Over the past three decades, Edward Norton has made a name for himself in
Hollywood as a highly respected actor and filmmaker. Following his breakout
performance in "Primal Fear" in 1996, for which he was nominated for an
Academy Award and won a Golden Globe, he went on to act in two more films
that he is still well-known for: "Flight Club" and "American History
X."
He has since portrayed "The Incredible Hulk" and made cameos in critically
praised ensemble cast movies including "Birdman," "The Grand Budapest
Hotel," "Moonrise Kingdom," and "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." In
addition, he has directed the films "Keeping the Faith" and "Motherless
Brooklyn."
While Norton has utilized his stature to promote anti-corruption and
environmental causes off-screen, he has portrayed a variety of characters on
screen, both good and bad. Norton has stated that he has no intention in
becoming a superstar, despite the fact that he is highly recognized for his
work in Hollywood. A relatively calm existence has eluded him despite his
celebrity, thanks to his past romances with Salma Hayek and Courtney Love,
among other well-known artists.
But the actor has made the decision to share a particular side of himself
with the world: his family background. When Norton appeared on PBS's
"Finding Your Roots" in January 2023, he discovered several significant
details about his ancestry, such as the fact that he is connected to
Pocahontas, also known as Amonute, a Powhatan lady.
Notable finds in Norton's lineage include a late 19th-century labor leader
who supported unionization and a soldier from the Civil War who corresponded
with Abraham Lincoln. Discover more about Edward Norton's unexpected
ancestry by reading on.
During his appearance on the ninth season premiere of PBS's "Finding Your
Roots," Norton discussed his family's history, which stretches back to
Virginia in the early American colonial era, with host Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Gates Jr. verified an amazing revelation that Norton was only dimly aware of
due to family lore: Pocahontas, a Native American Powhatan lady who was also
known as Amonute or Matoaka, is Norton's 12th great-grandmother.
Her tale is somewhat well-known because she was kidnapped and held captive
by English colonists for ransom before getting married to John Rolfe. Her
father was the leader of the Powhatan tribe, which occupied the Virginian
Tidewater region. Her tale has been romanticized and made into a movie
throughout the years, among other literary works.
Regarding Norton's claim to be a Pocahontas ancestor, Gates Jr. informed
the taken aback actor:
"That was, I realize, family lore. It is, in fact, entirely true."
The host provided background information on the era in which all of this
occurred, saying, "On April 5, 1614, John Rolfe and Pocahontas were married.
Shakespeare passes away in 1616, to put everything in context." "John Rolfe
died around March 1622, and Pocahontas died sometime in March 1617 in
Grave's End, England," he said.
"How could you possibly determine that?" Norton questioned, incredulous
that the family legend had come to pass. According to Gates Jr., "through
the paper trail," some of which Norton's forebears themselves maintained.
Overwhelmed by the attention to detail, Norton declared, "This is about as
far back as you can go, unless you're a Viking." Added him:
"Makes you realize how small you are in the grand scheme of things."
Adding to Norton's "uncomfortable" background, the 1850 North Carolina
census revealed that his third great-grandfather, John Winstead, was the
owner of slaves. A 37-year-old lady, a 55-year-old man, and five little
girls—ages 10, 9, 8, 6, and 4—were among them. Norton disclosed the
following after discovering that his ancestor had seven slaves:
"The short answer is that these things are uncomfortable, and everyone
should feel uncomfortable with them as well."
Added him:
"It's a judgment on this country's history, not on you and your own life.
It must be acknowledged first and foremost, and then it must be
contested."
Norton struggled with the idea that the young girls were essentially born
into slavery as the two talked about it, saying, "When you read slave age 8,
you want to die."
In another part of the show, Norton disclosed that his grandparents had
written down the diaries of a previous 19th-century ancestor, so he was well
knowledgeable about his family history. Gates Jr. went so far as to say that
Norton was ready to discuss his family's history "better than any guest (he)
can recall."
According to the actor, "I gotta be honest, one of the things that amazes
me is that they were making these kinds of records in that kind of a
tumultuous time." Norton's other ancestor enlisted in the Continental Army
under George Washington in 1777.
At the conclusion of the show, Gates Jr. disclosed that Julia Roberts, who
also makes an appearance in the ninth season of "Finding Your Roots," shared
a DNA sequence with Norton that was enough similar to conclude that the two
of them shared an ancestor from somewhere in their families' pasts.
Tags:
celebrity