Christopher Walken Uncovers His Grandfather's Criminal History | Finding Your Roots | Ancestry®

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Actor Christopher Walken learns the incredible story behind his mother’s immigration from Scotland to the United States and uncovers a never before seen mugshot of his biological grandfather in this week’s episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots.
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00:00 Introduction
0:21 Christopher Walken wants to know about his mother’s family
1:03 Who is Christopher Walken’s grandfather?
2:44 Christopher Walken meets his biological grandfather

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26 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 1,5 тыс.

@AncestryUS Год назад

Christopher seeing his grandfather for the first time is pretty powerful! Do you have a relative that you’ve always wanted to learn more about?

@jonirnmomba4130 Год назад

My father. He was a beautiful man, and died at 63. I took advantage of his stories and now I wish I would have asked more. I think that my son is the 5th generation with his name but that is just speculation based on family lore.

@cjanderson768 Год назад

My great great grandfather. I don’t even know his name. He was never discussed. My mom had met her great grandmother a few times but he was never there. I’ve searched for his name or information about him for almost 40 years now.

@patriciaredmond3996 Год назад

My great grandfather, Patrick McCudden, from Co. Monaghan, it's always been a mystery what happened to him after my great grandmother kicked him out , it's telling in my family that she's described as well a hard women to get along with, he was a lovable rogue who might of been a bit of a lady's man

@theresamay9481 Год назад

My sister belongs to Ancestry and has done extensive research to find out who our Grandfather was. She walked streets and found the places where our Grandmother lived, went through microfiche at the city library and talked to all relatives she could find. The name on our Father's birth certificate was made up. We still don't know who he was.

@bettyeclay5917 Год назад

I would like to know who my biological father was. I lived 50 years as a black woman and I then find out my biological father is white with Appalachian roots.

@jimjam51075 Год назад

My favorite part of the episode is where the host gives him a gold watch and tells him where his grandfather had to hide it.

@pippishortstocking7913 Год назад

🤣 you win today's internet comment

@christophersmith2091 Год назад

It's a uncomfortable hunk of metal.

@allancarel8511 10 месяцев назад

you beat me to it.

@honorsilverthorne7227 10 месяцев назад

HAHAHA

@bennettnez4711 10 месяцев назад

Almost scrolled passes this before it clicked. 10/10

@danielhickmott5800 Год назад

His mother is what I call a “cycle breaker”. She knew she wanted a better life for herself and future children and did it!

@Desmondbrown73 10 месяцев назад

Can never break the cycle

@ardakolimsky7107 10 месяцев назад

What cycle?

@jasonspades1265 9 месяцев назад

I knew a guy who would break bicycles...is that kinda what you mean?

@breeze_japanese 9 месяцев назад

@bluedream3195 I don't like your flag

@palepride7530 9 месяцев назад

@@breeze_japaneseI don’t like you eating dogs

@nosol Год назад

Mom was a pretty tough and proud figure to have ultimately still put her real father's name on the birth certificate. Never be ashamed of where you come from.

@phyllisjohnson6442 Год назад

That’s so right. What is is. Whatever was was.👍🏾

@shannonmcelyea4631 Год назад

Back then I think her being “illegitimate” on the birth certificate may have effected her immigration??

@AncestryUS Год назад

Great to remember, Olga!

@Mybpeterson 11 месяцев назад

In her home country she had reason to be ashamed of her criminal father. In America no one knew the man. But in those times, she had A LOT to be ashamed of for being illegitimate. By getting a new birth certificate she wasn't so much as claiming her father, she was proving her legitimacy in a different society. Getting it done just before she married showed she didn't want to bring shame to her husband, his family, and any family they may create. She never spoke her father's name for a reason. She never even alluded to him.

@josebotello928 10 месяцев назад

Thanks I need to her that. 👍

@immortanjoe9362 4 месяца назад

I'm a simple man. I see Christopher Walken, I click it.

@AncestryUS 4 месяца назад

Thanks for stopping by Immortan Joe! We hope you enjoyed this segment with Christopher Walken!

@tapanisydanmetsa6714 8 месяцев назад

Cristopher Walken is absolutely one of my favorite Hollywood actors if not the most favorite. His voice is Magic.

@AncestryUS 8 месяцев назад

Thanks for taking part in the discussion and sharing your thoughts, tapani sydänmetsä! We hope you've enjoyed learning more about Christopher's own family history within another incredible episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots. He certainly has a unique voice that is recognisable instantly! Thanks again and enjoy the rest of your weekend! 🎃

@poppawheelie5666 3 месяца назад

You're talking to my boy all wrong, it's the tone

@guns4toilets Год назад

"He looks like a tough customer." Excellent reaction and another quote to add to his many already legendary ones.

@yeebby1 Год назад

Christopher Walken is one of the greats. ❤

@thehighpriestess8431 Год назад

Christopher Walken is one smart cookie. I love to see him in movies because he is such a fine 🎭 actor.

