33 ‘Claim to Fame’ Clue Wall Items You Might’ve Missed
Spoiler Alert
We’re nearing the home stretch of Claim to Fame‘s third season, and at this point, most of the cast’s celebrity relatives have been identified on the show. Even those that haven’t yet been guessed on-screen have been sleuthed out by the internet. The crop of contestants’ celebrity relatives this year included a variety of stars: musicians across the genres, legendary actors from multiple generations, and even a celebrated news anchor.
Now that most of those A-listers’ identities have been figured out, we wanted to turn back to the Clue Wall that started it all this season and see what we might’ve missed the first time around.
Below, you’ll find the clues we discerned from the Claim to Fame Season 3 Clue Wall (spoilers ahead, obviously), but be sure to check out TV Insider’s zoomable version of the Clue Wall, too, and hit the comments to let us know what you find!
This is most obviously a nod to The Breakfast Club, one of Molly Ringwald’s (aka Naomi Burns’ cousin) most famous movies, but it could also relate to Robin Roberts’ (aka Bianca’s aunt) breakfast-time show Good Morning America.
This toy soldier is likely referencing Apocalypse Now, the Vietnam War-era film Marlon Brando (Shane’s grandfather) famously starred in.
No doubt this butcher knife is a dead giveaway (see what we did there) to Jamie Lee Curtis (Raphael aka Miguel’s aunt) the seminal scream queen in Halloween.
Michael Bolton (Adam’s uncle) recorded the theme song for Disney’s 1997 animated film Hercules, one character of which was — you guessed it! — Pegasus.
Jon Cryer (Gracie Lou’s uncle) starred in the 1991 Top Gun parody Hot Shots! which featured jets just like this one.
Even Nael Zayas aka Danny thought this jar of jelly being low on the Clue Wall was a nod to his uncle Marc Anthony’s ex, J-Lo.
We’re reminded of “Rock in the U.S.A.” by John Mellencamp (dad to Hu with this patriotic flag.
Just about every picture of Trace Adkins (Mackenzie’s dad) in existence has him in a cowboy hat, so this is definitely Mackenzie’s dad’s clue (even if he usually goes for black stetsons instead of white).
This basketball net simply has to be a reference to Robin Roberts, who was a record-making college player and worked as an ESPN sportscaster for years.
This has John Stamos written all over it. The actor is of Greek heritage (his family’s surname was original Stamotopoulos), and he also starred in a commercial for Greek yogurt once.
The Claim to Famers figured this one to be a nod to Michael Jackson’s (Sigmund Jackson aka Dedrick’s uncle) The Wiz character, but it could also be a nod to John Mellencamp’s Scarecrow album.
No doubt this moon clue is a play on Michael Jackson’s famous moonwalk dance.
This car is definitely reminiscent of the red Porsche driven by Jack Ryan in Sixteen Candles, a film starring Molly Ringwald.
This could be another nod to Marlon Brando’s Apocalypse Now, but it could also be a wink at the “half men” part of Jon Cryer’s Two and a Half Men.
The school bus was also a major part of Sixteen Candles and a very memorable (for better or for worse) scene with Molly Ringwald.
This could be either a cherry (and thus a nod to John Mellencamp’s “Cherry Bomb” song) or it could be an apple (as a potential nod to Michael Bolton’s ex, Desperate Housewives star Nicolette Sheridan).
This has Mutiny on the Bounty written all over it, which was a 1962 naval drama starring Marlon Brando.
Could this be a wink to the 1988 film Fresh Horses, starring Molly Ringwald
This horn has just gotta be a clever reference to Trace Adkins’ hit song, “Honky Tonk Bandonkadonk,” right?!
This particular vehicle could conjure up memories of A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Marlon Brando, or it could make you think of San Francisco and the Full House intro featuring John Stamos.
Trace Adkins sings a lot about lightbulbs in his hit song “Every Light in the House.”
These maracas might’ve been used by Raphael Curtis aka Miguel to convince others his celebrity relative was Antonio Banderas, but they probably really relate to Marc Anthony whose salsa songs sometimes include the instrument.
Another Marlon Brando-related clue is this Eiffel Tower paperweight, which reminds of Last Tango in Paris.
This floral headdress looks an awful lot like the one Molly Ringwald wore in Sixteen Candles.
This stethoscope has just gotta by a sly nod to Jon Cryer’s NCIS counterpart Dr. Cyril Taft, who was often shown wearing one.
The contestants figured out that this pile of cash might refer to Molly Ringwald’s 1990 romantic comedy Strike It Rich.
Another horror film bona fide for Jamie Lee Curtis is Prom Night, the promotional materials of which very famously featured her in a tiara.
Among her many talents, Robin Roberts grew up playing tennis.
Here’s another tennis clue that might point to Robin Roberts’ sports history.
This screams Pretty in Pink, which starred both Molly Ringwald and Jon Cryer.
Even Jon Cryer knew there’d be a duck as a clue to reference his iconic ’80s role as Duckie in Pretty in Pink.
Uncle Jesse loves his sunglasses and so does Jon Stamos in real life. This is definitely a clue to his identity.
Of the musicians in the celebrity relatives’ pool this season, this guitar clue could relate to all of them. Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Marc Anthony, and John Mellencamp all play.
From TV Guide Magazine
'America's Got Talent': Simon Cowell Teases Big Changes in Season 20 as Mel B. Returns
The show’s judges and host preview the landmark season and reflect on how they’re keeping it fresh. Read the story now on TV Insider.
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services