American Masters: Creative Spark
Episodes
How Leslie Jones Became a Comedian
19 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian and actress Leslie Jones has lived a lot of life and she wants you to know it. The Saturday Night Live alum and veteran stand-up comic return...
Phoebe Robinson Shows Her Work
17 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Phoebe Robinson is a girl boss in recovery. As the creator and star of projects like 2 Dope Queens and Everything’s Trash, she’s long bee...
Fantasmas: Julio Torres on Art Surviving in Late-Stage Capitalism
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hi all! We're taking a break from our usual episodes of Creative Spark this week to share a podcast from our friends at The Peabody Awards and the Cen...
Sarah McLachlan: Making Music to Connect and Heal
26 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan says, “we need opportunities to feel connection and to feel less alone.” For her, music is the salve. The three-...
How Natasha Rothwell’s Life Brought Her to “The White Lotus”
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actress Natasha Rothwell returns as Belinda in The White Lotus Season 3, a role that’s earned her two Emmy nominations and cemented her status as th...
Daniel Dae Kim Leads Spy Drama and Fights for Industry Change
15 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Daniel Dae Kim is no stranger to breaking barriers. From his groundbreaking role on Lost, to his Tony-nominated turn in Yellow Face, Kim continu...
Phil Rosenthal’s Secret Recipe: Good Food and a Laugh
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, producer and host Phil Rosenthal makes television for the whole family. First, he created the Emmy Award-winning sitcom classic, Everybody Lov...
Tunde Adebimpe Channels His DIY Roots Into Raw Solo Debut
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TV on the Radio co-founder Tunde Adebimpe is a force of positivity. In the face of unimaginable loss, Adebimpe has channeled his grief into Thee Black...
George C. Wolfe on Desperation and Desire in His “Gypsy”
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Tony-winning playwright and theater director George C. Wolfe, the “landscape of America is rich and complicated and messy.” He takes the great...
Daveed Diggs Takes on Cyberpunk Rap
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might know rapper and actor Daveed Diggs from his performances in Broadway’s “Hamilton” or 2024’s “Nickel Boys.” But he is also one-th...
Lucy Dacus Makes Her First Love Songs
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus has been building up to this moment her entire career. With her new album, “Forever Is a Feeling,” she is ready to wr...
Alicia Graf Mack on Honoring the Past and Future of Dance
25 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alicia Graf Mack has been entrusted with carrying the torch of ballet and modern dance into the future. As a dancer, she has battled through adversity...
Min Jin Lee Revisits the Decades It Took To Write “Pachinko”
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Author Min Jin Lee talks to us about the power of the social novel. Her epic historical fiction novel, “Pachinko,” is frequently cited as one of t...
Michael Urie Finds Laughs in the Balcony and the Front Row
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Michael Urie is a breath of fresh air. He talks to us about his journey in acting from the suburbs of Dallas, Texas to the Broadway stage. It wa...
Conor Oberst Finds His Purpose in Process
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Conor Oberst talks to us about the joy of making music. He describes his music and artistic mission as both a “release of negative...
Taffy Brodesser-Akner Defends the Trauma Plot
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner jokes that “family is a chronic condition,” but eventually, we all figure out that we are lucky to have it. She talks...
Minnie Driver’s Path to the Throne
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Minnie Driver talks to us about how she took on the role of one of the most powerful women in history. In the Starz series, “The Serpent Queen...
Annie Baker Shifts From Stage to Screen
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Baker talks to us about her directorial debut, “Janet Planet.” Her film explores the intimate relationship between a single mother and her d...
Jewel Finds Healing in Music and Art
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter Jewel talks to us about her love of learning and the joy of making art across multiple disciplines. She recounts her journey navigat...
Joseph Gordon-Levitt Can Do That Genre Too!
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks to us about the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. He might be one of the most adaptable actors working to...
Here's a quick preview of our new season!
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! Our first new episode drops Thursday, July 25th, and every other Thursday after that. First up: Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks with us about h...
From The Plot Thickens: Decoding John Ford
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at The Plot Thickens, a podcast from TCM about movies and the people who make them. Their new season ...
Ling Ma on Imploding the Immigrant Narrative
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Novelist Ling Ma doesn’t shy away from taking risks with her writing. Her 2018 debut novel, “Severance,” is an apocalyptic satire that won the K...
Viet Thanh Nguyen on the Ghosts that Haunt our Cultural Past (Replay)
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been announced! Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer” (2015) is now getting the prestige TV treatment...
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Searches for Truth Through Acting
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the busiest people in Hollywood. His recent films include “Aquaman,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” “Ambu...
Kelly Reichardt Breaks Down Her Filmmaking Process Behind "Showing Up"
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In her eighth feature film, “Showing Up,” Kelly Reichardt takes pleasure in thinking about “life on the level outside of commerce.” Her films ...
Jennifer Egan Writes to Experience a Life Outside Her Own
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A compelling novel can transport us into worlds unknown. Novelist Jennifer Egan has mastered this inventiveness of fiction with her Pulitzer Prize-win...
