Pivotal Career Moments

Andy Ackerman on being a stage manager/assistant director for a high school production and learning a lot from his teacher

Ray Aghayan on costume design for The Judy Garland Show

Ray Aghayan on costume design for The Judy Garland Show and Bob Mackie becoming his assistant

Chris Albrecht on becoming President of Original Programming at HBO

Alan Alda on his adoration for the early radio comedians and talk show hosts such as Arthur Godfrey and Steve Allen

Alan Alda on how the burlesque comics and Vaudeville influenced him at an early age

Alan Alda on his father, Robert Alda's, early TV roles

Alan Alda on working with and being influenced by actor Burgess Meredith on Naked City

Alan Alda on writing the M*A*S*H episode "Dear Sigmund"

Alan Alda on the craft of writing

Jason Alexander on performing in "Jerome Robbins Broadway"

Jason Alexander on being cast in The Seinfeld Chronicles, the pilot to Seinfeld

Steve Allen on role model Orson Welles

John Amos on getting the role of "Kunta Kinte" on Roots

Robert G. Anderson on reporting on a Japan Air plane crash

Robert G. Anderson on being rejected by television news stations as an on-air correspondent, and realizing he could be a producer

John Aniston on Macdonald Carey being a mentor in his career

Army Archerd on his mentor, Harrison Carroll

James Arness on having a mentor and being a mentor

Beatrice Arthur on the performers who inspired her

Dick Askin on his first job in television

John Astin on his influences as a director and actor

Hank Azaria on his mentors

Rick Baker on meeting makeup artist Dick Smith

George Balzer on his first meeting with Jack Benny

Paris Barclay on advice from mentor Stephen Sondheim

Rona Barrett on breaking into television

Bonnie Bartlett on mentors in her career

Samantha Bee on taking a theater class in college, and how that led to her interest in performing

Samantha Bee on how she got into sketch comedy

Samantha Bee on auditioning for and being hired as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Ed Begley, Jr. on his comedic influences, and on his philosophy of comedy

Earl Bellamy on what he learned from his mentor, George Cukor

Rick Berman on his early days in Los Angeles going to work at Warner Bros. and Paramount

Sharon Bialy on how she got her start in casting

Frank Biondo on going to school for TV production

Allan Blye on how a call from Tom Smothers led to him moving to the United States from Canada

Allan Blye on mentors he had in his career

Sam Bobrick on his mentors

Tom Bosley on working with director George Abbott

Yvette Lee Bowser on deciding not to go to USC law school after college and moving into comedy writing instead -- on A Different World

Ed Bradley on covering a Martin Luther King, Jr. speech during his first field reporting experience for a Philadelphia radio station

Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes executive producer Don Hewitt's beneficial influence on Bradley's work, and on his influence on television news programs in general

Ed Bradley on his mentor Del Shields, from WDAS radio in Philadelphia

Kevin Bright on how his father, a former Vaudeville comedian, brought comedy into their home when Bright was a child

Kevin Bright on his love of television as a child, and how that sowed the seeds for his career

Kevin Bright on attending Emerson College

Kevin Bright on Bright/Kauffman/Crane developing shows for Warner Bros., and the challenge of networks wanting Dream On for network (which was impossible)

Kevin Bright on his first job after graduating from Emerson College

David Brinkley on being hired by NBC Radio

Connie Britton on being cast as "Heather" on Ellen

Tom Broecker on the various elements that go into costume design, and how studying dance in his youth made him realize he'd prefer to be behind-the-scenes than in front of an audience

Tom Broecker on how he came to work at Saturday Night Live full time after graduating from the Yale School of Drama

Tom Brokaw on the ways in which David Brinkley was a mentor to him

Kirk Browning on his first job at NBC, and on NBC executive Warren Wade

Kirk Browning on the person who taught him the ropes of stage managing, and on working on NBC Opera Theatre

Harvey Bullock on coming to write for The Andy Griffith Show

Mark Burnett on his creative influences and inspiration from his mother

Vince Calandra on his big break into entertainment - getting a job in the CBS mailroom without having an Ivy League degree

Vince Calandra on his mentors and his longevity

David Canary on his first big TV role on Peyton Place, playing Mia Farrow's doctor

Stephen J. Cannell on producer Jo Swerling Jr.

Stephen J. Cannell on producer Jo Swerling Jr.

Stephen J. Cannell on what he learned from Roy Huggins

Stephen J. Cannell on leaving Universal Television to start his own production company

Steven J. Cannell on being a mentor to young television writers

Jim Cantore on being hired by The Weather Channel

Charles Cappleman on becoming a stage manager at CBS

Charles Cappleman on his mentors

Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air

Josie Carey on the hosts of Ask the Girls, including her mentor Florence Sando

George Carlin on the genesis of much of his material

George Carlin on preparing for his then-upcoming HBO special It's Bad for Ya

George Carlin on his creative process

Steve Carlin on his early mentors

Glenn Gordon Caron on getting his big break at NBC - the unaired pilot The God Squad

Chris Carter on The Outer Limits' influence on The X-Files

Dick Cavett on his creative influences

Glen Charles on being inspired by the book and movie version of From Here to Eternity; on his literary influences

Glen and Les Charles on their mentors

Les Charles on being influenced by Charles Dickens; on his literary influences

Glen and Les Charles on their mentors

RuPaul Charles on his breakthrough hit song "Supermodel"

