Edward Norton: Discovered that Pocahontas is his 12th great grandmother and his ancestors once owned slaves

Actor Edward Norton discovered that he is her descendant Pocahontaswhile making a guest appearance during an episode of the hit PBS show, “Finding Your Roots.”

The 53-year-old “Fight Club” actor learned from host and historian Henry Louis Gates that his ancestors were once slave owners, prompting the star to admit, “Those things are uncomfortable,” Metro reported.

The Golden Globe winner, who recently starred in the film ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’, made a splash on the show, which takes a close look at celebrities and their family origins.

The award-winning actor was surprised to learn about his ancestry, especially when he learned that his 12th great-grandmother was none other than Pocahontas. “This is a surprise,” said the actor. The “Primal Fear” star added: “It makes you realize how small a part of human history you are.”

According to Metro, the actor later saw a photo of a husband and wife, along with their five daughters, the eldest of whom is just ten years old. The “Finding Your Roots” host and Harvard professor informed the Oscar-nominated actor that his ancestors had members of this family as slaves in the past.

Edward spoke openly about his feelings upon learning the information and expressed to Henry that “…these things are uncomfortable and you have to be uncomfortable with them. Everyone should be uncomfortable with them.”

He then added: “It is not a crisis for you and your own life, but it is a crisis for the history of this country. We have to first of all recognize it and then deal with it,” said Edward.

Finally, he noted, “When you read ‘eight-year-old slave,’ you just want to die.”

The first episode of the ninth season of PBS’ “Finding Your Roots” takes a close look at the origins of both Edward and “Pretty Woman” actress Julia Roberts.

Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.