@jason-hy8ci 9 месяцев назад

Please take no offense, but "Tough Customer" isn't really new or Never heard.

@jamesjameson4566 8 месяцев назад

@@jason-hy8cistrange seeing the things people have no idea of 😂

@flywhereangelsfell3172 8 месяцев назад

And he can sure play the h... out of a cowbell!

@vXIR0NMANXv 9 месяцев назад

His mothers resolve to get on a boat and go to a completely different world is incredibly inspiring. I hope I can find that resolve myself some day.

@taylor3014 9 месяцев назад

Though getting on a boat with Christopher Walken may not end up working out quite so well

@___HH___ 9 месяцев назад

At least she wasn't walkin'.

@PeterRabbit70 9 месяцев назад

@@taylor3014 Do you think Walken had a role in that?

@lIllIIIllIl 8 месяцев назад

Selfish*

@miamijefe7793 8 месяцев назад

It's easier for women. They can leave everything behind and find another man to shack up with and be taken care of., especially in those days. Women were all housewives

@laurencaulton103 Год назад

Ironic that Mr. Walken is famous for his tough-guy roles, and his grandfather lived that life.

@ForTheMonolith Год назад

Art imitates life

@jesseberry5500 Год назад

It wasn’t like he was of Marvin force or he got busted receiving and selling stolen goods that’s far from a tough guy Prasada I never know if I’ve been a sissy just saying, I don’t see the report certainly didn’t say he was a tough guy

@BroodallyHonest Год назад

You're thinking about Robert DeNiro. Christopher Walken is famous for being an amazing character actor. He does all kinds of roles.

@David-ol3it Год назад

Pentonvile prison is in London. Not just outside london

@selmahare Год назад

@@David-ol3it Yes! I made that correction as well watching the video. I lived in Pentonvile road, which not only bares the same name but is also close enough, in North London. Have walked by that prison a couple of times. It looks just as sombre as its History. Don't like that part of town at all, it has this dense vibe.

@kcuzz4091 Год назад

Think how strong Mr. Walker’s mother was to have the courage at the age of 22 to get on a ship to America.

@debradevonne3225 Год назад

Courage...or fear, shame, regret 😢

@lindacourtice7960 Год назад

I go with description "courage." Women didnt have alot of options then, and illegal things happened to women then that were permitted, winked at, women yook the full brunt of. We dont know what transpired, or even why that guy was led to selling stolen goods. Maybe he was desperate. So I say, rest in peace. PS Illegitimacy means "illegitimate heir," and some countries viewed heirs via birth, not marraige, so children of royalty qualified to rule via "partners," "concubines," "mistresses," "consorts," culturally acceptable or unacceptable rapes and later "marraige." Genealogy is eye opening.

@katesleuth1156 Год назад

@@lindacourtice7960llegitimate also meant that the child was not conceived within the law, which was, after marriage. We’re not talking about royalty here. It wasn’t just about heirs as many were poor & had nothing to inherit, but the fact that the parent or parent chose to ignore the law without consideration for the child born illegitimate.

@chomama1628 Год назад

@@debradevonne3225courage can come from all those feelings. She couldn’t change how she came into the world but she could change the outcome. We all can if we have the courage.

@uwsgrrrl9981 Год назад

My mother came to,the US when she was 19 yo from Italy.

@lizevans4534 9 месяцев назад

Glasgow Scotland here , we take great Pride that his mother was one of us 😍

@SpiderPigggg 3 месяца назад

BENNY HARVEY RIP

@kitano47 2 месяца назад

RIP BIG MAN

@liamg1706 2 месяца назад

Hi glasgow Scotland

@ptommo1543 14 дней назад

Neat. Tough stock, he should be proud 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

@hugs_nicolle7263 11 месяцев назад

“Well…what did he do?” He cracks me up… a tough customer…love this guy❤ his Ma sounds like a wonderful person.

@kerrypickens8594 Год назад

Christopher Walken is such a great actor, but he has such a great sense of humor

@infinitejest441 Год назад

Awesome dancer as well

@808ghostMiller Год назад

“But” ? Lol

@ryandavids1129 Год назад

He also covered up a murder. He's sure a great guy!

@lordshaxx667 11 месяцев назад

@@ryandavids1129yea very creepy guy also

@aboutface7961 9 месяцев назад

or at the very least, an unlawful death. @@ryandavids1129

@michaelwilson2340 Год назад

His role in The Deer Hunter alone should put him in cinematic history.

@infinitejest441 Год назад

He was chilling

@slimzimm1031 4 месяца назад

Can't argue that@@infinitejest441

@sasskvetch8617 4 месяца назад

How is he not in cinematic history? LOL. He won an Oscar for The Deer Hunter and was nominated for Catch Me If You Can. He has had a ton of other great parts and cameos as well.

