Access to this video is a benefit for members through PBS Passport.
Up Next
Back to Show
Watch Preview
Finding Your Roots
Rising From the Ashes
Season 9
Episode 5
Henry Louis Gates traces the roots of actors Brian Cox and Viola Davis—two people who overcame traumatic childhoods, revealing that they aren’t the first in their families to face enormous odds. From workhouses in Scotland to slave plantations in South Carolina, long-lost records reveal the stories of ancestors who laid the groundwork for Brian and Viola’s success by fighting so hard to survive.
Support Provided By
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:14
Erin Burnett, Amy Carlson and André Leon Talley trace their ancestral roots.
Unlock with PBS Passport
49:54
Regina King and Damon Lindelof discover that they have more in common than meets the eye.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:09
Broadway stars Leslie Odom, Jr. and Nathan Lane meet a cast of inspiring ancestors.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:09
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps John Leguizamo and Lena Waithe retrace their ancestral paths.
Unlock with PBS Passport
49:54
Terry Crews and Tony Danza find they aren’t the first in their families to beat the odds.
Unlock with PBS Passport
49:54
Mario Lopez and Melissa Villaseñor look at The Mexican-American experience.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:09
Pamela Adlon and Kathryn Hahn discover the truth about their scandal-plagued ancestors.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:20
Retracing the ancestral journeys of David Chang and Raúl Esparza.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:09
The family history of Brittany Packnett Cunningham & Anita Hill.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:09
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. investigates the family history of Rebecca Hall & Lee Daniels
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:11
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. investigates the family history of Roy Wood, Jr. and Lewis Black.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:11
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. examines the family histories of Audra McDonald and Mandy Patinkin.