Brendan Fraser discovers his ancestor shot at a scab for stealing his job on “Finding Your Roots”

“They had a plan,” Fraser said. “That’s criminal!”

Brendan Fraser has discovered a blast from his past with Henry Louis Gates.

The Oscar-winning actor was a guest on Tuesday's episode of Finding Your Roots on PBS, and learned a surprising fact about his family’s history: his great-great-grandfather attempted to murder a man who took his job.

The ancestor in question, Patrick Devine, was born around 1844 in Ireland, and arrived in the U.S. around 1853, according to his petition for naturalization. He worked as an engineer in a Pennsylvania coal mine — but as an Irish immigrant, he was subject to low wages, so he went on strike and was subsequently replaced by a scab.

“The night engineer of pumping engine was fired upon by two men from door of engine house but was not injured. The two former engineers, James McBrearty and Patrick Devine, had struck against a reduction of wages, and the man fired at had taken one of their places,” Fraser read from a historical document on the episode. “Okay, what just happened?”

Gates filled in the gaps. “It seems that your great, great grandfather Patrick was fired from his job for striking,” he explained. “And along with a former colleague, he shot at the man who had replaced him. This mode of behavior — has it been passed down?”

“Maybe acting out impulsively, but I try to contain that and do it in an imaginary way as an actor, that’s about the most I can do!” Fraser responded, laughing nervously.

The actor was shocked by the revelation. “Wow. Imagine thinking this through, ‘This is what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna get a gun, we’re gonna ambush him’ — they had a plan,” Fraser said. “That’s criminal!”

Gates asked Fraser what he thought of his great-great-grandfather’s actions. “I’m gonna gather that he was a very strong-headed, opinionated man, [who] believed in what was right and what was wrong, had the wherewithal to stand up…” the actor said. “I mean look, it’s a different time, and I don’t believe you should fire guns at people to get what you need, but then again, it’s not 1875 right now. It makes me think, I dunno, did it really solve anything? Did it help? Did he feel like he succeeded? I don’t know.”

Since no criminal charges were ever brought against him, Devine ended up getting rehired, and later purchased a home and had eight children. One of those children was Patrick F. Devine, Fraser’s great-grandfather and a candy salesman (which understandably  excited the actor a lot more than the murder attempt). “My great grandad was a candy salesman? Yes! Do you know how much that explains?”

Season 10 of Finding Your Roots premiered Jan. 2 on PBS.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Ciara and Alanis Morissette learn they have actually met their distant cousins on Finding Your Roots

• Whoopi Goldberg learns she's related to NFL star Tony Gonzalez live on The View: 'That's my cousin?'

• Tracy Morgan discovered he's related to longtime friend Nas: 'He started crying, I started crying'

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.