@Nichilistaiconoclasta 3 месяца назад

"The dead zone" was also a masterpiece

@macpduff2119 Год назад

Ive always been a fan of Christopher Walkin. A great actor. My grandparents also left Glasgow and resettled in NYC. So my favorite actor and I share Scottish grandparents. Scotland and England were rough places to survive late Victorian/early 20th C.

@MrsBrit1 Год назад

Lol So was America! It's always a difficult life for the poorer folks.

@silversurfermusicco5263 Год назад

True

@laurietijerina3816 Год назад

Would you want to go live back in Scotland? It's a beautiful country.

@charleshammer2928 Год назад

@@laurietijerina3816Now it is.

@t3649 Год назад

He’s a satanist

@MrCabimero Год назад

Chris's father ran Walken's Bakery on Broadway in Astoria, NY. We bought cake there. Never met Chris there but his father was a great baker!

@gmann6269 Год назад

When did you visit the bakery?

@MrCabimero Год назад

@@gmann6269 1960’s to about the 70’s

@charleshammer2928 Год назад

Christopher's dad was German and his Mom was from Scotland and he grew up in Queens. Donald J Trump"s father was German and his mom was from Scotland and he grew up in Queens. Hmmmmm

@SY-ok2dq 4 месяца назад

Chris talked about working in the bakery as a boy. He described having to fill donuts with jam using this contraption. Chris (then known as Ronnie) and his brothers were also actors as children, playing small roles as children in family scenes etc. for the emerging TV show industry in N.Y.C. You can see in the family photo that the Walken boys were very attractive.

@phyllisjohnson6442 Год назад

He’s a great actor, and he is brave enough to face whatever he had to face. I admire that. 🍎

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Google Natalie Wood.

@uncletony6210 11 месяцев назад

@@ChiggidyChuck exactly.

@SR-iy4gg 9 месяцев назад

I've been researching my family tree for almost 30 years. It's fascinating to me, but it's not brave at all.

@Aham-Na 9 месяцев назад

@@SR-iy4ggwhat do you mean?

@NotableSavage2 9 месяцев назад

@@SR-iy4gg I guess, but Ben Affleck famously cowered away from his family’s history as slave owners on this exact platform.

@user-pb2kg1ng4g Год назад

Egan is a surname that comes from the Irish Gaelic name Mac Aodhagáin. It is derived from the root 'aedh' meaning little fire and the diminutive 'an' hence 'the little bright-eyed one'. Variations include: Egan, Eagan, Keegan, McKeegan, MacEgan, Kegan, Keagan and Egen. The name originates from County Tipperary (north).

@hannahoconnell7324 9 месяцев назад

Wow, thanks for sharing. So interesting to know that. I’m Irish myself and had no idea

@pinecone9045 9 месяцев назад

What hannahoconnell said thanks *edit I meant @jason-hy8ci but anyways

@jason-hy8ci 9 месяцев назад

Tough language, I know their are still some Towns and small pockets of Ireland that speak it. I also know they still teach it in some places. I'd like to see the Irish Republic PAY the youth of Ireland to learn their language, nothing like a little Golden incentive. Anything would be worth keeping Gaelic alive, and never mind..... well?

@tjokoloko6159 9 месяцев назад

and what about Vegan?

@maryconway4728 4 месяца назад

Yeah. This show is for an American audience who don’t understand that it was common for Irish people to go to places like Glasgow for work. And it probably was another reason that his mother immigrated to New York alone - she probably had some Irish relatives already there. That section of Queens, New York had a huge Irish community at that time.

@shoelessjoe428 11 месяцев назад

Christopher Walken will always be a legend. A man who clearly loves what he does. Great to learn a bit about his background.

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Want to learn about his background? Google Natalie Wood.

@mikedavis9244 Год назад

Interesting that we hear Walken's real speech pattern here without any of the affectations that are famously imitated. I didn't realize how significantly he puts that on

@indianajim 10 месяцев назад

When he’s performing he certainly has a specific rhythm of speech.

@pinecone9045 9 месяцев назад

It's called acting, I had to say that no demeaning intended, I could almost hear myself say it in his voice.

@coma_TOES 9 месяцев назад

SNL episode classics whenever he hosts.. More Cowbell Colonel Angus One favorite of mine every single cast member did an impression of his speech pattern ~ I believe they were playing various relatives at Walken family reunion!

@markant9534 6 месяцев назад

He just exaggerates his voice, his speech pattern is still a little strange.

@gardensofthegods 5 месяцев назад

Call someone saying they grew up speaking Yiddish in his house because his father was Jewish so imagine also a Scottish accent in the house wow what a combination of accents for a kid to be dealing with from day one

@thesavagebeast3994 3 месяца назад

This guy together with Al Pacino have the coolest most Badass Speech Patterns let alone voices!

@danielamicallef9592 Год назад

I am a researcher myself, therefore am in awe of your work. Rendering results, unearthing truths.

