Profiles of the performers who shape the screen and stage: their craft, their breakthroughs and the discipline behind the fame.
From the manic energy of Mork to the quiet depth of an Oscar-winning therapist, Robin Williams was one of the most gifted performers of his generation. This is his story.
From a breakout role in Thelma and Louise to an acting Oscar and producing Best Picture winners, Brad Pitt built one of Hollywood's most enduring careers. This is his story.
Two consecutive Best Actor Oscars, a string of films that defined a generation, and a reputation as the nicest man in Hollywood. This is the story of Tom Hanks.
Will Smith built one of the most remarkable careers in modern entertainment, rising from the streets of West Philadelphia to become a two-time Oscar nominee and eventual Academy Award winner. His is a story of relentless reinvention.
He held the screen for fewer than 25 minutes in the film that won him his Oscar, yet no actor that year was even remotely in competition. Anthony Hopkins's Hannibal Lecter changed what a villain could be and what a performance could do with economy and restraint.
She has played queens, villains, elves, anxious socialites, and a legendary jazz musician, and in every case the audience forgets they are watching Cate Blanchett. That capacity for total transformation is what separates her from nearly everyone working in contemporary cinema.
A preacher's son from Mount Vernon who became one of the most commanding and disciplined actors of his generation. This is the life of Denzel Washington.
From Michael Corleone's cold stillness to Tony Montana's volcanic fury, Al Pacino gave American cinema its defining image of intensity, a performer who brought the full force of his own complicated life to every character he inhabited.
From a New Jersey suburb to the summit of world cinema, Meryl Streep became the benchmark against which all screen acting is measured. This is her story.
Narrator, villain, prophet, mentor and God. Morgan Freeman has played them all with the same unhurried authority that makes audiences believe every word he says. This is his life.