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 eventual Oscar nomination for her work in “Good Will Hunting,” and further commercial and critical success in projects like “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “The Riches,” and “Will & Grace.”

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, and Genesis Tramaine, among others. She also describes producing her own works for the show, including a hologram, a painting, a sculpture, and even a 200-piece drone show.

You can learn more about “The Portal: An Art Experience” here: https://crystalbridges.org/news-room/jewel-presents-immersive-art-experience-at-crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art/

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.

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 his creative process as an actor who is able to mold himself to any and all film genres, including this month's new film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.

How do the world’s finest artists – from actors to musicians and beyond – create work that moves audiences? What challenges do they overcome in their creative process? American Masters: Creative Spark explores what makes a master by interviewing artists and cultural icons from the worlds of music, comedy, poetry, film, and more about their work.

Featured guests this season include actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, singer-songwriter Jewel, playwright turned filmmaker Annie Baker, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and more.

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 is all about John Ford, the most influential filmmaker in cinema history. In this episode, we’re exploring Ford’s early days, when he rose to fame by being one of the most reckless, independent directors in Hollywood.

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 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and squarely put her on the map as an exciting, off-beat new writer. 

With her newest collection, “Bliss Montage,” Ma has turned her attention to the short story format. The collection is described as “eight wildly different tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home.”

In this episode, Ling Ma breaks down her creative process and inspiration behind “Peking Duck,” a short story from the collection. She details how she attempted to complicate and “implode” the immigrant narrative through her unique approach to this mother-daughter story.

After listening to the episode, you can read “Peking Duck” here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/11/peking-duck

It’s been announced! Writer Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Sympathizer” (2015) is now getting the prestige TV treatment on HBO’s newly rebranded Max streaming service.

To celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we revisit our interview with Nguyen. In it, he talks about not just “The Sympathizer,” but about growing up in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam, and how writing and reading helped him cope with its many challenges. He breaks down how his work takes on issues of cultural representation in American pop culture and literature.

“The Sympathizer” stars Hoa Xuande (“Cowboy Bebop”) as a spy for North Vietnam who becomes embedded in L.A.’s refugee community. The miniseries adaptation is described as “an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States.” The cast includes executive producer Robert Downey, Jr., Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong, Vy Le, Ky Duyen and Sandra Oh.

Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the busiest people in Hollywood. His recent films include “Aquaman,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” “Ambulance,” and “Candyman.” But most recently, he made his Broadway debut in "Topdog/Underdog." 

In this episode, Abdul-Mateen II gives a masterclass on his acting process. The graduate of the Yale School of Drama describes how he prepared for his critically acclaimed performance in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play. He reveals the physical and mental challenges of this work, which are ultimately in service of his pursuit of “absolute truth.”

In her eighth feature film, “Showing Up,” Kelly Reichardt takes pleasure in thinking about “life on the level outside of commerce.” Her films often explore working-class characters living life on the margins. Movies like “First Cow,” “Certain Women,” “Wendy and Lucy,” and “Old Joy” have established Reichardt as one of the most fiercely independent filmmakers working today. 

In this episode, Reichardt discusses how inherently collaborative filmmaking can be, the pleasure she takes in documenting processes, the importance of art schools, and just how frequently André 3000 was playing the flute during production. She also shares some surprising thoughts about where her next film might take place (and it isn’t the Pacific Northwest).

“Showing Up” is in theaters this Friday, April 7th.

A compelling novel can transport us into worlds unknown. Novelist Jennifer Egan has mastered this inventiveness of fiction with her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "A Visit from the Goon Squad," and in her newest book,"The Candy House." In this episode, Egan breaks down her writing process behind "Lulu the Spy, 2032," a chapter from "The Candy House." She pulls from life experiences to deftly forge playful and imaginative stories that bend the formal limits of the novel. Ultimately, she reminds us why writing still matters, maybe more than ever before.