@AncestryUS Год назад

Research is tough work, but is often so rewarding!

@bjornyesterday2562 Год назад

@@AncestryUSresearch is maybe the only worthwhile task

@___HH___ 9 месяцев назад

@@bjornyesterday2562 Even above procreation? Wow. You sure think a lot of research!

@bjornyesterday2562 9 месяцев назад

@@___HH___ I'm sorry you feel procreation is a task

@seferinorino6951 11 месяцев назад

I absolutely love Christopher Walken. Every time he’s on the screen he just lights it up. I couldn’t pinpoint what it is but he’s my favourite actor.

@TomMunsell-ln6mg Год назад

It is such an informative show and should never be taken off the air for anything that may seem to embracing. History is history and life marches on. I proud of the way Mr. Gates shows empecable informative vision of what life was once like. It is just like a scavenger hunt about your search for your family history and historical events. I hope no one tries to remove this show.

@AncestryUS Год назад

We're glad you enjoy Henry Louis Gates Jr. and his shows!

@gardensofthegods 5 месяцев назад

Really ashamed the full episodes aren't free here on RU-vid as a lot of people would gladly watch the show and deal with the commercials and they would still make their money through the monetization of the commercials

@JosephDredd31 9 месяцев назад

I haven't even seen this episode yet but wanted to say what an unbelievable talent Christopher Walking is. Simply one of my favorites of all time. Thank you for your gift of making me believe that you are each and every character you have played.

@edithbannerman4 9 месяцев назад

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

@mr.v2689 8 месяцев назад

Walken

@RyanAustinDean 7 месяцев назад

You should see his brother, Ben Running.

@marcosgomes7681 3 месяца назад

😅@@RyanAustinDean

@johnwright291 9 месяцев назад

This really resonates with me. I have a cousin who is a well known geologist in salt lake city and I just reconnected with him after 50 years. Through him I found out that my maternal great grandfather was a horse rustler who bought horses he knew were stolen. What makes it very interesting is that he was in the Wyoming state penitentiary at the very same time that Butch Cassidy was there. He said I hope your not disappointed. I said are you kidding. I love it.

@Mountainsnlilacs 9 месяцев назад

And that right there, is how he understood his Grandmother's reasons for leaving. She needed to find a better life outside of where she was, and when opportunity presented itself, she took it.

@luciaennocenti9710 Год назад

Love Mr. Walken

@Chew.bubblegumandkickass Год назад

"Look at his hands" Chris Walken being Chris Walken. Love it 😁🙌🏼

@hatednyc 9 месяцев назад

I’ll never forget the day I met Mr Walken and his wife at Lincoln Center. Absolute class act. Always loved him and always will.

@slowery43 2 месяца назад

nobody cares in the least.. you think that is entertaining or interesting to anyone but you? wow

@pirobot668beta 8 месяцев назад

Ancestry testing told me I was swapped at birth. My own parents had no idea that I wasn't theirs. Other than being taller than my brothers and having different hair-growth patterns, nobody ever batted an eye. Some of the stories that DNA testing tells can be pretty amazing!

@joekulik999 8 месяцев назад

Yes, and companies like Ancestry are more than happy to share those "pretty amazing" family stories with The Cops and any Fed Agcy that wants them.

@AncestryUS 8 месяцев назад

Hi Joseph, thank you for the opportunity to clarify some misconceptions that are out there. While we can’t speak about the practices of other companies. To date, Ancestry has not released any customers’ DNA information to law enforcement agencies. Protecting our customers’ privacy and being good stewards of their data is Ancestry’s highest priority. We will not voluntarily cooperate with law enforcement unless compelled to by legal process. You can learn more about law enforcement requests we have received and what we have responded here: support.ancestry.com/s/article/Transparency-Report?language=en_US

@wyp8098 4 месяца назад

You want to reply to that Joe.....? Thought not.@@joekulik999

@SMGAPR8 10 дней назад

So true, she much was hidden by our own ancestors, so much written was lost or destroyed, my ancestry is a little like Pandora's box, none of us can know what we are going to find, or who? It truly is another journey.

@evypeace03 Год назад

Such a wonderful actor and his SNL skits are legendary... I need more cowbell, baby. 🎭

@infinitejest441 Год назад

🔔 🔔

@AIvey-qs1so Год назад

❤ Mr. Walken so much, this is great thank you!

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Google Natalie Wood

@aliceydu Год назад

Back then, having a father who received and sold stolen property was such a shame that she never mentioned or saw him again. Yet today, many people steal and rob with no consequences at all.

@mikemccool7575 Год назад

But hard labor and solitary confinement?

@bjornyesterday2562 Год назад

They are called police

@bobdavidsonm.d.7214 Год назад

@@bjornyesterday2562 Girlfriend, run off with a cop huh.

