Edward Norton discovered he was a direct descendant of Pocahontas while guest-starring during an episode of the hit PBS show Finding Your Roots, which airs Tuesday.
The 53-year-old Fight Club actor also learned from host and historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. that his ancestors were once slave owners, prompting the star to admit “those things are uncomfortable,” Metro reported.
The Golden Globe winner, who last starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, kicked off the ninth season of the popular series, which takes a closer look at celebrities and their family ancestors.
A revelation: Edward Norton, 53, discovered during Tuesday’s episode of Finding Your Roots airing on PBS that he is related to Pocahontas; seen in London in October 2022
The honoree was surprised to learn about his ancestry, particularly when he learned that his 12th great-grandmother was none other than Pocahontas, who had a monumental impact on history and was connected to the colonial settlement of Jamestown, Virginia.
“That’s as far back as you can get unless you’re a Viking,” the actor had said in the episode, according to NBC Philadelphia.
The Primal Fear star added, “It makes you realize what a small part of human history you are.”
According to the publication, Edward was a direct successor by Pocahontas through her marriage to tobacco planter John Rolfe, which took place in 1614. Three years later she was reported to have died in 1617.
Response: When the Golden Globe winner learned about his ancestry, he expressed on Tuesday’s episode, “It makes you realize what a small part of human history you are”; seen in London in October 2022
History: Edward was a direct descendant of Pocahontas through her marriage to tobacco planter John Rolfe, which occurred in 1614, NBC Philadelphia reported; a statue of Pocahontas
Edward discovered additional information that he admitted made him “uncomfortable”.
According to Metro, the actor was later shown a photo of a married couple with their five daughters, the eldest of whom was just 10 years old.
The Finding Your Roots host and Harvard professor told the Oscar nominee that his ancestors had owned the family as slaves in the past.
Edward was open about his feelings upon learning the information, expressing to Henry, “… these things are uncomfortable and you should be uncomfortable with them. Everyone should be uncomfortable with that.’
Then he added: “It’s not a judgment on you and your own life, but a judgment on the history of this country.”
Additional Story: During the episode, host Henry Louis Gates Jr. informed the Oscar nominee that his ancestors were once slave owners; seen in NYC in December 2022
Latest Episode: Edward did a guest episode to kick off the ninth season of Finding Your Roots during an episode airing Tuesday; seen in Glass Onion on Netflix
“It has to be recognized first, and then fought with,” Edward explained.
“If you move away from censuses and personalize things, you may be talking about a man and a woman with five girls, and those girls are slaves. Born into slavery,” the American History X star explained.
He then added emotionally, “Again, when you read ‘Slave aged eight,’ you just want to die.”
The first episode of the ninth season of PBS’ Finding Your Roots, which delves into the parentage of Edward and Pretty Woman actress Julia Roberts, will air on the network Tuesday.
The series first premiered in 2012 and has welcomed a number of celebrity guests in the past, including Lupita Nyong’o, Issa Rae, Jordan Peele and Glenn Close.
In the upcoming season, viewers will have the opportunity to see not only Edward on screen, but also other stars like Claire Danes and Sofia Vergara’s husband Joe Manganiello.
Emotional: Reflecting on the photo he was shown, Edward said, “Again, when you read ‘slave aged eight,’ you just want to die.”