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Finding Your Roots
The Butterfly Effect
Season 11
Episode 8
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actors Debra Messing & Melanie Lynskey to ancestors who made bold decisions that forever reshaped their family trees. Moving from shtetls in Eastern Europe to a fruit stand in NY City to the wilds of New Zealand, Gates introduces his guests to relatives who took great risks, overcame enormous hardships—and unwittingly transformed the lives of their descendants.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of basketball stars Brittney Griner and Chris Paul.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of actor Lizzy Caplan and comedian Hasan Minhaj.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the Caribbean heritage of Liza Colón-Zayas and Delroy Lindo.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of rapper Wiz Khalifa and actor Sanaa Lathan.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers America Ferrera & Darren Criss’ immigrant ancestors.
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Family mysteries are solved for actor Laurence Fishburne & scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of actor Sheryl Lee Ralph & historian Lonnie Bunch.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the roots of married actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. meets musician Rubén Blades & journalist Natalie Morales.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the ancestry of notable chefs José Andrés & Sean Sherman.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the ancestry of actor Sharon Stone & model Chrissy Teigen.
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Henry Louis Gates, Jr. reveals inspiring ancestors of novelist Amy Tan & poet Rita Dove.