Alex Portée is a senior trending reporter at TODAY Digital and is based in Los Angeles.
Michael Douglas and Scarlett Johansson have more than their acting careers in common: They're also related by blood. On the April 2 episode of PBS's “Finding Your Roots,” Douglas learned that the Marvel actor, and his co-star in 'Avengers: Endgame,' is his DNA cousin. “Are you kidding?” Douglas said in response to the news delivered by host Henry Louis Gates. “Oh, that’s amazing. All right. This is cool. This is so cool.
In the same episode, Douglas discovered his connection to an important figure in American military history: John Neilson. According to the episode, Neilson provided military intelligence to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Neilson, originally a merchant, chose to support the Continental Army instead of remaining loyal to England. Today, a statue in New Brunswick, New Jersey, commemorates his contributions.
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