--- title: Bernie Sanders and Larry David Find Out They're Related description: Bernie Sanders and Larry David familial connection was revealed in the fourth season premiere of PBS' Finding Your Roots canonical: https://time.com/4970053/bernie-sanders-larry-david-finding-your-roots-pbs/ author: Aric Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-10-05T00:52:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:47:46.958Z og:title: Here's the Moment Bernie Sanders and Larry David Found Out They're Cousins og:description: The newfound family members seem happy to be related og:url: https://time.com/4970053/bernie-sanders-larry-david-finding-your-roots-pbs/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcbe5a7f5d261eb96/6988d7607cdbac6220d595f4/gettyimages-508930790.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Saturday Night Live - Season 41 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's the Moment Bernie Sanders and Larry David Found Out They're Cousins twitter:description: The newfound family members seem happy to be related twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltcbe5a7f5d261eb96/6988d7607cdbac6220d595f4/gettyimages-508930790.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's the Priceless Moment Bernie Sanders and Larry David Found Out They're Cousins by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Oct 5, 2017 12:52 AM UTC  Larry David and Senator Bernie Sanders during the Feb. 6, 2016 episode of 'Saturday Night Live.' Larry David and Senator Bernie Sanders during the Feb. 6, 2016 episode of 'Saturday Night Live.'Dana Edelson—NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images by [Aric Jenkins](https://time.com/author/aric-jenkins/) ## Aric Jenkins Oct 5, 2017 12:52 AM UTC In case you missed it: [Bernie Sanders](http://time.com/4945184/bernie-sanders-hillary-clinton-book/) and [Larry David](http://time.com/4931060/larry-david-curb-your-enthusiasm/) are cousins. Seriously. The familial connection was revealed Tuesday night in the fourth season premiere of PBS’ _Finding Your Roots_. By the looks of it, both are delighted to share a genetic bond. In the episode, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. gives each men a book that has photos of a distant cousin. “I hope it’s a good athlete,” David says. The _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ star then opens the book and sees a photo of Sanders, prompting a shout of “What the hell!” The show then cuts to the reaction of the [Vermont Senator](http://time.com/4943341/why-bernie-sanders-health-care-bill-is-a-risk/), who rocks back in his chair and says, “You’re kidding!” He adds, “Oh my God! That is unbelievable. It’s true?” between a fit of laughter. After getting over the initial shock, David says, “That is amazing. All right, cousin Bernie,” with a wide grin. The connection is even more astounding given that [David has played Sanders in multiple episodes of _Saturday Night Live_](http://time.com/4211061/bernie-sanders-larry-david-saturday-night-live/) throughout the 2016 election cycle. Sanders acknowledged his newfound cousin’s knack for impersonating him. “People say to me, you know they talk about Larry David, and I say he does a better Bernie Sanders than I do,” the senator says during the episode. 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