American Masters Podcast

For Mike Faist, acting is about finding freedom in the unknown and staying curious. In this interview, we explore the preparation and process behind his performance as Charles Trask in the new limited television series, East of Eden. Faist explains how he used everything from painful boots to solitary weekends on the show’s New Zealand set to inhabit John Steinbeck’s world. He reflects on what he learned from his scene partners Christopher Abbott and Florence Pugh, the acting exercises devised by director Garth Davis, the creative community that shaped him in New York, inspiring moments with colleagues like Michael Shannon and Steven Spielberg, and the spark that keeps him going.

Matteo Lane is a stand-up comedian, painter, singer, and now a Broadway performer. In this interview, we talk about how all of these skills come together in his impassioned creative process. To Matteo, all art comes from “the base of a tree and then it grows out in different places.” You never know how one artistic pursuit is going to feed into another. We discuss his performance as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s “Chicago,” how he develops a comedy special from bar shows to international tours, the history of gay representation in comedy, the creative spark that led him to pursue painting and illustration at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, his passion for Maria Callas, and why he believes in “working towards the masterpiece, not on the masterpiece.”

Taylor Rooks has built her career asking athletes the questions that reveal who they are beyond the game. As a journalist and the host of NBA on Prime, she’s become known for her curious approach to her work. For Taylor, “everyone is more than one story.” In this episode, we talk about how Taylor prepares for interviews and builds connections with stars like Anthony Edwards. She describes the warmth and empathy she brings to her work, what it’s like to play metaphorical point guard as the host of NBA on Prime, the creative spark that led her down this path, and the universal power of sports.

Filmmaker Michael Sarnoski (“Pig” and “A Quiet Place: Day One”) takes on a revisionist version of the Robin Hood story with his new film, “The Death of Robin Hood.” When you hear Robin Hood, you probably think of the man who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. But what if he was just an outlaw? A violent outlaw who has to reckon with his past. In this episode, Sarnoski reflects on adapting one of history's greatest legends and how we can all relate to Robin Hood’s internal struggle with his sense of identity and self-mythology. We talk about the delicate balance of historical authenticity and emotional truth, why audiences are so interested in modern retellings of folklore right now, and the stories we tell about ourselves that come to define us. “Storytelling is how we understand ourselves. Storytelling is religion. Storytelling is how we place ourselves in the cosmos.”

In this episode, Tyler James Williams gives a masterclass on his own acting technique: studying people, building characters, and finding the humanity behind every performance. We talk about his love for New York, how “Men In Black” made him fall in love with art and entertainment, and the care he has poured into creating the character of Gregory Eddie on “Abbott Elementary.” The Emmy-winning sitcom recently wrapped its fifth season, with Williams stepping into the director role again. After three decades in the industry, he’s looking beyond his own career, toward the next generation of young talent, drawing on his experience as a former child actor to help create a more empowering path for the artists who come next.

Atsuko Okatsuka returns to the show! The comedian joins us to talk about how she bridges cultures with her work, crafting jokes that land wherever she performs. Atsuko cites Lucille Ball as a major influence when she was a kid growing up in Japan, inspired by the universality of her physical comedy. Whether it’s here in the United States, Taiwan, Japan, or on her global tour, “The Big Bowl Tour,” Atsuko is always finding new ways to tell her story. In this episode, we dig into the creative process behind her most recent special, called “Father,” we catch up on how the global pandemic convinced her to embrace authenticity, how she keeps autobiographical joke writing fresh, why her bowl cut is a tribute to her inner weirdness, and when community building can be a good thing (and not at all cult worship!).

Oscar-nominated actor Greg Kinnear has been a fixture of film and television for decades, bringing warmth, wit, and emotional depth to beloved classics like “As Good as It Gets,” “You've Got Mail,” and “Little Miss Sunshine.” Most recently, he stars in “Margo's Got Money Troubles,” the acclaimed new television series that recently wrapped its first season. In this episode, Greg Kinnear reflects on his circuitous path from radio and talk shows to becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable actors. He explains why he believes that same path may no longer exist in today’s entertainment industry. He opens up about the changing economics of Hollywood in the age of AI and the collapse of the industry’s “middle class.” Funny, thoughtful, and unexpectedly philosophical, Kinnear shares why he still believes there’s something fundamentally human about great acting that technology can’t replicate.

Comedian Chris Fleming embraces the chaos in his new HBO comedy special, “Live at the Palace.” Long regarded as a comedian’s comedian, Fleming’s breakout performance has propelled him into the spotlight. In this episode, Chris Fleming traces the origins of his manic, effervescent stage persona back to his childhood in rural Stow, Massachusetts, where he first began crafting jokes about deer and other oddities of small-town life. In a wide-ranging conversation, we also discuss his drive to provoke his audience, while still grounding his work in empathy. He describes the stark contrast in stylistic freedom between the men’s and women’s aisles of clothing stores, his opposition to perfectionism, and the importance of expressing yourself as authentically as possible.

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, he also explains what the word “financialization” means.

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 documentary, “Camille A. Brown: Giant Steps” here. This film is part of our digital series called “In The Making” and directed by Michelle Parkerson and Shellée M. Haynesworth.

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 living in the middle of our own “pretty mundane” cyberpunk apocalypse - and it’s “just not that cool.” Through hip-hop, he seeks to craft an alternate present that feels just a little bit more exciting. Diggs also talks to us about growing up in an artistically vibrant Bay Area, the rappers who influenced his creative approach, and why it’s so important that we all keep making things with our immediate community.

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.