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Andrew Garfield’s Emotional Exploration of Jewish Heritage on “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Hollywood icon Andrew Garfield experienced profound emotions while tracing his Jewish ancestry in a poignant episode of “Who Do You Think You Are?” on BBC One. This compelling program unveils hidden connections and unfamiliar narratives as prominent personalities delve into their family’s past. The current series, its 22nd, features a diverse group including Ross Kemp, Aisling Bea, Will Young, Fred Sirieix, Layton Williams, and Diane Morgan, each embarking on their personal journey of historical discovery.
A Visit to Treblinka Extermination Camp
In the moving episode broadcast on Tuesday, April 22, the 41-year-old actor journeyed to the Treblinka extermination camp located in Poland, a site where three of his relatives are believed to have perished during World War II. Overwhelmed with emotion, Garfield paid homage to his family members, placing stones on the memorial gravestone dedicated to the town of Kielce, their ancestral home.
He shared a heartrending tribute:
- “This is a memorial stone for the Jews from Kielce that met their ultimate fate here in Treblinka, where my great-grandfather’s three sisters, we imagine, must have been murdered.”
- “Szajndia, Dworja, Basia. Their lives were deemed so valueless, and the Nazis attempted to erase even the memory of them, even their names, even any record of them. And in certain ways, they succeeded.”
Remembering Lost Relatives
Garfield continued, reflecting on the normalcy of their erased lives: “They were just normal girls, just normal women who simply wanted a life, to live, to flourish. This journey has recovered my memory of them and my family’s memory of them, and for that, I am grateful.” Concluding his tribute, he added, “I wish I had known you better; I wish you peace.”
Fans React to Garfield’s Discovery
Following the broadcast, viewers quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their support and condolences to the actor after his moving discovery.
Social Media Reactions
- One user described the episode as “a harrowing #whodoyouthinkyouare for #AndrewGarfield #WDYTYA.”
- Another concurred, stating, “I’m watching #AndrewGarfield’s search for his Jewish ancestors, some of whom were very probably murdered at Treblinka, but with records deliberately destroyed by the Nazis. It’s harrowing stuff. #WDYTYA.”
- A third added, “It’s really sad, isn’t it? You just know that for a Jewish family in Poland in the mid to late 1930s, it’s not going to go well. #WDYTYA.”
- Finally, one viewer lauded Garfield, commenting, “This is a very moving and emotional episode of #WDYTYA. Andrew Garfield comes across yet again as such a thoroughly decent and very eloquent human being.”
“Who Do You Think You Are?” airs on Tuesdays at 9 pm on BBC One and is available on BBC iPlayer.