The Six Degrees of Sondheim

[Leighton]

(I always go for alumni of a person's uni when it's looking very difficult  )

[MartinG]

Ottessa Moshfegh is another alumnus of Brown University, along with...
Emma Watson, who was in the 'live-action' Beauty and the Beast with...
Audra McDonald, who appeared in the 2000 concert version of Sweeney and the 2013 HBO documentary Six by Sondheim.


James Joyce

[KathyB]

James Joyce went to University College Dublin, as did Gabriel Byrne
Byrne starred in In Treatment with Josh Charles.
Charles was in The Good Wife with Christine Baranski.
Baranski was Mrs. Lovett in the Kennedy Center's Sweeney Todd.


Marie Curie

[KathyB]

If this is too hard, I can come up with another name.

How about Bob Ross?

[MartinG]

Sorry Kathy, been sidetracked on a project.

Marie Curie was portrayed in Madame Curie by...
Greer Garson, who appeared in Mrs. Miniver with...
Reginald Owen, who appeared on Broadway in 1972, the year he died, in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum".


Ric Ocasek

[KathyB]

Ric Ocasek was married to Paulina Porizkova (actually, I believe they're still married, although separated).
Paulina Porizkova was in the movie Arizona Dream with Johnny Depp...
Who played Sweeney Todd and the Wolf in various Sondheim movies.


Because I'm curious:

Bob Ross

[MartinG]

This is certainly a challenge...working on it... 

[KathyB]

To inspire you:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/559157/facts-about-the-joy-of-painting-bob-ross

[MartinG]

OK as you've kindly supplied a lead I'll go for it...

The 2011 documentary, Bob Ross: The Happy Painter included various notables paying tribute to the artist, including...
Jane Seymour, who appeared on Broadway in Amadeus, opposite...
Tim Curry, who was in My Favourite Year with...
Josh Mostel, whose old man Zero, as I've previously observed, appeared on stage and screen in Forum.


I'd just seen a clip of Bagpuss and was on the brink of proposing Oliver Postgate, but a quick check surprisingly confirmed it wouldn't have been much of a challenge!


so...


Simone de Beauvoir

[KathyB]

Simone de Beauvoir was born in Paris, France...
As was Georges Seurat, inspiration for Sunday in the Park with George.


(I thought this one was going to be more difficult, and I suppose I could have made it more difficult.)




Justin Bieber

[Bookman George]

Justin Bieber's song "As Long as You Love Me" was used  in Love, Simon, which starred

Jennifer Garner, who until quite recently was married to

Ben Affleck, who starred in Gone Girl with

Neil Patrick Harris, who played Lee Harvey Oswald in a production of Assassins.




Greta Garbo

[KathyB]

Greta Garbo was the subject of the 1990 TNT documentary The Divine Garbo, narrated by Glenn Close.
Close played the Giant in the 2012 production of Into the Woods in Central Park.


Jimmy Buffett

[KathyB]

If this makes it any easier...

Jimmy Buffett collaborated with Herman Wouk on a musical adapted from Wouk's novel Don't Stop the Carnival.

[MartinG]

Well as it happens, Jimmy Buffet had a cameo role in Hook, in which Smee was played by...
Bob Hoskins, who played Nathan Detroit in the National Theatre's Guys and Dolls in 1996 alongside...
Julia McKenzie, who was Sally in the West End Follies and also appeared in Side By Side By...




Tommy Cooper

[KathyB]

My first attempt at this ended up as Seven Degrees of Sondheim.

I went back and took a different connection and I'm now within six degrees.

Tommy Cooper worked with Eric Sykes on two Thames Television productions in 1982 (according to Cooper's Wikipedia page--it doesn't specify what they are)
Eric Sykes worked with Hattie Jacques on Sykes and a...
Hattie Jacques starred in Carry On, Doctor, which also featured Frankie Howerd
Who was Pseudolus in the original West End production of Forum.



Spike Milligan