Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris broke open the documentary form with his early embrace of re-enactments and stylized lighting and music. His film, "The Thin Blue Line" (1988), put this reputation front and center, and his Oscar-winning film, "The Fog of War" (2003), cemented his legacy. He also has an irresistible attraction to controversial interview subjects - and "American Dharma" is no different. He breaks down the process behind this 2018 film on political strategist Steve Bannon and t...
Oct 07, 2021•33 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast How do todays masters create their art? American Masters: Creative Spark presents narrative interviews that go in-depth with one iconic artist about the creation of a single work. Whether it is Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris explaining the thinking behind a controversial film, comedian Atsuko Okatsuka sharing what makes a joke land, Pulitzer-winning poet Jericho Brown examining the rhythm of a poem, or filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan describing filming during the pandemic, each episode offers...
Sep 23, 2021•2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Although he became famous for his work as an actor in films like Clueless, The Princess Bride and Toy Story, Wallace Shawn is also an Obie Award-winning playwright and author, known for his experimental and challenging writing on class politics and morality. Josh Hamilton talks with Shawn about this dichotomy, as the duo explore the ways in which we identify ourselves and find value in our work and life.
Mar 11, 2020•34 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Miles Davis is widely regarded as one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in music. To celebrate the new documentary on the jazz legend, American Masters - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, filmmaker Stanley Nelson talks with Miles Davis nephew and drummer, Vince Wilburn, Jr.
Feb 26, 2020•28 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast The beginning of the universe might be the greatest origin story of all time, and theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku has made a career exploring this subject and others like it. Dr. Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, which some suggest will crack the final code toward understanding the universe. Dr. Kaku talks about building an atom smasher in his childhood garage, the influence of his hero, Albert Einstein, and why he thinks science is the greatest tool towards progress.
Feb 19, 2020•27 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Fresh off the heels of her brand new stand-up special Weakness is the Brand, comedian Maria Bamford sits down to discuss her disarming approach to comedy, including the hilarious ways you can turn life challenges into comedy gold. Recently, Bamford has brought her signature honesty and openness to the new interview series, "Whats Your Ailment?!," where she engages in candid conversations around mental health issues with fellow comedians and artists, all while stressing the importance of communic...
Feb 05, 2020•45 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding, The Meyerowitz Stories) talks about how and why he makes movies. Through equal parts comedy and drama, Baumbachs films frequently deal with the pains of family life with stunning clarity. His most recent film Marriage Story, now nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, explores the complicated fallout of a failing coast-to-coast marriage.
Jan 22, 2020•29 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage talks about the origin of her Broadway play, Sweat, and the time she spent developing the story through her conversations with working class residents in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her focus on the struggles of this de-industrialized Rust Belt town predicted a national conversation around identity, race and economy that remains a focal point of political discussions today.
Jan 08, 2020•41 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Actor, writer and director Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise, Training Day, First Reformed, Boyhood) talks with his close friend and fellow actor Josh Hamilton about formative projects from Hawkes career, reflecting on his own origin story and musing on how one can prioritize life goals and discover meaning through artistic pursuits. Hawke and Hamilton also discuss Malaparte, the theater company they co-founded in the 1990s to stage their own independent productions.
Dec 16, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Academy Award-winning actress Lee Grant (Shampoo, In The Heat of the Night, Valley of the Dolls) sits down with American Masters creator Susan Lacy for an in-depth conversation about her upbringing, surviving years on the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy era, and her career as an actress and documentary filmmaker. Grant describes how key moments of difficulty in her life emboldened her toward new heights.
Dec 04, 2019•46 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Academy Award-winning writer and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney talks about his semi-autobiographical play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue, and the Academy Award-winning film Moonlight that followed. He discusses the centrality of Florida to his work, and the importance of building a sense of community above all else. McCraneys recent work includes the TV series David Makes Man on the OWN Network, the Broadway play Choir Boy, and a run of shows as part of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre in Ch...
Nov 20, 2019•49 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In 2019, Joy Harjo became the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States. She joins us from her hometown Tulsa, Oklahoma to talk about the responsibilities that come with this honor and the importance of representing rich Native American storytelling traditions. She talks about the transcendent nature of language, our human origins as storytellers, our innate connection to the Earth, and lessons she learned from one of her inspirations, writer N. Scott Momaday.
Nov 13, 2019•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Best-selling author R.O. Kwon writes with an empathy that can attract religious and non-religious readers alike. She talks about her debut novel, The Incendiaries, a fierce story that deals with faith, loss and fanaticism, and describes how her own loss of faith in high school, and the grief that followed, led to this bold new work.
Nov 06, 2019•36 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothkos signature style helped define Abstract Expressionism. After a screening of the new American Masters documentary, Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Rothkos daughter and son, Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, sat down withseries executive producer Michael Kantor and director Eric Slade to discuss their fathers legacy. This is a bonus episode of the American Masters Podcast.
Oct 30, 2019•32 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast A confessional-style comic, Chris Gethard is unafraid to mine his past. He talks about cramming the entire set of his TV show, The Chris Gethard Show, into the back of his cars trunk, and how he pulls off hour-long phone calls with strangers every week on his podcast, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People. Amidst a tumultuous cultural change, Gethard also discusses the current state of comedy and his HBO special, Career Suicide, which chronicles his history with depression and anxiety.
