On Law & Order: SVU (and its upcoming spinoff Law & Order: Organized Crime), Chris Meloni portrays no-nonsense NYPD officer Elliot Stabler. But on the latest episode of the PBS series Finding Your Roots, airing Feb. 9, it’s Henry Louis Gates Jr. who plays detective as he digs into Meloni’s family history and uncovers some surprising truths about the actor’s ancestors. 

Meloni, who grew up in suburban Virginia, was the son and grandson of doctors. But he struggled in school and knew a career in medicine wasn’t in his future. While in college at the University of Colorado, he took an acting class, which inspired him to pursue a career in Hollywood. After years of struggle, he landed his breakout role in the Law & Order franchise.