Records show that Edward Norton is a direct descendant of Pocahontas.
The Native American heroine who became a Disney character in the 1995 film is the 53-year-old actor’s 12th great-grandmother.
Norton, who was born in Boston and grew up in Columbia, Md., said he grew up believing it was just a “family legend,” but was proven wrong on a recent episode of “Roots,” a lineage show on PBS Network.
The show’s host, Henry Louis Gates Jr., said that Pocahontas became a distant relative of Norton after marrying colonist John Rolfe.
“You have a direct written record. There’s no doubt about it,” Gates told him.
The couple married in Jamestown, Virginia, in April 1614, although Pocahontas died of unknown causes three years later, in March 1617, in Gravesend, England.
Pocahontas has a son, Thomas Rolfe.
The family’s discovery “makes you realize you’re only a small part of the whole human story,” Norton said.
Gates also revealed that Norton’s ancestors owned slaves, which the actor described as “uncomfortable” hearing.
“The short answer is that these things make people uncomfortable,” he said.
“Everyone should be uncomfortable with this.”
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After the episode was released, Norton wrote on Twitter that it was “a privilege and a pleasure” to be part of the show.
“As a historian, teacher, author, talker, I have admired Professor Skip Gates for many years, and I love the show,” he said.
“He was an inspirational man, and it’s full of revelations and his fantastic insights into life and how we relate to history.”
norton currently starring Knives Out Sequel Glass OnionStarring opposite Daniel Craig on Netflix.