Creative Spark

Late comedian, actress, producer and television legend Lucille Ball would have turned 105 years old this year on August 6. Celebrate her birthday with actresses Doris Singleton, Fran Drescher, and Carol Burnett, who discuss Lucy's successes and challenges as one of America's first women media moguls and television sensations. Lucy’s contributions helped flip the script on the role of women in come...

American comedian, actor and nonagenarian Betty White sits down with director Kyra Thompson to discuss the life and career of comedian, actor, singer and writer Carol Burnett. White shares personal anecdotes from her time spent working with Burnett and talks about The Carol Burnett Show’s lasting influence, Lucille Ball and how comedy and audiences have changed [American Masters – Carol Burnett: A...

American singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne discusses the difficulties of navigating the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood studio system and her involvement in the civil rights movement. As a trailblazing person of color within the entertainment industry, Horne recollects times spent with Count Basie, Medgar Evers, Billy Strayhorn and others [American Masters – Lena Horne: In Her...

The first season of the American Masters Podcast presents interviews with influential women discussing women who have impacted our cultural landscape. Who better to kick off the season than American journalist and activist Gloria Steinem? Listen to her conversation with the late documentary filmmaker Gail Levin as they take a critical look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe [American Masters...

The poet Muriel Rukeyser once wrote that the Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. The American Masters Podcast brings you previously unreleased long-form interviews from the series' 30+ years of award-winning documentary films. Listen to host and series executive producer Michael Kantor preview just a few of the many enduring voices from our archive that have left an indelible impression on...