American Masters Podcast

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 returns with a new special, called “Leslie Jones: Life Part 2.” In this interview, Jones traces the long road to discovering her comedic voice. She speaks candidly about family life and the comedians like Richard Pryor who influenced her at a young age. We talk about the time she first fell in love with comedy in college and the many years she spent honing her craft. Jones contends that our current generation needs to accept the struggle, and not try to shortcut the process. We learn about what that creative process is for Jones as she developed her newest special. She offers her take on whether comedians have a responsibility in our culture to provoke thought or if simply getting a laugh is enough.

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 been one of the hardest-working voices of her generation. But in her new comedy special, I Don’t Wanna Work Anymore, Robinson takes a sharp, self-aware look at the millennial hustle-culture mentality. In this episode, Phoebe Robinson shows us the hard work that goes into crafting a special about not wanting to work anymore. She gives us a candid look into the full arc of her creative process, from spreadsheets to the comedy club. We talk about the convergence of art and commerce, the shortcomings of today’s comedy climate, and how to resist making “fast-food” comedy in pursuit of something greater.

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 Center for Media and Social Impact. Their show is called We Disrupt This Broadcast. Host Gabe Gonzalez introduces us to the brilliant, absurdist, hilarious Peabody Award-winning HBO series Fantasmas. In a funny, enlivening conversation with creator, writer, and comedian Julio Torres, they explore how Torres uses humor to uncover the real absurdity of our immigration, healthcare, and economic systems. They discuss how creating fiction – like the “proof of existence” that the fictional Julio is so desperate to avoid – can expose our even stranger realities, like the “aliens of extraordinary abilities” visa that real Julio applied for when immigrating to the U.S. In the second half, Gabe speaks with Andrew DeWaard, author of Derivative Media: How Wall Street Devours Culture. Andrew’s work focuses on the cultural cost of the financialization of media. And don’t worry

Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan says, “we need opportunities to feel connection and to feel less alone.” For her, music is the salve. The three-time Grammy Award winner is back with her tenth studio album, Better Broken. Amidst our tense collective cultural moment, McLachlan aims to create music that bridges divide. In this episode, Sarah McLachlan talks about touring between Canada and the United States and finding common ground with people from all walks of life. We explore the lasting impact of Lilith Fair, the all-women music festival she founded in the 1990s, which featured artists like Sheryl Crow, Jewel, Fiona Apple, Tracy Chapman, and more. McLachlan also shares the influence of Peter Gabriel on her sound, details her own songwriting process, and reflects on the challenges of parenting and how she has imbued those experiences into her new single, “Gravity.”

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 the show’s moral center.  In this episode, Rothwell shares how she connects to Belinda’s journey of self-discovery and how she collaborated with creator Mike White to bring greater nuance to the character. She reflects on the importance of diverse storytelling in Hollywood, the inspiration she drew from actress Nell Carter, and why she believes the arts are an empathy machine. Rothwell also opens up about her experience as a neurodivergent creator, the power of destigmatizing diagnoses, and the untapped potential of art. As she puts it, “From water lilies to Lily Tomlin, it’s all awesome.”

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 continues to affirm his title as one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people. With his new show, Butterfly, he steps into the spotlight as the leading man of a high-stakes international spy thriller. In this episode, Daniel Dae Kim reflects on his upbringing and how an early fascination with American pop culture became the foundation for a career in the arts. He explores television’s power to foster empathy across cultural divides, shares the story behind developing Butterfly, and opens up a new dialogue on the issue of ethnic-specific casting.

Writer, producer and host Phil Rosenthal makes television for the whole family. First, he created the Emmy Award-winning sitcom classic, Everybody Loves Raymond. Now he has taken his vision to food and travel with Somebody Feed Phil. Through his global travels - to places as close to home as Las Vegas, Nevada, and as far away as Sydney, Australia - Phil Rosenthal aims to emphasize our shared humanity through food and comedy. In this episode, Rosenthal talks about the importance of his everyman persona in Somebody Feed Phil, how to be a respectful tourist, and how humor and a good meal can bridge any cultural divide. We also discuss the important role of the diner in America, how his childhood influenced his career in comedy, and how immigrants enrich the world around us.

