Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas hails from humble ancestral origins.
On Tuesday's episode of "Finding Your Roots," the "Fatal Attraction" and "Basic Instinct" actor traces his paternal roots back 200 years to a part of Belarus when it was part of the Russian territory the Pale of Settlement. The show found the resting place of the Douglases' Jewish ancestry — ancestors who suffered discrimination and challenges in Europe because of their Jewish identity.
"I feel more of a spiritual religious connection to Judaism than I ever had before," Douglas shared with host Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Gates asked what Douglas' late father, Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas, would think about the discovery, and Michael Douglas replied, "I think he'd be very very touched and really appreciate it. He always, even though, his path, his career took him away from Amsterdam, New York and everything else — he tried to always touch base with his six sisters back there to some degree. I think [he] would have [felt] very blessed and cherished to be able to share this.
"I wish I could go through a family album with him now — be able to show him," Douglas said.
Another surprising discovery for Douglas was a secret celebrity distant relative. The show ran his DNA against other celebrity guests who had been on the series and found a surprising match.
Gates divulged to Douglas that his "DNA cousin is Scarlett Johansson." The show's DNA researchers found that Johansson's maternal side also stretches back to Jewish communities in Eastern Europe just like Douglas'.
"Oh, that's amazing. Alright, this is cool. This is so cool," he exclaimed. "That's incredible. I look forward to seeing Scarlett next time!"
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On the side of Douglas' stage actress mother Diana Dill, "Finding Your Roots" traced back the Dills to the British territory of Bermuda. It's here that Douglas' family dates back to the 1600s with a line of prominent lawyers, merchants and slave owners, the show's researchers found.
However, his grandma's side could also be traced back to colonial New Jersey to his distant relative and merchant, John Nielson. Nielson was also a colonel and was famous for winning the Battle of Bennett's Island. The success earned him a nod from George Washington himself, who was president at that time.
While Nielson's heroic efforts were highlighted, Gates shared with Douglas that his ancestor was also a slave owner. "We have this expression in Hebrew, 'tikkun olam' which means to make the world a better place or to try to repair the world. You just feel that obligation much more when you see something like that. It makes you want to be a better person," Douglas said.
“Finding Your Roots” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS.
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