@micomator 11 месяцев назад

I think there's likely more to the story. Not all children are the product of love or romance. The man who got her pregnant, she never spoke of until her daughter needed his name to emmigrate.

@garylefevers 11 месяцев назад

Babdavidsonm, you must be related to a cop. I noticed how you didn't disagree with the fact that cops are thieves. The rich are themselves thieves as well.

@heatherwhite2788 Год назад

Solitary confinement is no way to reform anyone. After all these years we still haven’t learned

@garymcatear822 Год назад

Solitary confinement is meant to be punishment, nothing more, nothing less.

@heatherwhite2788 Год назад

@@garymcatear822 It can induce insanity and that is not a humane punishment. Solitary should be used extremely sparingly.

@garymcatear822 Год назад

@@heatherwhite2788 If it is not a humane punishment then it should not also be used extremely sparingly as you say. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime...it is as simple as that. They commit crime, get sent to jail, misbehave in jail, get sent to the jail inside the jail (solitary), all criminals understand this system yet they still do it lolol and you're defending them.

@heatherwhite2788 8 месяцев назад

@@Noooodle816 yes

@lgwappo Год назад

My dad never spoke of his dad. My mom said his dad committed suicide in the 60s but said never ask dad about it. We weren't supposed to know. Decades later I also learned that my grandfather divorced my grandmother, married another woman, killed her with a .22 pistol, killed her father then himself. She filed for divorce because he had anger issues & she feared him. Strange to learn these secrets in my 60s. I have no memory of that grandfather.

@johngalvin3124 5 месяцев назад

All families have secrets, you're not alone. 😊

@cmomofilm 11 месяцев назад

What they didn't mention, or probably weren't aware of, is the scar on the side of his grandfather's mouth is known here (in Scotland) as a "Glasgow smile" (a cut violently imposed at 1, or both sides of the mouth, extending towards the ear, creating a macabre "smile"). So his maternal grandfather was almost definitely in a gang, and by the looks of him, a proper "hard man" (very tough gentleman, with an enthusiasm for violence). (Translations for any non-scots who are interested in lesser known Scottish colloquialisms).

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

What they didn't mention was his direct involvement in the murder of Natalie Wood

@Leo-sd3jt 11 месяцев назад

@@ChiggidyChuckhe wasn't involved though. None of the witnesses say he was involved and, as far as I'm aware, it's agreed that he was asleep below deck whereas people reported seeing Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner having an argument above deck.

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

@@Leo-sd3jt hahah ok dude

@olly8 11 месяцев назад

@@ChiggidyChuckThe fight that 'supposedly took place' was over Natalie. I don't believe Chris was involved with her death, but possibly a catalyst for R.W's jealously. Only those on that boat know the whole story. I have been a fan of his since the movie At Close Range -with Sean Penn. He played Big Brad so convincingly. Gives me the chills!!! So many good movie roles, and quite the dancer 🕺

@dawnrobbins5877 11 месяцев назад

Constantly using the word 'gentleman' to describe a criminal seems to be a thing nowadays. Stop it. They're literally the exact opposite.

@Evan-lr8nq Год назад

Christopher gets that smile from him mother for sure.

@buckiesmalls 8 месяцев назад

1:20 such a genuine laugh.

@garymcatear822 Год назад

When i was in primary school (junior school) in Tollcross Glasgow, Scotland i would come home at dinner time to get my dinner because i didn't get free meals at school back then because one parent was in employement. Every day for 4 years or so i would do this old ladies shopping (she was in her 90's or something and housebound), i later found out that this old lady was Christopher Walkens grannie lol...back then in the late 70's i had no idea who Christopher walken was. She lived about 30-40 meters from my house. She would get the same thing everyday...newspapers and bread rolls. I hope Christopher gets to read this because no doubt his gran would have spoken to him about me. She lived in the left middle flat on the corner close of Easterhill place Tollcross.

@NomadicCreator Год назад

So glad he was able to do that! I did Ancestry for that same reason. My German oma had a fling during WW2 that resulted with my mother. Oma never told my mother who the dad was so I did a DNA test to try and get a clue. With Ancestry's feature of being able to distinguish between parents I thought it would be easier. I was able to find my entire paternal line, my oma's line, and the blood of mixtures of the maternal grandfather, but that was as far as I could get. I wasn't able to find any names sadly. I mean whole family's were wiped out in the war (any war) right, so that is a possibility. I am grateful that we scraped through. So it's always a happy thing to find ancestors, ❤️.

@AncestryUS Год назад

Wow! So glad Ancestry was able to help you discover new information on your family.

@zorromaskedman8220 Год назад

Very interesting. In manufacturing we're told "if it is not documented, it did not happen". But we know in life there are numerous things that happen that are not documented. I've always been puzzled as I grew up, when I first heard the term "illegitimate". It doesn't apply to me, I just wondered why they use the term. I have since gained the understanding, that by Law, if the parents are not married, then any offspring are illegitimate. It always has had a Very negative tone to it, like "somehow" it's the child's fault. My mother's father ran away from his responsibilities after having two girls, back in 1937, when all you had to do is jump on a train, leave town, and never look back, except for the guilt. You can learn so much by a single document.

