Actor Edward Norton discovers Pocahontas is his 12th great-grandmother

Edward Norton is a direct descendant of Native American heroine Pocahontas, it has been revealed.

The actor had grown up believing the connection to be part of “family legend”, but was proven wrong on a recent episode of ancestry show Finding Your Roots on US television network PBS.

Norton appeared in the first episode of season nine of the show, alongside fellow Hollywood star Julia Roberts, on Tuesday evening.

In it, host Henry Louis Gates Jr confirmed that Pocahontas was Norton’s 12th great-grandmother, having married colonialist John Rolfe.

“You have a direct paper trail. No doubt about it,” Gates told him.

The pair were married in April 1614 in Jamestown, Virginia, though Pocahontas died just three years later in March 1617 in Gravesend, England.

“It just makes you realise what a small piece of the whole human story you are,” Norton replied.

Gates also revealed that Norton’s ancestors had owned slaves, which the actor described as “uncomfortable” to hear.

“The short answer is these things are uncomfortable,” he said.

“Everybody should be uncomfortable with it.”

Writing on Twitter following the episode’s release, he added that participating in the show had been “such a privilege and a pleasure”.