They’re already best buddies in real life — now we have the proof they’re related.

According to genealogy experts anyway, who insist the couple are 10th cousins — linked by a 17th century English bricklayer called William Knowlton.

Damon wins the battle of the VIP family tree — he can apparently count “six or seven” ex presidents among his ancestors, while Affleck boasts just one…

Barack Obama no less!

The mystery biker hiding behind this helmet and shades is none other than Brad Pitt.

WENN ran into the actor leaving a movie studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday — looking supercool on his custom-made bike.

But he’s not as stylish  as  Barack Obama, according to a new poll, which placed Pitt in second place, behind the U.S. president.

There is some comfort for Brad — he managed to finishabove David Beckham and George Clooney.

The top five, decided by shirt-maker Thomas Pink:

1. Barack Obama

2. Brad Pitt

3. David Beckham

4. Daniel Craig

5. Al Pacino

Philadelphia’s Denzel Washington, the presumptive favorite to play U.S. president Barack Obama on film, has actually ceded the role to someone else, claiming that he’ll be “too old” for the role come the day.

The Oscar winner would love to play Obama in a movie, but Washington, 54, is afraid it will be years before the 47-year-old president’s bio makes it to the big screen — and Washington admits that a younger actor would work better for the part when that bio is eventually produced.

Washington also says he couldn’t depict Obama today, because the prexy has bigger things to worry about than coaching him on the portrayal: “When Obama’s story is ready to be told I’ll be too old to do it. And if it were made now, he has too much to do to have me asking for tips on how to play him.”

We applaud Washington’s healthy perspective, but it’s still kind of disappointing, for us as well as for Washington.  Washington’s remake of The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3 hits theaters next Friday.

Actor Kal Penn of Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle has left medical drama House for another house — the White House.

Penn, whose character Dr. Lawrence Kutner departed from the FOX drama Monday night in noteworthy fashion (we won’t go into further detail, for those of you who haven’t had time to watch it on your DVRs yet), has taken a position in President Barack Obama’s White House, as an associate director in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Shown above at a campaign stop for Obama last year, Penn explained the job to Entertainment Weekly thusly: “[That office does] outreach with the American public and with different organisations. They’re basically the front door of the White House. They take out all of the red tape that falls between the general public and the White House.

“I love what I do as an actor. I couldn’t love it more. But probably from the time I was a kid, I really enjoyed that balance between the arts and public service. I thought this might be the right time to go off and do something else.

“There’s not a lot of financial reward in these jobs. Obviously, the opportunity to serve in a capacity like this is an incredible honor.”

Penn is working towards a graduate certificate in international security at Stanford University.

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle enjoy a quiet moment on the dance floor at Tuesday night’s post-inauguration Neighborhood Ball.  Wednesday, Obama’s first full day in office, holds a meeting on the economic situation in the States as well as a consult on Iraq and Afghanistan.