@mtngrl5859 10 месяцев назад

in earlier times marriages were arranged for alliances, so it was important that any issue (children) be legal. Even today if a child is not born from the legal wife, the child can not assume any titles. So, if one is a Baron ( for example), any children can not inherit the title unless they are legitimate and born from his wife. Thus, surrogates or adopted children don't qualify.

@gingerhiser7312 9 месяцев назад

My birth certificate has a check box for legitimate/illegitimate. It had to do with rights of inheritance.

@turfsniffer Год назад

My 2x Great Grandmother was Egen born in Glasgow - she had a brother called Joseph, and he definitely looks like her in the mug shot. I also have his birth record but it doesn't match the date on the picture - odd thing is on the birth record his mother listed is actually his grandmother who would have been over 60 when he was born, but the accidental listing of the grandmother proves it's the same family. The Egans were originally from Ireland, and went over to Scotland during the famine. My 2x Great Grandmother came back to Ireland and settled here.

@jpi28602 9 месяцев назад

The date on the picture may be the arrest or conviction date and not DOB?

@Mark-Vincent-yk8wj 9 месяцев назад

That picture of his grandfather is truly awesome...!!! Truly amazing...because his grandfather looks like a time traveler...!!! Once again...AMAZING...!!! 😱🤔✌️

@jonibarger3147 Год назад

I adore Christopher Walken, always have. He's a great actor and he's a funny guy.

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Google Natalie Wood

@victoriaolson8985 Год назад

My mother was illegitimate, too, as was her older sister. They were also the offspring of an incestual relationship. My grandmother and her uncle hooked up for years in 1920s Vienna. He was the youngest of her mother’s brothers. I know his name but nothing about him, beyond he kept a tarantula as a pet. She left him after 10 years together, paid an American of Italian heritage to marry her and bring her and her two kids to the States.

@ncooty 8 месяцев назад

His grandmother sounds like an admirable woman. She could've let the truth fade away, but she put it in writing at the same time she left it behind. She wasn't afraid of it or beholden to it. Good for her.

@peggygibbons479 Год назад

Oh Man I can't WAIT to see this one!! I love Chris, I love this show and I love you Skip!! Your famous geneologist Cece should get a Nobel Prize! She is amazing!!

@jstone247 Год назад

Glasgow was a pretty rough place back then.

@skeena59 Год назад

Still is.

@mrmoran0077 Год назад

Wonderful, and equally wonderful to hear an American pronouncing Glasgow properly 😊

@ThaRealBummyDavis 9 месяцев назад

My man is 80 still full of energy

@ThehulkGreen 5 месяцев назад

My grandad was a wonderful man, as tough as they come. A proper londoner and a kind man. He and my grandmother earned an award for fostering over 200 children. I speak to some of them to this day. My grandparents are not with me anymore but I think of them all the time, they died over 30yrs ago.

@zovalentine7305 Год назад

Christopher Walken ❤ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

@jeannemoore6610 10 месяцев назад

As someone who has delved into my own genealogy, I really enjoy these episodes.

@codelessunlimited7701 5 месяцев назад

Chris grandma is very beautiful, no wonder he leaves him for a better future for his grandchildren named Christopher.

@Truebritify Год назад

The prison in Dorset was most likely the one in Portland. Portland stone is used throughout the UK and the convicts were used to break up the stone. I was told when I lived in Weymouth that in Victorian times there was a tea room overlooking it that the gentry used to sit in and watch them working. You can just imagine it.

@finnmcginn9931 9 месяцев назад

Same Portland that brought the world Portland cement? Down the rabbit hole I go, cheers.

@FreeSpirit47 9 месяцев назад

Every family has skeletons in the closet, 8 in mine! It's important for those who will break the cycles of abuse, neglect, criminal behavior, to leave the house where the skeletons are & try your hardest to live differently. I was the third child in a family of six. There were several generations of abuse on both sides. Although I had 2 siblings older than me, I was the first one to get out on my own & stay out on my own. Way out. I moved, as a teenager, from Michigan to Hawai'i. A couple years later, I got my parents to give me guardianship of my younger sister. She was really messed up, I did my very best to help her. Of six children, there's only 3 of us left. My parents & siblings died at young ages. I'm still here, I broke the cycle.

@slowery43 2 месяца назад

not a sole cares... this has nothing to do with you no one came here hoping to hear alla bot you get over yourself

@FreeSpirit47 2 месяца назад

@@slowery43 I pity those who make comments such as yours. It reveals a very angry person who is too fearful to say what they want. Instead, hiding behind a keyboard, believing you're anonymous. Your negativity is all on you.. Also, your grammar & spelling reveal an uneducated mind.

