Finding Your Roots

Culture Series / 7 Seasons

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

52m 10s / TV-PG

Danny Trejo Learns About His Ancestors' Journey to the U.S.

5m 34s / TV-PG

Because of a strained relationship with his father, actor Danny Trejo never learned much about his roots. But here, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals the story of his great-grandparents' and their four children's grueling journey by foot from Mexico to the U.S. shortly after World War I.

Cyndi Lauper's Ancestors Played a Part in a Swiss Rebellion

4m 4s

Singer Cyndi Lauper, who has devoted her life to an array of social causes, had a great-grandfather who, as a "general agitator," helped organize a rebellion against unfair monetary policies in Switzerland in the early 1650s.

Far From Home Preview

32s

Henry Louis Gates explores the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, introducing them to ancestors whose stories were forgotten when their families immigrated to the United States. Drawing on long-lost records from Italy, Korea, Mexico, and Switzerland, Gates helps his guests to re-imagine their families and connect to their vanished histories.

Carol Burnett Learns Who Fought in Wars — and Who Fled

4m 28s / TV-PG

Carol Burnett and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncover some surprising connections between her family, the American Revolution and the Civil War. Burnett, an award-winning actress and best-selling author, is widely recognized by the public and her peers for her work for her comedic and dramatic roles on television, film, and Broadway, most notably The Carol Burnett Show.

Niecy Nash Discovers Her Ancestor's History as Slaves

5m 40s / TV-PG

Niecy Nash is awestruck when she reads a will that bequeaths her 4th Great Grandfather to a plantation owner's daughter -- the first tangible evidence that she's ever seen of her family's history as slaves.

Secret Lives Preview

32s

Henry Louis Gates helps comedians Carol Burnett and Niecy Nash decode scandals and secrets that have lain hidden within their roots for generations, revealing stories that their ancestors went to great lengths to conceal. Along the way, Gates and his guests also explore the larger meaning of family bonds—and celebrate the virtue of accepting one’s relatives, whoever they may be.

Claire Danes Discovers Her Great-Grandfather’s WWI Sacrifice

5m 58s / TV-PG

Claire Danes and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncover the story of her great-grandfather's heroic sacrifice in World War I and the story of her grandmother's journey to see his grave in France.

Jeff Daniels Ancestors Testified in the Salem Witch Trials

7m 37s

Jeff Daniels discovers his 8th great grandfather Captain Thomas Chandler, testified against Samuel Wardwell during the Salem Witch Trials, eventually sending him and multiple others to their death.

Salem's Lot Preview

32s

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes actors Claire Danes and Jeff Daniels on a journey into their roots, uncovering primal scenes from our nation’s past. Weaving together stories of soldiers, settlers, immigrants and entrepreneurs, Gates travels from World War I battlefields to Civil War prison camps to America’s most infamous witch hunt—offering his guests insight into what made them who they are today.

Edward Norton's Great-Great-Grandfather Was Murdered

4m 3s / TV-PG

Edward Norton came to Finding Your Roots already equipped with more genealogical knowledge about his family than perhaps any guest in the history of the show. But we still managed to find a few shocking family stories that the actor was unaware of, including how his great-great-grandfather, Frank Baals had died.

Julia Roberts Learns of Swedish Ancestors' Humble Beginnings

5m 50s / TV-PG

Julia Roberts learns that her ancestors who immigrated to America were Statares -- contract farm workers who, because of their harsh living conditions, were generally viewed as being on the lowest rungs of Swedish society.

Hidden Kin Preview

33s / TV-PG

Henry Louis Gates explores the remarkable roots of actors Edward Norton and Julia Roberts — using DNA analysis and genealogical detective work to travel generations into the past, tracing lineages that run from Northern Europe to the American South. Along the way, Norton and Roberts reimagine their family stories and discover their hidden connections to our nation’s history — and each other.

Season 9 Official Preview

31s

A new season of Finding Your Roots premieres January 3, 2023 8/7c! Tune in for all-new episodes as renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides influential guests into their roots, uncovering deep secrets, hidden identities and lost ancestors.

Season 9 Inside Look

1m

The countdown to a new season of Finding Your Roots is on! Season 9 features 21 incredible new guests with compelling stories of their ancestors. You will not want to miss an episode! Tune into PBS on January 3rd at 8/7c.

Extended Trailer

3m 13s / TV-PG

Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for a new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. Using genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis, Gates guides twenty-one influential guests deep into the branches of their family trees, revealing surprising stories of forgotten ancestors that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.

André Leon Talley Stunned by Ancestor’s Bequeathment

55s

André Leon Talley and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. discussed how his great-great-grandfather’s bequeathment from a slave owner to his child was similar to how a car or piano would get passed down in a will.

Amy Carlson Admires Her Sixth-Great Grandmother’s Stoicism

36s

When Amy Carlson's sixth great-grandfather died in battle after 26 years in the Swedish military, one of his son's replaced him in service. Here, Amy admires the stoicism it must have taken for her sixth-great-grandmother to accept her son's decision.

André Leon Talley: “Everyone in That Church was a Queen”

56s

André Leon Talley’s fashion muse was none other than his grandmother. He said that she was a domestic worker for 50 years, but she “rose to her regality every Sunday when she put on that hat.”

Erin Burnett Learns About Her Ancestors’ Rare Divorce

1m 27s

In 1880, divorce in New York City was so exceedingly rare (only 0.2%!) that the divorce of Erin Burnett’s great-great-grandfather from his first wife made headlines in several newspapers.

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