The PBS series “Finding My Roots” is helping celebrities uncover the truth about their family’s history. Actor Laurence Fishburne is the latest guest to appear on the show, where he finally got some real answers about his biological father. In the episode, which aired on April 8, Fishbu rne explained to host Henry Louis Gates Jr. that he was raised by a man that he thought was his birth father. But at age 49, he learned otherwise. Actor Laurence Fishburne learns the truth about his biological father after a DNA test proved that he was not related to the man who raised him. (Screenshot from PBS) The man who raised him was named Laurence John Fishburne and while the “Matrix” star seemed grateful to him for being in his life, that didn’t extinguish his desire to discover who his real father was. “He was my dad. He showed up, gave me his name,” the three-time Emmy Award winner told Gates. “But that’s not true. He is not my biological father and really, I’d like to know who that person is. If that person exists.” Gates’ workmate Cece Moore started by explaining Fishburne’s Y chromosome which is inherited from the paternal line. What she discovered was that the surname that most frequently matched his was “Bohannan.” Further investigation linked his DNA to his biological grandparents, Murvin Hilliard Bohannan and Loretta Constance Sandridge. The last step was to discover which of their two sons, Murvin Bohannan Jr. and William Siegel Bohannan, was Fishburne’s real father. Both men unfortunately passed away so they could not be tested. “But then we got lucky,” narrated Gates. “William Bohannan has two living children and we were able to track down one of them. A daughter named Lisa.” In the Season 11 finale of #FindingYourRoots, our guest #LaurenceFishburne discovers the true identity of his father through DNA analysis facilitated by his half-sister.The Season Finale of #FindingYourRoots airs tonight at 8/7c only on @pbs! pic.twitter.com/jzA5PpHoOV— Henry Louis Gates Jr (@HenryLouisGates) April 8, 2025 Lisa took the DNA test and Gates told Fishburne that “if you share roughly 25% then you are half-siblings and you share a father.” Seconds later, Fishburne discovered that he and Lisa share 22% DNA, making her his half-sibling. Gates then revealed a photo of Fishburne’s biological father wearing a suit with glasses and smiling directly into the camera. The actor had a gleeful reaction. He gasped with glee as he said, “There he is! Is that him? Hey pop! Oh my god wow! That’s my dad.” ”It’s so nice to see his face and to see him smiling. And he’s dressed well. He’s probably [in his] late 40’s early 50s in this photograph. He looks like a kind man” he added. Actor Laurence Fishburne learns the truth about his biological father after a DNA test proved he was not related to the man who raised him. (Screenshot from PBS) Fans reacted to a small clip of the episode on Gates’ Instagram page. One person said, “Uh did this man just find out that his father wasn’t his father?? “I was so happy for him, in finally finding out who his biological father was. He looks quite a bit like his dad, too,” said a second. A third wrote, “You can instantly see the relief and intrigue in their face once they hear of their heritage.” Upon further discovery, Gates was able to provide Fishburne with more details including that Bohannan was employed by The Belt Railway for 30 years, he also liked to swim, and was a lover of jazz. He also worked as a DJ at various radio stations. But Bohannan lived in Chicago while Fishburne’s mother, Hattie Bell Crawford, lived in Georgia. The likelihood of them meeting, Gates discovered, was probably when Bohannan was stationed in Fort Gordon. Crawford worked as a teacher 10 miles away from him. She was also a volunteer at the USO. According to Gates, it was “a nonprofit organization that provides entertainment for members of the military,” pointing to how Fishburne’s parents probably crossed paths. “I’m having all the feels as they say,” said the actor. “I’m intrigued, I’m relieved, I’m confused, and I’m also quite alright with all of this. Because I don’t have to speculate about it anymore. I don’t have to wonder every time I look up and think ‘Oh! Is it that guy? Or is it that guy?’” Fishburne’s mother and the man he thought was his father broke up when he was a child. His mother eventually moved them to Brooklyn, New York. There he began acting at the age of 10. In 1975, he made his film debut at the age of 14 in the movie “Cornbread, Earl and Me.” ‘Oh My God Wow! That’s My Dad’: Actor Laurence Fishburne Rocked By Paternity Bombshell — He Was Named After the Wrong Man ...read more read less