieces he’s created over the years and she seemed pretty casual about it. Pretty impressive thinking your art can let people identify a city or even a country in a split second.

My dad is famous in the Folk Music world and every now and then people will stop him to say hi or whatever. I wouldn't call him a celebrity, but he's certainly well known in the scene.

He's had a long career and I've been aware of it forever, but it doesn't really affect me too much in general day to day life. I have had some really incredible experiences because of it though!

My favourite thing by far is reading through the comments on his Facebook page. It could be a super trivial post about shoveling snow or mowing the lawn and yet without fail, someone will comment "There's a song in that!" It's hilarious.

Edit:

To those of you guessing, he has 3 Juno awards. That should be a decently revealing hint!

A friend of mine is an actor, he mostly does commercials and small movies.

He did a spaghetti sauce commercial where the family was sitting down to dinner, and when his actual ~6 year old son saw it on TV he said “Who’s that woman? That’s not Mom.” He had to explain “that’s my TV wife.” That was about 8 years ago, they still joke about his TV family now and again.

Not my parent, but my great uncle (kind of). He’s been dating my great aunt for nearly 40 years. He was the lead guitarist for Blondie. It didn’t seem like anything big to me until he got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That’s pretty sweet. I don’t see him much, but I’ve gotten to chill with him a couple of times.

Edit: It’s Frank Infante - not Chris Stein. Just for clarification.

I have an Uncle, who I knew was important as he was in charge of the Manned Space Center in Houston, I had no idea how important until a few years ago when my sister looked him up and discovered that the ISS would not exist without him. He is known as the most important person in spaceflight, who you never heard of.