According to Ancestry.com, Tom Hanks is a sixth cousin of which of these people?

Through research conducted by Ancestry, a genealogy service that charts users’ lineage via its database of more than 20 billion public records, Tom Hanks was shocked to learn that he is, in fact, sixth cousins with the late Fred Rogers. "Access Hollywood" surprised Hanks with the results at a New York City screening of the star’s film "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood".

The records showed a link between the two men between a shared five-times great-grandfather, a German immigrant named Johannes Mefford, who was born in 1732. More digging into their backgrounds showed that Hanks and Rogers also descended from two brothers who fought for American independence in the Revolutionary War.

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. As of 2025, Hanks is ranked as the fourth-highest-grossing American film actor. His numerous awards include two Academy Awards, seven Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003), better known as Mister Rogers, was an American television host, author and producer. He was the creator, showrunner, and host of the preschool television series "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", which ran from 1968 to 2001.