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Did Jesse Williams Find A Swedish Musician In His Ancestry? Details From Actor's Finding Your Roots Appearance
Jesse Williams uncovers Swedish ancestry on Finding Your Roots, while also learning about his great-great-grandfather's journey from slavery. The PBS documentary series airs every Tuesday.
Jesse Williams looked very emotional when he discovered a Swedish musician in his ancestry on this week's episode of Finding Your Roots, the PBS documentary series that takes a deep dive into celebrities’ ancestors.
On Tuesday, show host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed to the 42-year-old Only Murders in the Building actor that he had an ancestor who studied at the prestigious Royal Music Academy in Stockholm. Williams appeared quite taken aback by the revelation. The actor also found out about his great-great-grandfather’s ascent from slavery last Tuesday.
Jesse Williams finds out about his Swedish ancestor on Find Your Roots
The February 6 episode featuring Jesse Williams shows the actor learning about his Swedish ancestor. Williams, whose mother is Swedish American per his Wiki profile, said after learning the new information, “I drove past the Royal Music Academy. I've seen it. I did not know that I had a family member who studied there.”
Host Henry Louis Gates Jr. then proceeded to ask, “So this was not a family story that was passed down?” “Not to me,” the actor replied while looking at an old black-and-white picture of a little girl. 
Providing more information on the said ancestor, Gates said, “She moved more than 250 miles away from home when she was only sixteen years old,” on which Williams remarked, “It is a big deal…It’s incredible to imagine.”
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James Williams' great-great-grandfather’s ascent from slavery
During the January 31 episode of Finding Your Roots, James Williams learned that his great-great-great-grandfather was a black man 'almost certainly born into slavery.
“But the census shows, when freedom came, Issac transformed his life…He learned to read, became a landowner, married and raised 10 children,” Gates Jr. informed the Grey’s Anatomy alum, to which he said, “It's a big deal.”
“Wow. Got a nice family. All this property. Can read and write. This is an incredible turn of events despite just unfathomable opposition.”
“I feel lucky to be able to put a point on it and be able to name it and have a place in the map to point to something to explore further and share with my children,” Williams added.
Finding Your Roots airs every Tuesday on PBS. The ongoing season 10 of the series features other celebrity guests including Sammy Hagar, Michael Douglas, Anthony Ramos, Valerie Bertinelli, Tracy Morgan, and more.
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