Neal Bledsoe is a Canadian-American actor, writer and filmmaker who has appeared in several movies and TV shows, such as Revolutionary Road, Junction, Six Degrees, Body of Proof, Shameless and The Man in the High Castle. He is also known for his roles in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, such as Impressionism, The Pride and Figaro Plays. But is he related to Drew Bledsoe, the former NFL quarterback who played for the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys? Here is what we know about their family connection.
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Neal Bledsoe’s Early Life and Career
Neal Bledsoe was born on March 26, 1981 in Toronto, Canada, but grew up in Seattle, Washington. He has a diverse ancestry that includes English, Irish, Scottish, German, French and Norwegian roots. Both of his grandfathers served in the Air Force during World War II and his maternal grandfather was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in the bombing of the Nazi oil refinery at Ploiești. His mother was a life insurance underwriter and estate planner before becoming an executive for a company that worked all over the world. His father has a PhD in Sociology from the University of Toronto where he studied under the philosopher Marshall McLuhan.
Neal moved fourteen times around Seattle area growing up, living in various neighborhoods and attending different schools. He graduated from the Shawnigan Lake School and then spent a post-graduate year at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he began to publish his writing. He went on to study at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts where he was mentored by the renowned theater director, Gerald Freedman, earning a BFA in 2005.
Neal got a quick start out of school, booking a pilot opposite Kelly Lynch less than a month after leaving school. He worked steadily for the next few years, until he had his breakthrough in 2009 on Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty. He then went on to star on the shows Law and Order: SVU, Smash, Ironside, The Man in the High Castle, The Mysteries of Laura, Timeless, Code Black and most recently, Shameless. He has won several awards for his work in independent films such as Junction, West End and After the Sun Fell. He also has appeared in both Revolutionary Road and Sex and the City 2 in blink-and-you’ll-miss-him types of roles. Recently, he starred opposite Val Kilmer in the western A Soldier’s Revenge.
On the stage, he worked on the Broadway production of Impressionism, the world premiere of Stephen Wadsworth’s Figaro Plays at the McCarter Theatre and Michael Arden’s award-winning production of The Pride at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
Neal Bledsoe’s Personal Life and Relationships
Neal Bledsoe is not married yet so he does not have a wife at the moment. Neither he is dating anyone, he is living a single life. Neal lives a secretive life, so he does not talk much about his personal life with the media. Neal can be often spotted with his co-stars but he never mentioned them as his girlfriend or wife.
Neal was previously in a romantic relationship with Asha Leo who is a British TV presenter and fashion model. They were dating for a long time and didn’t seem to hide their dating life from the public as they used to share their couple photos on their respective social media accounts. Their fans were expecting their marriage to turn into husband and wife. Unfortunately, things did not go well between them so their relationship ended and they separated ways through a breakup. After their breakup, Neal lived a single life while Asha got into a relationship with Jordan Karcher.
Neal is not gay. He is of a straight sexual orientation and he is attracted to the opposite sex. There are no rumors of him being involved in a relationship with a person of the same sex. Though he is living a single life, he has had girlfriends in his past days. Through this, Neal has been able to shut down all the rumors of being in a gay relationship.
Neal Bledsoe’s Family Connection with Drew Bledsoe
Yes, Neal is related to Drew Bledsoe. He is the fourth cousin of Drew. Drew is a former American football quarterback who is famous for his amazing play at the National Football League. He played for 14 seasons with three teams: New England Patriots (1993–2001), Buffalo Bills (2002–2004) and Dallas Cowboys (2005–2006). He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Patriots and led them to Super Bowl XXXI in 1996. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and holds several NFL records, such as the most pass attempts in a single season (691) and the most completions in a single game (45). He retired from football in 2007 and was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011.
Neal and Drew share a common ancestor, John Bledsoe, who was born in 1735 in Virginia and died in 1804 in Tennessee. John Bledsoe had 12 children, one of whom was William Bledsoe, the great-great-great-grandfather of Neal. Another one was Thomas Bledsoe, the great-great-great-great-grandfather of Drew. This makes Neal and Drew fourth cousins once removed.
Neal and Drew have met each other a few times and have expressed their admiration for each other’s work. Neal once said that he was proud to be related to Drew and that he was a huge fan of his football career. Drew once said that he was impressed by Neal’s acting skills and that he enjoyed watching his movies and shows.
Conclusion
Neal Bledsoe is a talented actor, writer and filmmaker who has a diverse and successful career in the entertainment industry. He is also related to Drew Bledsoe, the former NFL quarterback who is a legend in the sports world. They are fourth cousins once removed and have a mutual respect for each other. They are both examples of excellence and achievement in their respective fields.
