"Glass Onion" star Edward Norton has revealed the surprising fact he recently learned about himself—that he is related to 17th-century Native American Pocahontas.

The film actor was a guest on the Tuesday broadcast of PBS's show "Finding Your Roots," which sets out to unearth celebrities' genealogical history. The episode found through DNA data and historical evidence that Pocahontas is Norton's 12th great-grandmother.

"It just makes you realize what a small ... piece of the whole human story you are," Norton, 53, said of the discovery.

Historian and host of the show Henry Louis Gates said that Norton came into the filming with "more details about his roots than any guest I can recall."

Norton said he had discovered through his own research that his relative was a slave owner. "The short answer is these things are uncomfortable. And you should be uncomfortable with them," he said after the difficult revelation.

Gates commented that he worried that with Norton's extensive familial knowledge, the show may not reveal any new information–but researchers found several surprising stories.

"You have a direct paper trail, no doubt about it, connection to your 12th great-grandmother and great-grandfather, John Rolfe and Pocahontas," Gates told Norton.

Pocahontas has been a famous figure in American history, cited for saving Captain John Smith's life after he was captured by the Powhatan. She was the daughter of Powhatan chief Wahunsenaca and was born around 1596. Her original name was Amonute, and Pocahontas was a nickname.

Norton was revealed to have had a connection to Pocahontas through her marriage to John Rolfe in 1614. According to The National Park Service, Pocahontas met Rolfe after being captured by the English. She converted to Christianity and was baptized as "Rebecca," giving birth to a boy named Thomas and dying three years later in England.

Over a dozen ancestors of Norton had migrated from England to America, according to Gates. Norton said that his relation to Pocahontas had been a rumor in his family for decades.

"I understand that is family lore," Gates said. "Well, it is absolutely true."