Related In Real Life

When casting the younger version of a character for a film, not only does the performer have to act in a convincingly similar way, they have to look the part as well! While can be tricky to pull off, the sequel to ‘Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again’ may have gotten closer than they realized with the selection of Lily James to play the younger version of Meryl Streep’s on screen persona Donna Sheridan.

It turns out the two actors are ninth cousins, finding out that one another are distantly related. Still…how cool is that! While Streep and James being so far related may not mean the two are exactly similar in appearance, it does contribute to their real life repertoire. Not only had the two apparently gotten along incredibly well during filming, they even shared clothing on set. In order for two separate actors to be as believable as possible playing the same character, the two would need to understand one another’s mannerism and acting style.

Spending time together on and off set goes a long way for them getting the character just right. “I love it.” Said Streep to Mirror, “Absolutely wonderful news to hear I am in any way related to this delightful person.” This is good news for the fans of both the film and hit musical that it is based off of.

Both the 1999 musical and the 2008 film were smash successes, and many fans of both are thrilled to be seeing more of the character. The film is out now, and apparently is already making a buzz in its opening weeks, earning $76.4 Globally according to Variety Magazine.