Indigenous Groups at the Forefront of Climate Action
N. Scott Momaday, Jeff Bridges, and Robert Redford discuss the historic role Indigenous groups have played in fighting to protect our planet
The First Native American to Win the Pulitzer
When N. Scott Momaday won the Pulitzer Prize for his book "House Made of Dawn," it was a victory for the entire Native American community. Hear Jeff Bridges, Joy Harjo, Robert Redford and James Earl Jones explain the importance of Momaday's writing.
Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb on Creating Abstract Art
When a New York Times art critic reviewed Mark Rothko and Adolph Gottlieb's work, the artists responded with a letter that became a manifesto on abstract art. In it, they stressed being in favor of the "simple expression of the complex thought,” and for "the large shape because it has the impact of the unequivocal," among other points.
How Abstract Expressionism Changed American Art
In post World War II New York City, a new group of artists including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell, & Clyfford Still started a movement known as Abstract Expressionism and took the art world by storm.
Why Mark Rothko Came to America
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
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
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.
Edward James Olmos on Raúl Juliá
In an outtake from Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage, Edward James Olmos recalls watching his friend Raúl Juliá spontaneously perform Shakespeare on tabletops in bars.
How Raúl Juliá got his sister into Studio 54
Raúl Juliá's younger sister Maria recalls the story of going to the exclusive New York City club Studio 54 with her famous older brother.
How Raúl Juliá Influenced Esai Morales
Esai Morales looks back at the legacy of his friend and co-star Raúl Juliá, and discusses what made him acting and the energy he had as a performer.
Ben DeJesus Sheds Light on Latino Stories
Director of Raúl Juliá: The World’s a Stage Ben DeJesus discusses the importance of Raúl Juliá's story and his cultural impact as a performer and activist.
Raúl Juliá and Meryl Streep Go Head-to-Head
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
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
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
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.
2019 Emmy Award Nominees Reel
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has nominated American Masters for an Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.”
"The Left Hand of Darkness" and Gender Fluidity
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.
Ursula K. Le Guin's Passionate Acceptance Speech
Author Ursula K. Le Guin shares her National Books Award with all the writers "who were excluded from literature for so long."
Learn About Ursula K. Le Guin's Predecessor to Harry Potter
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.
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