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 Boltz, an upbeat, high-energy solo debut. You might know Tunde Adebimpe from TV on the Radio, the band whose era-defining hits like “Wolf Like Me” helped shape the 2000s New York indie scene. Or you’ve seen his work in film and television, with standout roles in projects like Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Twisters, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. But this is his first time going solo, and he’s poured years of personal loss and growth into Thee Black Boltz. In this episode, Adebimpe opens up about that journey. We learn how underground cartoonists like Robert Crumb, Joe Matt, Mary Fleener, and Maurice Vellekoop taught him to mine the personal for his art, and how a lifelong DIY punk ethos continues to shape his multidisciplinary practice. He reflects on hitting the reset button, rediscovering the basics, and finding the joy of creating art once again.

For Tony-winning playwright and theater director George C. Wolfe, the “landscape of America is rich and complicated and messy.” He takes the greatest joy in putting that messiness on the Broadway stage. This time, he’s directing the Broadway revival of “Gypsy,” widely considered the best of the Golden Age musicals. Alongside the show’s lead actor Audra McDonald, Wolfe has dug into the past to modernize Rose, the most famous stage mother in history. Their work has been nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. In this episode, George C. Wolfe talks to us about the harrowing photographs he unearthed during his research into the Great Depression and the economic uncertainty of the era in which “Gypsy” takes place. He shares how he reshaped the production to portray Rose as a more sympathetic and modernized character. Wolfe reflects on the importance of finding joy in troubled times, both on the stage and off. You can also learn more about the choreographer of “Gypsy” in our new short document

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-third of the hip-hop group clipping. Known for their love of genre storytelling, the group’s new album “Dead Channel Sky” is not their first foray into science fiction. Along with William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes, the trio was previously nominated for a Hugo Award for their 2016 rap space opera “Splendor & Misery.” Now, the group is turning its attention to cyberpunk for the first time. Aesthetically, “Dead Channel Sky” is a clear nod to inspirations ranging from Blade Runner and The Matrix to William Gibson’s Neuromancer. The noisy, glitchy, and dense album presents itself conceptually as a mixtape found in the dustbins of a dystopian future - but it also doubles as prescient commentary on our current moment. In this episode, Daveed Diggs talks to us about his creative process behind writing and rapping on “Dead Channel Sky.” He confesses that we might already be livin

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 write about love. Coming off the heels of a Grammy Award-winning run with her supergroup, boygenius, Dacus has signed a major label contract with Geffen for her solo work. In this episode, Lucy Dacus talks to us about growing up playing house shows in Richmond, Virginia, how her religious upbringing has shaped her today, and how she put together the music and lyrics that form her most romantic songs to date. American Masters: Creative Spark is back with new episodes! For the very first time, you can now watch the podcast! Video is the new audio, after all. Starting this season, you can watch our new episodes on Spotify and YouTube.

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 to perform alongside artists like Beyoncé, John Legend and Andre 3000. As a teacher, she has helped bridge the past into the future, educating new generations of students.  In this episode, Alicia Graf Mack shares the journey that brought her to this moment. We catch her at a pivotal point in her career as she prepares to transition from her role at The Juilliard School to become the next artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She reflects on the mentors like Judith Jamison who shaped her artistry and the responsibility she feels to honor their legacy. We also discuss how she hopes to expand Ailey’s reach while staying true to its roots, ensuring that dance remains a powerful force for storytelling, expression, and community.

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 the best books of the 21st century. Lee’s exploration of the immigrant experience, identity and empathy has a timeless quality that feels as relevant as ever in our current moment.   In this episode, Min Jin Lee breaks down her nearly 30-year journey in writing the novel. She describes how the many obstacles and detours in her life only further helped to clarify her vision. We explore why she needed to move to Japan to really understand the Korean immigrant experience at the center of “Pachinko.” Through first-person interviews and deep research, she shows how “our curiosity is what is going to, in the end, allow us to have a higher quality” of love for each other.

