Since filming The Parent Trap in 1998, Lisa Ann Walter and Elaine Hendrix have always been close – and now they’ve discovered that their bond runs even deeper.
Taking a page from The Parent Trap plot of unexpected familial revelations, the two uncovered that their great-grandparents lived near each other in New York City.
Walter, 60, and her sons, Jordan, 35, and twins Spencer and Simon, 22, walked across the city’s Lower East Side to learn more about their family and ancestral roots while filming the Monday, September 18 premiere of the new Ancestry YouTube series titled “unFamiliar.”
“There’s a lot I don’t know,” the Abbott Elementary star said of her family’s history. “And you never know until you ask.”
At the end of the episode, she got a surprise visit from her best friend Hendrix, 52 – who told her the unexpected news.
“Your great grandparents lived about a block that way,” Hendrix explained, pointing to her right.
“My great grandparents lived about a block that way,” she said, this time pointing to her left.
The duo went on to discuss whether they think their great-grandparents crossed paths while living in the same Manhattan neighborhood.
“Shut up! So do you think they knew each other?” Walters asked, to which Hendrix replied, “Of course they knew each other!”
According to marriage records from the New York City Municipal Archives, Walter’s maternal great-grandfather, Franceso Mansueto, immigrated to the U.S. from Italy and resided at 250 Elizabeth Street. Walter’s maternal great-grandmother, Clotilda Vinetti, who is Mansuet’s wife, lived at 261 Elizabeth Street.
Just down the road was Hendrix’s great-grandfather, Dominick DePersio, who lived at 190 Elizabeth Street.
Even with this unexpected revelation, Walter said she wasn’t entirely shocked.
“It’s almost not a surprise,” Walter said. “Why in the world would we have met and become besties in six hours?”
“It was fate,” Hendrix replied.
Walter and Hendrix’s friendship began when they played the roles of enemies in The Parent Trap as Chessy and Meredith Blake, respectively. The star-studded film was a Disney remake of the 1961 film of the same name, featuring Lindsay Lohan and Dennis Quaid.
The two have since celebrated each other’s birthdays on Instagram, with Hendrix posting most recently in August for her friend’s special day.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the one who tells me which way to swipe, my personal one-woman moving company, my security blanket, my laughing partner, my living journal and for sure the one with whom I’m growing old. I love you @lisaannwalter BFF4EVR,” she captioned the post.
