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Comedians are often making light out of dark situations, bringing levity and humor in trying times. On this Tuesday’s episode of Finding Your Roots, professor, historian and host Henry Louis Gates Jr. helps two comedians uncover a bit of their tragic past, tracing their immigrant heritage and beyond. Plus, they uncover which other show-biz names are in their distant bloodlines.
Finding Your Roots returned in January for its 10th season on PBS. AARP is a corporate sponsor of this season, which features more stars and — for the first time in the show’s history — three everyday Americans who want to dig deeper into their family ancestry.
Tune in every Tuesday at 8 p.m. for the latest episode on your local PBS station. Watch exclusive clips of the show’s fifth episode, airing Jan. 30, below.
The 61-year-old actor is well known for his role as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and the spinoff series Better Call Saul. But he got his start as a comedian: He was hired by Saturday Night Live in his 20s and then years later cocreated Mr. Show with Bob and David, a sketch comedy series for HBO.
In this exclusive clip, Odenkirk says he feels he “won the lottery” by accepting the dramatic role of the lawyer Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad after years of being out of work in comedy. He didn’t even audition, barely read the script — and he was only supposed to be featured on a few episodes of the award-winning television show.
“I’m unbelievably grateful,” says Odenkirk. “I didn’t deserve it, and, sure, there’s some Catholic guilt in there, but also, it’s true.”
Watch the clip below and tune in on Tuesday to see Gates help Odenkirk further trace his Irish Catholic roots.
Iliza Shlesinger always knew she wanted to be a comedian; even when she was the only female in her improv class, she wasn’t joking around about comedy. The 40-year-old is now selling out tours around the world and has six Netflix specials under her belt.
“Younger people act as if there haven’t always been women in comedy,” Shlesinger says in the exclusive clip below. “I was never told women aren’t funny. It never occurred to me that I wasn’t just as funny, if not better.”
Ever so sure of her future, it’s her past that’s eluded her. On Tuesday’s episode, she traces her Brooklyn and Jewish roots through her great-grandmother to learn about her European forebears.
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