Video: Darren Criss Uncovers Ancestral New York Connection in FINDING YOUR ROOTS Exclusive Clip
The new episode will air Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 8/7c on PBS.
By: Josh Sharpe Jan. 02, 2026
In this exclusive clip from the Season 12 premiere of Finding Your Roots, Tony-winner Darren Criss discovers that his ancestor helped build the foundations of Manhattan in the early days of the city.
The clip sees Criss react to the news of the Dutch brickworker who worked on the corner of Broadway and Stone Street hundreds of years ago. Watch it now, ahead of the full episode, which will air Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 8/7c on PBS.
In 2025, Criss won a Tony Award for his acclaimed turn as helper-bot Oliver in the musical Maybe Happy Ending. Other Broadway credits include American Buffalo opposite Sam Rockwell and Laurence Fishburne (2022), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (2012), and the off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors (2024).
In the 12th season of Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Criss and 19 other celebrity guests sit down with Gates to dive into their ancestral history and family trees. Other guests this season include Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Letts, Kate Burton, Lizzy Caplan, Liza Colón-Zayas, Danielle Deadwyler, Barry Diller, America Ferrera, Flea, Rhiannon Giddens, Brittney Griner, Sara Haines, Wiz Khalifa, Sanaa Lathan, Spike Lee, Delroy Lindo, Lizzo, Hasan Minhaj, and Chris Paul.
Photo Credit: PBS
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