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 was an unlikely path filled with generous doses of hard work, talent and passion. Urie explains how he first fell in love with musical comedies and how it changed everything for him. Even if you’ve never been a fan of the genre before, his love for it is truly infectious. In this episode, Michael Urie breaks down his creative process behind his performance as Prince Dauntless in the Broadway revival of “Once Upon a Mattress.” He explains how his training at Juilliard prepared him for the physical demands of theater and how acting for musicals can be a truly “athletic” endeavor. He shares how early experiences seeing performances from stars like Jerry Lewis, Michael Keaton and Tommy Tune sparked his creative journey. You can see Michael Urie now through November 30th in “Once Upon a Mattress” on Broadway. He is also in the newest season of the Apple TV+ show, “

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 feelings” and “a way to rejoice.” With their new album, “Five Dice, All Threes,” Oberst’s work with his band Bright Eyes is as emotionally expressive as ever. He breaks down the collaborative process behind that record and the joy it brings to simply have fun making art with friends. In this episode, we also learn about Conor Oberst’s history as a prodigy of the indie music scene. He has been making music since he was 13 years old and first catapulted to international recognition as a teenager through his work with Bright Eyes. Talking to us from his hometown in Omaha, Nebraska, Oberst describes coming of age in a regional music scene that made room for all genres of music. That freeform environment laid the groundwork for bands like The Faint, Cursive and Bright Eyes to blossom together in the 1990s. It’s a communal spirit that is still central to Conor Oberst

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 to us about this theme in her newest novel and its sprawling exploration of how a Jewish family from Long Island contends with their own intense intergenerational trauma by simply surviving together. It’s called “Long Island Compromise,” and despite the heavy elevator pitch, it is a biting satire with a lot of laughs, too. Taffy Brodesser-Akner previously wrote “Fleishman is in Trouble,” which became a hit TV series starring Jesse Eisenberg. She is also a staff writer at The New York Times, where she is known for covering high-profile figures like Tom Hanks, Gwyneth Paltrow, Taylor Swift and Bradley Cooper. In this episode, we learn about Brodesser-Akner’s creative process, how she developed a minimalist approach to interviewing celebrities, her circuitous journey toward writing her first two novels, and why she thinks it’s quite alright to write about trauma b

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,” she plays Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned over England and Ireland for nearly 45 years in the 16th and 17th centuries. It’s a role that demands a larger than life presence, and Driver explains how she brought her own physicality to the part and also a sense of humor to add new dimensions to the iconic figure. She talks about the joy of acting in period pieces, and reminds us to “never underestimate the power of dressing up,” even if the corset can be a little too tight at times. In this episode, we also learn about Minnie Driver’s upbringing and the unique educational path that led her to become a multi-hyphenate actor, writer, singer-songwriter and podcaster. Driver describes the profound impact that reading and performing Shakespeare had on her in her youth. She explains the creative process that was instilled in her at this age that led her towards an event

Annie Baker talks to us about her directorial debut, “Janet Planet.” Her film explores the intimate relationship between a single mother and her daughter told over a long and hot summer break in Western Massachusetts. Baker shares her “intuitive” approach to making the film and the ways in which her work defies easy categorization. She also talks about what she strives for when she’s writing, the “trippy” power of nature sounds, and the “whole point of making art.” We even have a brief lesson in etymology. Annie Baker is best known for influencing a generation of theater-goers with her work as a playwright. Her plays are often recognized for their rich, layered dialogue delivered with deliberate pacing and loads of subtext. In 2014, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her play, “The Flick,” and in the decade since, she has written “John” (2015), “The Antipodes” (2017), and “Infinite Life” (2023). You can get tickets or stream “Janet Planet” here: https://a24films.com/films/janet-planet

Singer-songwriter Jewel talks to us about her love of learning and the joy of making art across multiple disciplines. She recounts her journey navigating a traumatic childhood and channeling its challenges into better understanding herself. She reminds us that “trauma does change us, but we get to choose how it changes us.” Jewel talks about how the internet gives “power to the creator” and the importance of her having a direct relationship to her community and listeners. She describes a “sacred contract between the art and the participant” and shares memories of when her music has created powerful connections. Then, she breaks down her creative process behind her recent art exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It’s called “The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel.” Jewel tells us how she created the show as a way to merge her interests in music, visual arts and behavioral health. She describes curating a collection of fine art, including pieces by artists like Mickalene Thomas, Ruth Asawa, an

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 today. Whether it’s the recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lincoln, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Dark Knight Rises, Mysterious Skin, 500 Days of Summer, or one of the dozens of other projects he’s starred in, Gordon-Levitt really shows his range.  In this episode, Joseph Gordon-Levitt unpacks his creative approach to building characters and fitting the mold of the genre he’s working in. He goes deep on some of his most iconic performances and talks about working opposite a wide range of acting styles, from the talents of Eddie Murphy to Daniel Day-Lewis.