Ancestors In The Attic

Most professors have a bit of the thespian in them. Standing up in front of a packed lecture hall or a large conference gathering requires an inherent ability to perform. Prof. Kevin James, History, University of Guelph, can relate to that, though he's taken the concept further than most in his field. James will make his major television debut this week on History Televison's hit show Ancestors in the Attic as the on-air genealogist.

James has worked both as a researcher and panelist for the show, which helps Canadians unearth mysteries about their past, during its first three seasons. But last winter, he received a last-minute call from the producers asking if he’d be willing to step into the role of the on-air “lab guy.” Soon James found himself catching a midnight plane to Newfoundland to shoot his first episode.

Kevin James: “They needed someone right away and I guess I fit the bill — well enough.”

Life has been a whirlwind ever since, with James hastily joining the actors’ union and getting some on-the-job TV training. For most of 2009, he spent his weekdays researching and teaching Scottish studies at U of G, and his weekends flying all over Canada including to Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Winnipeg to film segments of the show.

Kevin James: “On Fridays, a limousine would pick me up for the airport. I’d fly off, do an 18-hour shoot and come home. It's been a juggling act.” said James, a married father of two children under age four.

The show kicks off its fourth season Jan. 7 with 10 new shows. They take viewers all around the world as James and others help Canadians find lost relatives and discover the truth behind unsolved family mysteries.

Kevin James: “For me this has been an amazing opportunity to get outside of the University and see how history and research can make a huge difference on a personal level for people who have questions that need to be answered.”

One episode is set in Belarus, where a Canadian woman is searching for a sister who was lost during the Russian Revolution. Another is based in China, where a woman is trying to uncover her father’s secret past. Other stories are set in Switzerland, Denmark, Germany, France and Italy and involve a black market baby, a town’s efforts to hide an injured pilot during World War II, and the life-and-death stories of two Canadian soldiers.

Each episode of the show includes a “reveal” in which the mystery is solved or the answers (or a lack of answers) are unveiled. “We don’t tell them in advance what is going to happen before, so consequently, their reactions are deeply moving,” James said.

Kevin James: "Part of my job is to bring them comfort; I believe it’s the reason I was chosen for this job. I’m an emotional person and I get very emotionally involved with the subjects — I am fascinated and moved by their stories.”

Solving the mysteries or unearthing those answers requires a lot of research, including in libraries, online, and in other countries. “We pick stories that are not too easy to solve but that we can still resolve in some way,” he said.

James filmed the “made in Canada” portions of the show, while the show’s star, Jeff Douglas, did the international travel. Douglas is known for his work on the “I am Canadian” commercials.

While he loved working as a researcher and doing some on-air studio work for the show for three years, James never expected to find himself in front of the camera, in the field and trekking all over the country. He said he knew the show was holding a casting call for a new “staff genealogist/lab guy” but he didn’t apply.

Kevin James: “I just never saw myself doing this. I never had any acting lessons or anything.”

He was able to preview the upcoming episodes and said watching himself on TV took a bit of adjusting. “It’s hard to look at yourself this way,” he said, adding he quickly went on a diet and started growing out his curly hair. “I realized that from some angles I was starting to look bald,” he said with a laugh.

“The most exciting thing has been watching my three-year-old son when he saw a tape of the show. He couldn’t understand how I ended up on TV, but he was so excited to see me there.”

Ancestors in the Attic airs Thursdays at 6 and 9 p.m. on History Television.
Resource:U of G /Kevin James