Edward Norton is descended from Pocahontas.
Edward Norton is descended from Pocahontas
The ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ actor, 33, made the discovery while appearing on an episode of PBS’ ‘Finding Your Roots’, set to be broadcast Thursday. (05.01.23)
Ed is also seen declaring “these things are uncomfortable” when he finds out on the show his ancestors were slave owners of a couple and their young children.
It’s been reported the actor was stunned to find his twelfth great-grandmother was Pocahontas, the iconic Native American daughter of the Great Powhatan.
NBC Philadelphia reported Ed says on the show about the discovery: “This is about as far back as you can go, unless you’re a Viking.
“It makes you realize what a small piece of the human story you are.”
Ed is apparently related to Pocahontas through tobacco planter John Rolfe, who she married in 1614, three years before her death aged around 21.
Metro added when Ed was shown a photo of a husband and wife, along with their five daughters, and told they were owned as slaves by his ancestors, the actor said: “Everybody should be uncomfortable with it. It’s not a judgement on you and your own life but it’s a judgement on the history of this country.
“It needs to be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it needs to be contended with.
“When you go away from census counts and you personalise things, you’re talking about, possibly, a husband and wife with five girls, and these girls are slaves. Born into slavery.
“Again, when you read ‘slave aged eight’, you just want to die.”
The ninth series of ‘Finding Your Roots’ is also set to look at the ancestry of Julia Roberts, Claire Danes and Sofia Vergara’s husband, Joe Manganiello.
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