@niciangel 10 месяцев назад

Love him ❤️ Such a great actor and man. Like his way of talking and his reaction about the news of his grandfather. He's a legend. One of the best. Wish him a long and healthy life.

@AncestryUS 9 месяцев назад

Christopher is truly a gem!

@susannah1948 Год назад

Fascinating and touching.

@JackFisherTrio Год назад

She would have had to survive and such a young women alone...brave and smart.

@hestergreen2031 9 месяцев назад

Amazing story.. it’s always good to learn of our distant ancestors.

@TheEVGuy-rx9ju 10 месяцев назад

What a top Actor ! His mum was from Tolcross in Glasgow as far as I know. Their is always a bit of Scotland in most people.

@AncestryUS 10 месяцев назад

Hi, EV Guy! We're so glad you enjoyed our clip from Finding Your Roots, featuring Christopher Walken. Have you made any fascinating family history discoveries lately in your own research you'd like to share?

@marcvskulper2874 Год назад

Getting on a boat in her 20's by her self and coming to America. Bless the brave.

@boathousejoed1126 Год назад

Thank you Ronny for sharing that with us.Always been a fan always will be!

@martinconnors5195 11 месяцев назад

I once asked my Grandmother, who this slightly older man in a grainy photo. But she closed the album, and said that "we're going to speak about it another time". Turns out that her older brother (it's too sad to say)

@toi_techno 28 дней назад

The bravery of young people during hard times is incredible

@presidentpotato222 9 месяцев назад

Mr Walken is a Living Legend .. cooking chicken with him and his SNL Continental Sketches .. and his bringing of Characters to Life .. that will BE REMEMBERED for far far into the future .. I CAN ONLY HOPE

@AJ1990. Год назад

Mr. Walken seems like such a charming charismatic kind of guy. Strange to me that Mel Gibson said he reminded him of the devil when he first met him. When Mel recounts meeting Mr. Walken it actually gives you the creeps the way he tells the story. It's wild.

@infinitejest441 Год назад

Perhaps Mel was jealous of Chris and his acting abilities.

@___HH___ 9 месяцев назад

@@infinitejest441 Surely you infinite jest.

@playedout148 6 месяцев назад

Now that is irony. Mel gibson, horrible bigot, says Walken reminded him of the devil. Beside the fact the devil and leprechauns don't exist.

@beachrose88 Год назад

Chris is amazing. Started in business as a DANCER..AND A GOOD ONE

@sydneyevans2637 Год назад

Exceptional dancer!

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Oh he's a dancer alright. Just ask Natalie Wood

@johnmyers-ep8uk 9 месяцев назад

Wow thankyou Mr.Walken for sharing this with us all!

@davidravenscroft1641 11 месяцев назад

Walkin is such a charismatic actor...one of a kind.

@ladydeerheart1 Год назад

Five years for selling stolen goods seems ridiculous. It doesn't necessarily mean he knew the stuff was stolen but either way he was a tough guy and his daughter moving, by herself, across the ocean means she was tough too. It looks like Christopher comes from good stock.

@garymcatear822 Год назад

They used to send their prisoners to Britains prison colony Australia....why can't they do that these days, i would be out breaking the law right now and intentionally get caught.

@librarianlovesrick 11 месяцев назад

Maybe that is just what they got him for. Someone else mentions the scar going up his jaw as a "Glasgow smile" and something related to violent gangs

@garymcatear822 11 месяцев назад

@@librarianlovesrick I used to get his grannies shopping for her when i was a kid at primary school, i'd come home for my lunch and get this old womans shopping for her every day for a few years, turns out it was Christopher Walkens granny (not that i had any idea who Christopher Walken was back in the mid-late and early 80's as a kid)

@librarianlovesrick 11 месяцев назад

@@garymcatear822 I have a few interesting "star-related" stories. One is when my Mom would call the "Conway Twitty residence" (that is how they'd answer the phone) to send someone home sick from school.

@Crayfordceltic 9 месяцев назад

Reset is an old Scottish offence and essentially means handling stolen goods. I believe that there was no requirement for the state to prove that the person had knowledge or belief that the goods were stolen. Simple possession was enough.

@DETROIT1948 Год назад

History Priceless!

@ecamp6360 11 месяцев назад

We know his family from the reunion they had on SNL. It was brilliant!

@judy-uv1bk Год назад

I remember Chris' parents bakery in Long Island City, Queens, NYC. I was very young then. I am amazed by Chris' and Chris' work and finding out he is a local boy that made it! Much love Chris!❤

@cynthiamclellan6745 10 месяцев назад

Will he ever say what Robert did that night on the boat?

@OceanBaby813 Год назад

Just love him and his unique personality ❤

@ChiggidyChuck 11 месяцев назад

Hahaha yeah. Google Natalie Wood

@JulesVega419TheSecond 4 месяца назад

My grandfather was a great man and could never be replaced. My fathers father was a traveling jazz musician and nobody will say more about him. Like Mr. Walken I often think to myself; what did he do?

