Who are Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott?
Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott are both actors who have appeared in various films and television shows. Josh McDermitt is best known for playing Eugene Porter on the hit zombie drama The Walking Dead, while Dean McDermott is famous for his reality TV shows with his wife, actress Tori Spelling, and his hosting gig on the cooking competition Chopped Canada.
But are these two celebrities related by blood or marriage? Do they share a common ancestor or a family connection? Or is it just a coincidence that they have similar surnames?
The Origin of the Surname McDermott
According to Ancestry, the surname McDermott is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic name Mac Diarmada, meaning “son of Diarmaid”. Diarmaid was a personal name composed of the elements “diar”, meaning “free”, and “maid”, meaning “man”. The name was borne by several Irish kings and chieftains, as well as by a legendary hero of Irish mythology.
The surname McDermott is common in the counties of Roscommon, Sligo, and Leitrim, where the clan of Mac Diarmada ruled as lords of Moylurg. The surname has many variations, such as MacDermot, MacDermott, McDermod, McDermond, McDerment, and McDermett.
The Family Background of Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott
Josh McDermitt was born on June 4, 1978, in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. He is the son of David and Doreen McDermitt. He has three sisters, Dale, Dawn, and Dana. He graduated from Grand Canyon University and Greenway High School. He began his career in entertainment by calling in to a local radio show in Phoenix, Tim & Willy, at a young age. He later became a producer for the show. He also performed as a stand-up comedian and was a semi-finalist on the fourth season of Last Comic Standing. He made his acting debut in 2009 in the TV movie Rehab for Rejects. He then starred in the TV Land sitcom Retired at 35 from 2011 to 2012. He joined the cast of The Walking Dead in 2014 as Eugene Porter, a former science teacher who claims to know the cure for the zombie apocalypse. He is still a regular on the show as of its eleventh and final season.
Dean McDermott was born on November 16, 1966, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of David and Doreen McDermott. He has three sisters, Dale, Dawn, and Dana. He graduated from North Albion Collegiate Institute in Rexdale, Ontario. He started his acting career in 1988 with a small role in the film Graveyard Shift II: The Understudy. He then appeared in several TV movies and series, such as Due South, Earth: Final Conflict, Tracker, NCIS, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He also performed in films such as Open Range, Irvine Welsh’s Ecstasy, and Against the Ropes. He met actress Tori Spelling in 2005 while filming the Lifetime TV movie Mind Over Murder in Ottawa. They began an affair that night and later divorced their respective spouses to marry each other in 2006. They have five children together: Liam Aaron (born March 13, 2007), Stella Doreen (born June 9, 2008), Hattie Margaret (born October 10, 2011), Finn Davey (born August 30, 2012), and Beau Dean (born March 2, 2017). They also starred in several reality TV shows together, such as Tori & Dean: Inn Love, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings, True Tori, and Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever. Dean is also a professionally trained chef who won the second season of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off and hosted Chopped Canada for two seasons.
Are Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott Related?
Based on the available information about their family backgrounds and genealogies, there is no evidence that Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott are related by blood or marriage. They do not share any known ancestors or relatives. They do not have any documented family ties or connections.
The fact that they have similar surnames is most likely a coincidence that stems from their Irish heritage. Their surnames are both derived from the same Gaelic name Mac Diarmada, but that does not mean that they are descended from the same branch of the clan. The name Mac Diarmada was widely used by many different families and individuals in Ireland, especially in the regions where the clan ruled. The name was also anglicized in various ways, resulting in many different spellings and forms.
Therefore, it is safe to say that Josh McDermitt and Dean McDermott are not related, at least not in any significant or verifiable way. They are simply two actors who happen to have similar surnames and Irish roots.
