Lena Dunham Learns of Her Unexpected Ancestral Connection to New York City in Exclusive ‘Finding Your Roots’ Sneak Peek

Lena Dunham and New York City have been synonymous since her hit show Girls debuted 2012, but the director, writer and actress is about to find out a much deeper connection she has to the Big Apple in Tuesday’s all-new episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS. Sitting down with Henry Louis Gates Jr. in a PopCulture.com exclusive sneak peek of the April 2 episode, Dunham learns that one of her ancestors was actually the mayor of New York. 

“[Stephanus van Cortlandt] wasn’t just any New Yorker, he was a successful merchant with a talent for politics,” Gates explains. “When the British conquered New Amsterdam in 1664, he won their trust, held onto his business, and ultimately became the first mayor of New York who had actually been born in the city.”

“He was the mayor?” a surprised Dunham asks. “My eighth great-grandfather was the mayor of New York?” Gates affirms, “He was the mayor. And not only was he the mayor, he served two terms as a mayor … first between 1677 and 1678, and then later from 1686 to 1688.” Dunham responds in awe, “Wow,” before admitting, “That is not something that I ever would’ve guessed at.”

Also in Tuesday’s new episode of Finding Your Roots, titled “In the Blood,” actor Michael Douglas will sit down with Gates after his research team uncovered some interesting and surprising facts about his family, specifically surrounding Douglas’ grandpa, Herschel “Harry” Danielovitch, and the reasons behind his immigration from Russia. “Both [Dunham and Douglas] are the children of famous artists, but their family trees contain a cast of fascinating characters whose lives were forgotten – until now,” the episode description teases.

Finding Your Roots uses “genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis to trace the family trees of well-known personalities, telling stories that illuminate America’s shared past and fundamental diversity,” according to PBS. “With each turn of the page in their ‘book of life,’ Gates reveals to his guests the long-buried secrets, hidden identities, and lost ancestors who have laid the groundwork for their success. In learning the emotional and sometimes complex narratives of their ancestry, each guest achieves a deeper understanding of history, family, and belonging.”

Finding Your Roots airs Tuesday, April 2 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings) and is available to stream on PBS.org, the PBS App, and the PBS Documentaries Prime Video Channel.