@alexb141 9 месяцев назад

i luv the intro 'he looks like a tough customer..,what hed do?' rofl

@hafizsirajkumar7927 Год назад

nice story .... it so sad and everyone deserved to know dad if they are good or bad ... important is discipline so not follow bad behavior

@JML6988 Год назад

Mr. Walken is definitely on a short list of my favorite actors.

@AncestryUS Год назад

He's definitely amazing at what he does, John!

@roadkillgravy5168 Год назад

@@AncestryUSyeah he is good at pushing females off boats. Natalie wood in particular.

@blackstarz556 2 дня назад

This channel is a go-to for information. It's the best!

@user-re8ly5dr6p Год назад

I love Christopher Walken, I look like him and can do excellent impressions of him. One of the best actors of all time.

@UnderestimatedA1 Год назад

One of my all time favorite actor's I could watch this man eat a sandwich and be impressed.

@AncestryUS Год назад

We're glad you enjoyed this episode, Shay! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

@joycampi7233 Год назад

I totally agree!!!

@jenniferrussell6977 Год назад

I'm a Russell who's ancestors came from Glasgow and migrated to America in the 18somethings. I wonder if we're related, I do see some similar features in his family and mine. That be cool 😁 I'd love to know my family history. ☮️♥️☺️ From Michigan USA

@AncestryUS Год назад

You never know, Jennifer! You can get started with AncestryDNA here www.ancestry.com/dna/.

@jackiedavis8218 6 месяцев назад

Many may not know that he played in a film from a children’s book, ‘ Sarah,Plain and Tall ‘. I read the paperback to my fourth graders . It was in the time when if a man lost his wife, many times an advert would be put in a paper back east. The story begins there and became a lovely movie. And, of course his acting skills were superb!

@nigelbagguley7410 9 месяцев назад

Christopher Walken my all time favourite actor

@Johnc259 9 месяцев назад

To me, this gentleman is just a “down to earth” human being. He has a great sense of humor and seems to be kind to others. I always enjoy his acting abilities. Peace 🎉🎉🎉

@edithbannerman4 9 месяцев назад

@Hello there, how are you doing this blessed day?

@dnealgail8244 Год назад

Wasn't Walken in the boat the night Natalie Wood died? You gotta wonder what that night, alot if unanswered questions.

@lindac6416 Год назад

He said he passed out saw nothing !

@jimblack5153 9 месяцев назад

My grandmother did the exact same thing...got on a ship from Scotland, by herself when she was 19, and came to America.

@deborahstollman6238 7 месяцев назад

This was very interesting! Christopher is an incredible actor, comedian and dancer!!! We love him!My mother has been working on our family tree on her father’s side for years. That side is mainly from Scotland, Ireland and maybe Wales. We think they came to America centuries ago. One of my cousins fought in the war of 1812. I’m somehow related to royalty from one of these countries (he wasn’t high on the totem pole). Most of these people were very poor and ended up in places like Texas. It’s fascinating!

@chickengenius4202 Год назад

What about that lady they threw off the boat?

@longhairwhocares 11 месяцев назад

The line about “what we now call ‘solitary confinement’” and the subsequent bit on the grandfather’s life is sickening, and I can figure out why Gates would gloss over outright torture like that.

@Milestonemonger Год назад

I love Christopher Walkens ❤

@patriciajrs46 11 месяцев назад

I always liked Christopher's line many things you've done have been anathama to me. One of my favorite movies.

@sparkysmom7149 4 месяца назад

I love christopher walken. No matter what, he is a genuine and good person. Never be ashamed of your roots. We're all here for a reason

@Minnesota.Highlander 11 месяцев назад

Did you ask him about Natalie Wood?

@tintinismybelgian 18 дней назад

If it was homicide, Wagner is the likelier suspect.

@wRAAh 9 месяцев назад

My dad died before I was four years old. Lineage was of no interest to me for many decades. As it seems, none of my uncles and nephews were interested either. But recently, I dove in the records, tracing my lineage, trough my dad, his dad etcetera all the way down to around 1635, where the recorded trail ends. It turns out that my forefathers were one of the three important 'dynasties' in a town not far from where I live now. They were in the textile industry, but also active as 'church fathers', mayors, notaries and in other positions. Shortly after the Napoleontic occupation and with the rise of industrialization in textile, the dynasty crumbled and withered away. Meanwhile, I find fascinating stories and discover paintings and maps that are mesmerizing. I urge all to delve down into what you can find out about your lineage. Enjoy!

@AncestryUS 9 месяцев назад

We're delighted to hear that you've dived into your family history research with so much success, Wouter! It sounds like you've uncovered some remarkable stories from your family's past. Many thanks for taking the time to share a little of your journey with the Ancestry community! 🍃