Edward Norton discovers he and Pocahontas share family ties

As the Glass Onion star learned on the season premiere of Finding Your Roots, Pocahontas, who lived in colonial Jamestown, is his 12th great grandmother

By Hattie Lindert  |  January 5, 2023 | 3:44pm
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Edward Norton discovers he and Pocahontas share family ties
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Edward Norton and a portrait of Pocahontas Image: The A.V. Club

With the holidays just barely in the rearview, more than a few people are likely in the midst of embarking on a gifted journey through Ancestry.com, learning new curios about their line and (hopefully) not discovering direct ties to any plantation owners.

The celebrity version of this is, of course, a stint on the PBS show Finding Your Roots. Series host Henry Louis Gates Jr. has discovered such illustrious tidbits as Larry David’s relation to Bernie Sanders, a cousin connection between Bill Maher and Bill O’Reilly—and now, actor Edward Norton’s tie to one of America’s most famed indigenous women.

On a Tuesday night episode of PBS’ Finding Your Roots, the Glass Onion star learned a fact about his heritage that would likely surprise anyone: he’s a direct descendant of the influential Powhatan woman—and central figure in colonial Jamestown lore—Pocahontas. Pocahontas is Norton’s (deep breath) great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother (12 greats in all).

Although the news left Norton visibly shocked, the idea of Pocahontas as part of his history wasn’t exactly new. As Gates vocalizes in the episode, a relation to Pocahontas was a little bit of a Norton legend.

“I understand that was family lore,” Gates shares of his discovery in a clip from the episode. “Well, it is absolutely true.”

When Norton understandably inquires how it’s even possible to confirm that he’s a descendant of Pocahontas, Gates cites the “paper trail” as the main evidence. Pocahontas and Jamestown settler John Rolfe were married on April 4, 1614— from then on, documents lead all the way down to one very blue-eyed Fight Club star.

“Just makes you realize what a small piece of the whole human story you are,” Norton muses.

 
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