Guess Who I'm Related To? (Hint: He's a Famous Actor)

7.25.2013

I feel like it's high time we talked about this. 

In fact, I feel remiss for not bringing to your attention sooner the fact that I am related to an actual, legit famous person. Not like a "kind of" legit famous person. A LEGIT famous person. Yes, I'm only related through marriage. But whatever. I'm counting it.

Ahem.

My husband's great-uncle (fyi: great-uncle = grandpa's brother and/or dad's uncle) is the actor James Garner.  Do you know who James Garner is? I can bet your grandma does, and you do too, you just don't know you know it. (Name that TV show: They don't know we know they know we know...)

James Garner was a high-profile actor in the '70s with a TV show called the Rockford Files (1974-1980). At some point before he was famous he dropped the "Bum" in front of his last name, hence the Garner. Bumgarner just doesn't make a great stage name.



He was also the Maverick as a young lad (TV series 1957-1962) and starred in the 1994 remake with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster.
[source]
Still don't know who he is? You might recognize him as the old man in The Notebook. 

He guest starred as the grandpa on the TV show 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter and has also been in two movies with Julie Andrews. TWO! They've kissed. My husband's great-uncle has kissed Mary Poppins.

And he's been in lots of other movies and TV shows like this one with Doris Day (1963):
[source]
Just the other day, Jordan and I were looking through some old pictures at his parents' house. We pulled out one, and Jordan said, "Hey, that's Uncle Jim!" Right. A candid photograph of Uncle Jim. He's only a rich and famous actor, but whatever.

We invited Uncle Jim and Aunt Lois to our wedding. They couldn't come, but they sent us a check and a nice handwritten letter congratulating us on our nuptials. 

I know the whole six degrees of separation and all that. Somehow we're probably all related to someone famous. I just happen to think this famous relation is pretty cool. I mean, how often can you randomly flip through the channels on a Saturday evening and come across a movie or show starring your famous relative? Well it's happened more than once to me. Believe it.

EDIT: You guys, this does NOT mean I am also related to Jennifer Garner (see comments below). Let's stay on topic, shall we?

Are you related to anyone famous?

Breenah said...

That also means you're related to Jennifer Garner, because that's her dad. And SHE'S married to Ben Affleck, so you're kinda related to him too :D

Also, he was my favorite part of the Notebook.

Anonymous said...

OMG you just totally hit me geek-out nerve & I just want to talk about it all day long! I'm only related to Oliver Wolcott (signed the Declaration of Independence) totally lame.

BUT one of my friends is Michael Keaton's niece... as in BATMAN.

Aaaaand (let's see if you can follow this one) my other friend, whose wedding I'm in, living with her fiance's grandparents is Ann B. Davis AKA ALICE FROM THE BRADY BUNCH!!! She might come to wedding which I really hope b/c we're both Spurs fans & I think we could BFF's.

Tracy said...

I'm sure you've seen his statue in Norman on James Garner Way next to the railroad track.

Jenny@JenericGeneration said...

Okay, I am learning so much! James was born in Norman, OK?? That is just as cool as you being related to him (almost). But as the person above me said...YOU ARE RELATED TO JENNIFER GARNER!!

I get to claim Edgar Allan Poe as part of my family tree. His wife (and first cousin) shares my maiden name (and she is in my family's genealogy books). We should start a club for Oklahoma natives related to cool people. It would be so...cool.

Tamara said...

I loved Breenah's response - totes related to Jennifer too!

As far as I know we're not related to anyone famous, although I used to think it was awesome that my initials (before I was married) were TM, so like anything that noted it was trademarked with the circle around TM I was like "ITS FOR ME!"

Anonymous said...

How COOL!!! I love him!!! That's definitely worth blogging about. :) My only claim to fame is Laura Ingles Wilder... but that's really just a bad joke, and people have asked me about that my entire life (my maiden name being Wilder.) Greg has a famous second cousin in Hawaii, Glenn Medeiros, who has a song called Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You... look it up! We all laugh... too much.

Niken said...

is that jennifer garner's dad?
this is cool

LeAnna said...

I think the best part of this whole post is where your husbands great-uncle kissed Mary Poppins. DEFINITELY.

Did you know B is Davy Crocketts 5th great grandson?

I, on the other hand, am directly related to Pretty Boy Floyd. Yes, a thief. However, I just recently learned he was actually considered a robin hood-esque type figure to the locals because when he would rob a bank he would burn all the mortgage papers allowing them to be free and clear of debt. I guess the bankers were being really unfair to a lot of the people.

Not that it cancels out what a horrible person he was, but whatever.

So, you're related to Ben Affleck? JAY KAY. This is how rumors start, people. Sheesh.

Natalie M said...

Ummm... I don't think James Garner is related to Jennifer Garner, just saying.

Venassa said...

That is very cool!

Unknown said...

AHHHHHH. I didn't know he was the old man from The Notebook!

(did I?)

(sorry, Uncle Jim, for not knowing of you except by the cheesy girly movie of my generation.)

I'm not related to anyone famous. I am, however, related to someone who did secret work that I'm not allowed to talk about. So, that's a whole load of super-cool-except-not-really.

Bad Luck Jenn said...

How can you NOT know the guy from The Notebook?! And I'm related to Ulysses Grant, the president. Does that count?

Laura Morgan said...

I'm related to Mary Rutledge, Lincoln's wife!

kristyn said...

Oh my gosh that's too cool! I love The Notebook :) Although who doesn't? Haha!

Abby said...

I don't think I am related to anyone famous, be that is very cool.

MorganLvr said...

Jim Garner is indeed one cool cat, and so is his daughter - Gigi Garner. Nope NOT Jenifer Garner. Jim also has a step-daughter, Kim Garner, whom he adopted when he married her mother, Lois 57 years ago.

Very neat that you are related to such a wonderful person - by marriage or whatever. :)

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