Oct 23, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Pop icons and twins Tegan and Sara look back at their early days during the height of grunge and rave culture in a new memoir, High School, and companion album, Hey, Im Just Like You. The duo discuss the books honest account of the drugs, music and relationships they each explored in their formative years, and how they crafted a new album from recently discovered high school demo tapes.
Oct 09, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to a preview of whats to come on Season 4 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures including musicians Tegan and Sara, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, Dr. Michio Kaku, actress Lee Grant, comedian Chris Gethard, author R.O. Kwon and more!
Oct 02, 2019•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast What does it mean to stand on the shoulders of giants? Listen to stories from this season of the American Masters Podcast, and learn more about the people who are changing the way we think. Guests include filmmaker Bo Burnham, musician Boots Riley, artist Miranda July, activist DeRay Mckesson, chef David Chang, author Viet Thanh Nguyen and more. Also hear a preview of next season, featuring actress Lee Grant.
Jun 26, 2019•24 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses growing up in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam, and how writing and reading helped him cope with this difficult experience. He explains how his Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel The Sympathizer (2015) and short story collection The Refugees (2017) were partly inspired by problems with cultural representation in American pop culture and literature.
Jun 12, 2019•40 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Jeff Daniels discusses his Tony-nominated role as Atticus Finch in the Aaron Sorkin adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway. He describes the intense preparation that goes into workshopping characters like Finch, and what makes a great performance. Some of Daniels film and TV roles include The Newsroom, Dumb and Dumber, The Squid and the Whale, The Purple Rose of Cairo, The Looming Tower, and Godless.
May 29, 2019•36 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Musician-turned-filmmaker Boots Riley discusses his award-winning film Sorry To Bother You, and the importance of incorporating politics into his work. Riley is also a founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup, a hip-hop group with a penchant for political discourse. In this wide-ranging conversation, Riley describes growing up surrounded by labor organizers and theater.
May 15, 2019•29 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Restaurateur and chef David Chang explores the power of food as a cultural communicator and the influence of immigration on American cuisine. He talks about studying religion in college, his TV series Ugly Delicious and the role models who inspire his work.
May 01, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Josh Hamilton speaks with actress Lois Smith about how she got her start and the many inspiring figures shes worked alongside during her decades in film, TV and theater. Forging an enduring legacy, Smiths film and TV roles include Lady Bird, Twister, Minority Report Marjorie Prime, and True Blood. Shes earned Tony Award nominations for her roles in Grapes of Wrath (1990) and Buried Child (1996) and is a member of Chicagos Steppenwolf Theater Company.
Apr 17, 2019•33 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast DeRay Mckesson discusses his debut book On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope. He talks about his early days protesting on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and the figures who have inspired him to take action. Mckesson presents an intimate portrait of the Black Lives Matter movement from the front lines through personal memoir, and offers a meditation on politics, justice and freedom.
Apr 02, 2019•32 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Miranda July discusses how everyday connections, such as an unlikely friendship with her cab driver, can spark her creativity. She talks about some of her earliest works from childhood, explains her interdisciplinary approach to art and contemplates the double-edged nature of technology and social media.
Mar 19, 2019•34 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Sammy Davis, Jr., boldly strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political territory. American Masters Sammy Davis, Jr.: Ive Gotta Be Me" director Sam Pollard, writer and co-producer Laurence Maslon and executive producer Michael Kantor revisit some of his biggest controversies through rare interviews with Davis conducted by his biographer Burt Boyar.
Mar 05, 2019•29 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Bo Burnham is a comedian-turned-filmmaker who first found fame self-publishing bedroom performances to YouTube. He recently explored that personal experience by writing and directing his debut film, Eighth Grade. Josh Hamilton acted in the film, and speaks with Burnham about identity, coming of age in the era of social media and more in a wide-ranging conversation. Youll also hear from one of Burnhams comic inspirations, George Carlin, in an exclusive outtake from the PBS series Make Em Laugh: T...
Feb 19, 2019•49 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to a preview of whats to come on Season 3 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures including chef and restaurateur David Chang, activist DeRay Mckesson, artist Miranda July, comedian-turned-filmmaker Bo Burnham and more! Led by co-producer and actor Josh Hamilton, hear from the people who are changing the way we think.
Feb 12, 2019•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Young women entrepreneurs today can find inspiration in the story of Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr. In her time, she was known as the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, but it was her groundbreaking work as an inventor of a secure communications system that has turned her into a legend. Recorded live at the Whitby Hotel in New York, host Michael Kantor moderates a panel including Academy Award-winning actor Susan Sarandon, Rutgers professor and IEEE fellow Emina Soljanin, and filmmaker Alexandra De...
May 24, 2018•32 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast The venerable poet, writer, activist, dancer and singer Dr. Maya Angelou teaches that above all else, we are more alike than we are unalike. In this season's final episode, listen to Dr. Angelou share insights into her life as a teacher, what it takes to be courageous and an emotional story from her time in Ghana visiting a wharf where slaves were once sold and traded. [American Masters Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (2017)]. (Season 2, Episode 10 - Revolutionary Writers)
Dec 21, 2017•18 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast 
