Martin Sheen Discovers Irish Activist Roots on 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Premiere (Video)

NBC

Celebrated actor Martin Sheen aka Ramon Estevez kicks off the third season of NBC’s documentary series, Who Do You Think You Are? on Friday when he investigates his Irish and Spanish roots.

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Part of that journey finds him tracing back to his uncle’s role in the Irish War of Independence. Sheen discovers that the family’s stories of his uncle’s participation in Ireland’s civil war were right, but they were wrong on one important detail: The side of the war he fought on. Sheen discovers that his uncle was a member of the IRA.

A longtime social activist himself who has been arrested several times during protests, Sheen finds some similarities and pride in the lengths his uncle went to during the war for Ireland’s independence.

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In addition to Sheen, the third season features Marisa Tomei, Blair Underwood, Reba McEntire, Rob Lowe, Helen Hunt, Rita Wilson, Edie Falco, Rashida Jones, Jerome Bettis, Jason Sudeikis and Paula Deen.

Watch The Hollywood Reporter’s first look video from the premiere below.

Season 3 of Who Do You Think You Are? premieres Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC.

Email: Jethro.Nededog@thr.com; Twitter: @TheRealJethro