John Lithgow Discovers His Distant Cousins Include Sally Field, Clint Eastwood, Alec Baldwin

John Lithgow's family tree features a few familiar faces.

The Sharper actor appeared on a recent installment of PBS' Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and learned about his ancestors through Ancestry.

He discovered that his ninth great-grandfather, William Bradford, was a passenger on the Mayflower.

"I'm not sure I've lived up to my own ancestors," said the actor. "This is incredible."

He found out that William used a journal to record the deaths and illnesses the community suffered due to the brutal winter in New England after reaching the shore. He realized the gripping reality that had William died, too, his family line would not exist.

"I'm completely overwhelmed by this," said Lithgow.

Fortunately, William went on to become a staple in Plymouth and married native Alice Southward. Their descendants include Julia Child, Alec Baldwin, Clint Eastwood and Sally Field, making them all distant cousins. Lithgow's lineage also includes legendary painter Frederic Edwin Church and novelist Thomas Pynchon.

"That's phenomenal," Lithgow said as he expressed shock over the revelation. He then joked of his cousin Eastwood, "Why won't he hire me?"