Al Nelson’s Sound Design Journey From “Jurassic Park” To “Top Gun: Maverick”
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“Top Gun: Maverick” is filled with booming jet engines and layered sonic storytelling. Since this publication, it won the award for Best Sound at ...
Jason Kim Goes Inside the World of K-pop
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
K-pop is a genre full of catchy music and elaborate choreography. It’s a natural fit for the Broadway stage. As a lifelong fan of K-pop, writer Jaso...
Ruth E. Carter Designs Costumes to Stand the Test of Time
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to create futuristic costumes from the past? Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter’s Afrofuturistic designs imagine the fi...
John Waters on the Fine Art of Bad Taste
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Waters loves to break the rules and make you laugh along the way. The iconoclast has been doing just that over the past six decades with provocat...
John David Washington Explores his Past for his Broadway Debut
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Actor John David Washington loves to talk about his craft. The star of films like “BlacKkKlansman,” “Tenet” and “Amsterdam” has now set hi...
One more short scene from the life of Buffy Sainte-Marie
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the past century. For 60 years her music has quietly reverberated throughout pop ...
New season of American Masters: Creative Spark!
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do the world’s finest artists – from actors to musicians and beyond – create work that moves audiences? What challenges do they overcome in ...
How Buffy Sainte-Marie Made Her Most Triumphant Song Yet
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Cree musician, artist and activist, has always been ahead of the pack. For six decades, she has fought for Indigenous rights and...
Jo Firestone Proves Comedy Has No Age Limit
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Jo Firestone was leading a weekly remote comedy workshop with a group of senior citizens from New York’s Greenwich House when something mag...
Don Hertzfeldt Animates Stick Figures Into Existential Masterpieces
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Two-time Oscar-nominated animator, writer and filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt is considered one of the most influential figures in animation. In his first-ev...
Atsuko Okatsuka Jokes Around
11 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka does everything. The touring comic, actress, writer, dancehall dancer and podcast host is everywhere and works tirelessly. Sh...
How Kim Gordon Makes Music
04 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Musician and artist Kim Gordon is known for being the coolest person in the room. She is one of the co-founders of Sonic Youth, the band that pioneere...
Making Movies with M. Night Shyamalan
28 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has been telling original stories with movies like the Oscar-nominated hit, “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “...
Jericho Brown Takes on Tradition
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Poet Jericho Brown won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection “The Tradition.” The poems are vivid works of beauty and agony - each...
Understanding the History and Mystery of Michael R. Jackson
14 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
“A Strange Loop” has a lot to say in a one-act show. The metafictional musical is playwright, lyricist and composer Michael R. Jackson’s meditat...
Errol Morris vs. Steve Bannon
07 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris broke open the documentary form with his early embrace of re-enactments and stylized lighting and music. His film...
Introducing – American Masters: Creative Spark
23 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do today’s masters create their art? American Masters: Creative Spark presents narrative interviews that go in-depth with one iconic artist abou...
Actor and playwright Wallace Shawn
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Although he became famous for his work as an actor in films like “Clueless”, “The Princess Bride” and “Toy Story,” Wallace Shawn is also a...
Musician Miles Davis
26 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku
19 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 th...
Comedian Maria Bamford
05 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Writer and director Noah Baumbach
22 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale,” “Margot at the Wedding,” “The Meyerowitz Stories”) talks about how and why he makes movies. Thro...
Playwright Lynn Nottage
08 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage talks about the origin of her Broadway play, “Sweat,” and the time she spent developing the story t...
Actor Ethan Hawke
16 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Actor, writer and director Ethan Hawke (“Before Sunrise,” “Training Day,” “First Reformed,” “Boyhood”) talks with his close friend and...
Actress and filmmaker Lee Grant
04 Dec 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Academy Award-winning actress Lee Grant (“Shampoo,” “In The Heat of the Night,” “Valley of the Dolls”) sits down with American Masters cre...
Playwright and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney
20 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Academy Award-winning writer and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney talks about his semi-autobiographical play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” and t...
Poet Joy Harjo
13 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
Author R.O. Kwon
06 Nov 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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, “T...
Artist Mark Rothko
30 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko’s signature style helped define Abstract Expressionism. After a screening of th...
Comedian Chris Gethard
23 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 Sh...
Music duo Tegan and Sara
09 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sneak Peek – New season begins October 9th!
02 Oct 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to a preview of what’s to come on Season 4 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures includ...
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
26 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 pe...
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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 experien...
Actor Jeff Daniels
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Jeff Daniels discusses his Tony-nominated role as Atticus Finch in the Aaron Sorkin adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Broadway. He describe...
Filmmaker Boots Riley
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Musician-turned-filmmaker Boots Riley discusses his award-winning film “Sorry To Bother You,” and the importance of incorporating politics into hi...
