American Masters

History Series / 11 Seasons

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

Watch Latest: S38 E6

52m 55s / TV-14

Why Mark Rothko Came to America

2m 42s

Born Marcus Rothkowitz in Dvinsk, Russia, on September 25, 1903, Rothko emigrated to Portland, Oregon, with his family at age 10. Learn more in this clip from American Masters —Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous.

Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous Preview

30s

Explore the life of the celebrated artist whose luminous color field paintings helped define the abstract expressionist movement, which shifted the art world epicenter from Paris to New York. Featuring original scenes with Alfred Molina.

Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage Preview

1m 1s

Explore a warm and revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and in Hollywood. Filled with passion, determination and joy, Juliá’s brilliant and daring career was tragically cut short by his untimely death 25 years ago, at age 54.

Raúl Juliá and Meryl Streep Go Head-to-Head

3m

Two of the greatest actors of their generation unleash their powers in this clip from Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage that features rare, archival footage of Joseph Papp's 1978 Shakespeare in the Park production of The Taming of the Shrew. Raúl Juliá plays Petruchio, an equal match for Meryl Streep's Kate.

Rita Moreno & Edward James Olmos on the discrimination

2m 6s

Rubén Blades, Andy Garcia, and others discuss how Raúl Juliá overcame discrimination to make a name for himself as an actor — without losing his Puerto Rican accent or changing his name — helping to pave the way for Latinx actors today.

Inside Look | Raúl Juliá

2m 5s

Get an inside look at Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage from American Masters and VOCES. Explore a warm and revealing portrait of the charismatic, groundbreaking actor’s journey from his native Puerto Rico to the creative hotbed of 1960s New York City, to prominence on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Toni Morrison In Memoriam

26m 44s

American Masters mourns the loss of the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison. Inspired to write because no one took a “little black girl” seriously, she published 11 acclaimed novels that illuminated the experiences of black America and inspired generations of writers.

"The Left Hand of Darkness" and Gender Fluidity

3m 55s

In 1969, Ursula K. Le Guin published a groundbreaking novel called "The Left Hand of Darkness" that questioned binary concepts of gender. Learn about the backlash from fans that found the book too controversial as well as criticism from feminists who felt that she didn’t go far enough.

Learn About Ursula K. Le Guin's Predecessor to Harry Potter

2m 45s

Watch to learn why Neil Gaiman thinks Harry Potter wouldn't have existed without Ursula K. Le Guin's A Wizard of Earthsea, a fantasy novel she published in 1968 featuring a wizard school.

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin Preview

2m 17s

Explore the remarkable life and legacy of late feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin whose groundbreaking work, including “The Left Hand of Darkness,” transformed American literature by bringing science fiction into the literary mainstream.

Robert Shaw – Man of Many Voices

2m 43s

Trace the journey of one of the greatest choral music conductors in the world. With no formal training, Robert Shaw achieved early success in popular music and later became legendary for his interpretations of classical music’s choral masterpieces.

Choral Music Conductor Robert Shaw Was Self-Taught

1m 59s

Robert Shaw became popular in an intensely competitive business where musical pedigree is highly valued. And yet, he was not a gifted singer and lacked formal training as a keyboardist and conductor.

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