Restaurateur and chef David Chang
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurateur and chef David Chang explores the power of food as a cultural communicator and the influence of immigration on American cuisine. He talks...
Actress Lois Smith with Josh Hamilton
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Hamilton speaks with actress Lois Smith about how she got her start and the many inspiring figures she’s worked alongside during her decades in...
Author and activist DeRay Mckesson
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Filmmaker and artist Miranda July
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Miranda July discusses how everyday connections, such as an unlikely friendship with her cab driver, can spark her creativity. She talks about some of...
Entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr.
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Sammy Davis, Jr., boldly strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political territory. “American Masters – ...
Comedian-turned-filmmaker Bo Burnham with Josh Hamilton
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Bo Burnham is a comedian-turned-filmmaker who first found fame self-publishing bedroom performances to YouTube. He recently explored that personal exp...
Sneak Peek – New season begins February 20th!
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to a preview of what’s to come on Season 3 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures includ...
Susan Sarandon, Emina Soljanin, and Alexandra Dean on actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 Woma...
Poet Dr. Maya Angelou
21 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
Poet Tracy K. Smith
12 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We sit down with U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to discuss the ideas that drive her writing. Considered among the best poets of her generation, Smi...
Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson
26 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Willie Nelson is a superstar of country music (“Red Headed Stranger,” “Shotgun Willie,” “Stardust”). He reinvented the genre as one of the...
Singer-songwriter Bonnie "Prince" Billy
05 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Will Oldham is an enigmatic singer/songwriter who commonly performs under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy. For decades, his music and lyrics have explo...
Writer Edgar Allan Poe
21 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Edgar Allan Poe is a global literary icon, best known for his Gothic horror tales. Actor Denis O’Hare stars as Poe in the new documentary “America...
Writer and Director John Carpenter
07 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Known as "The Horror Master," John Carpenter is Hollywood's ultimate auteur of fright. In this new interview, the writer, director and composer talks ...
Comedian Margaret Cho
23 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this new interview, comedian Margaret Cho talks about her career and the role comedy plays in dealing with the current social climate. An outspoken...
Comedian Mel Brooks
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Satire is often described as one of the most powerful tools against tyranny. Listen to a previously unreleased interview with legendary comedian Mel B...
Animators Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi on artist Tyrus Wong
06 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
“American Masters: Tyrus” filmmaker Pamela Tom interviews filmmakers/artists Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, who discuss their Oscar-nominated ani...
Playwright Arthur Miller
27 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Witch hunts, political hysteria, and paranoia! Listen to previously unreleased interviews with Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright Arthur Miller and...
Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks
13 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Season 2 of the American Masters Podcast looks at the artists that challenge and shape our thoughts through the power of the written word. We begin wi...
Ruben Santiago-Hudson on playwright August Wilson
11 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, director of August Wilson’s Jitney, which makes its Broadway...
Filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
21 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Listen as host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, co-directors of American Masters – Norman L...
Norman Lear and comedian Hasan Minhaj
10 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Comedian Hasan Minhaj, senior correspondent for The Daily Show, shares a personal story with legendary producer Norman Lear, recorded live at this sum...
Author Gloria Naylor
08 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We remember novelist Gloria Naylor, who died September 28, 2016, at the age of 66. Best known for The Women of Brewster Place, which received the Nati...
Bonus. Joan Baez and Dar Williams Sing “If I Wrote You”
02 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to singer-songwriters Joan Baez and Dar Williams perform as a duet in this impromptu rendition of “If I Wrote You”, written by Dar Williams...
Singer-songwriters Dar Williams and Joan Baez
23 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
American folk music icon Joan Baez began her singer-songwriting career during the 1960s counterculture movement and celebrated her 75th birthday this ...
Nina Bernstein and June Norton on singer Ella Fitzgerald
10 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Before jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald became the First Lady of Song and earned 13 Grammy Awards, she spent much of her teenage years as an orphan, findin...
Tennis players Venus Williams and Chris Evert on Billie Jean King
28 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrate the 2016 U.S. Open with tennis superstars Chris Evert and Venus Williams, who discuss athlete and social icon Billie Jean King’s impact bo...
Singer-songwriter Patti Smith
12 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist Patti Smith discusses the early days of punk rock. In this never-before-heard interview from American Master...
We Love Lucy!
31 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Late comedian, actress, producer and television legend Lucille Ball would have turned 105 years old this year on August 6. Celebrate her birthday with...
Comedian Betty White on Carol Burnett
15 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
American comedian, actor and nonagenarian Betty White sits down with director Kyra Thompson to discuss the life and career of comedian, actor, singer ...
Singer Lena Horne
03 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
American singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne discusses the difficulties of navigating the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood studio sy...
Activist Gloria Steinem on Marilyn Monroe
17 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The first season of the American Masters Podcast presents interviews with influential women discussing women who have impacted our cultural landscape....
Introducing the American Masters Podcast!
10 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The poet Muriel Rukeyser once wrote that the Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. The American Masters Podcast brings you previously unreleased ...