David Chase on some of "Livia Soprano's" memorable lines, which he quoted from his own mother, like "Poor you"

Michael Chiklis on playing John Belushi in the film "Wired" and getting blackballed

Margaret Cho on her comedic influences

Margaret Cho on getting to work with her mentors

Ed Christie on serving as Muppet wrangler for a trip to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards

Roy Clark on his first television appearance, on the local series The Hayloft Conservatory of Musical Interpretation

Roy Clark on being a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson while Jimmy Dean was guest-hosting

Robert Clary on his mentor, Eddie Cantor

Kevin Clash on meeting Kermit Love, and on appearing on Captain Kangaroo

Kevin Clash on going to work on Sesame Street full time

Alf Clausen on being a copyist for The Carol Burnett Show  and various feature films

Andy Cohen on what he learned from not getting a job at the cable channel Logo

Barbara Corday on pitching a series with Barbara Avedon

Barbara Corday on her mentors Barbara Avedon, Herman Rush, and Frank Biondi

Pierre Cossette on the first music shows he produced

Ron Cowen on the creative influence his mother, a former costume designer for Twentieth Century Fox, had on his life

Ron Cowen on the first play he wrote, "Summertree", which was championed by his college professor Jerome Lawrence, developed at the Eugene O'Neill National Playwrights Conference, and optioned by Lincoln Center before being made into a movie

Ron Cowen on mentors he's had in his career: Jerome Lawrence, Lloyd Richards, and Angela Lansbury

Ane Crabtree on her inspiration for the costumes on The Handmaid's Tale

Douglas S. Cramer on working at Procter & Gamble

David Crane and Marta Kauffman on mentors in their careers

Judith Crist on Roger Ebert telling her she was his inspiration

Judy Crown on her mentors

Billy Crystal on his early stand-up act, and on Jack Rollins' criticism of his act

Billy Crystal on his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

Billy Crystal on being the "class comedian" in his high school, and on being influenced by comedians like Johnathan Winters

Billy Crystal on mentors in his career, including Larry Gelbart, Carl Reiner, and Jack Rollins

Robert Culp on he and Bill Cosby acting as mentors for each other on I Spy

Ann Curry on the advice her father gave her growing up about choosing a profession that was of service to others, and how this led her to journalism

Ann Curry on how television, and in particular television journalism, impacted her growing up, and how that led to her career choices

Ann Curry on studying journalism at the University of Oregon, and on her shift from newspaper reporting to broadcast journalism with an internship at KTVL in Medford, Oregon

Ann Curry on being hired as a reporter at KTVL in Medford, Oregon, a station that had never before had a female reporter, and on the sexism she faced on the job

Ann Curry on her feelings on the responsibility of journalists, and on how this influences her reporting and other choices, including tweeting about the need for Doctors Without Borders to be allowed into Haiti after the 2010 earthquake

Ann Curry on being hired by NBC News, and on moving from reporting to anchoring

Ann Curry on interviewing Maya Angelou

Ann Curry on various accolades she has received over the course of her career, and what they have meant to her

Jane Curtin on being cast on Saturday Night Live

Bill Dana on being influenced by Danny Kaye and music in general

Greg Daniels on television he watched while he was growing up and his early comedic influences

Greg Daniels on writing for Not Necessarily the News  with Conan O'Brien

William Daniels on what he likes about acting, and on his mentor Howard Lindsay

Tony Danza on getting his first acting job on Fast Lane Blues

Bill Davis on his first job at the Canadian Broadcasting Company

Elias Davis and David Pollock on their first big break as writers for Pat Buttram on the radio

Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors

Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H  and its creator Larry Gelbart

John Debney on going to work at Disney as a gofer, and on his mentor, Buddy Baker

Thomas Del Ruth on his working as an assistant cameraman at 20th Century Fox and learning his way around a camera

Milton Delugg on his musical influences

Milton Delugg on mentors in his career including Frank Loesser

Joe DeTullio on being offered an acting role right after he started at Saturday Night Live

Joe DeTullio on the production design team at Saturday Night Live

Vin Di Bona on his first television job at WBZ in Boston and becoming a director

Ramin Djawadi on his big break -- composing music for a fight scene in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Louis Dorfsman on meeting CBS President Frank Stanton and being hired at CBS

Betty Cole Dukert on how she came to join Meet the Press  as a producer

Rebecca Eaton on her mother, who was an actress, taking her to the theater when she was a child

Rebecca Eaton on working at the BBC in London after graduating from Vassar College, and her love of British culture

Rebecca Eaton on her first producing job, on an arts magazine show on WGBH radio in Boston

Rebecca Eaton on her mentor, Henry Becton, former President of WGBH in Boston

Garvin Eddy on what he learned from his mentor Edward Stephenson

Barbara Eden on her mentor

Linda Ellerbee on gaining the courage to try to be a writer from her teacher Mabel Scott

Ruth Engelhardt on packaging I Married Joan, and on learning the business from Ann Rosenthal

Ruth Engelhardt on her mentors and on attending law school while at William Morris

George Faber on mentors in his career

Nanette Fabray on her difficulty with her hearing, and on her participation in issues involving the deaf community

Jeff Fager on his first job out of college, at the NBC affiliate WBZ in Boston

Jeff Fager on what he learned from his first job at CBS News, on the overnight news show, Nightwatch

Jeff Fager on his father as his role model

Edie Falco on seeing her mother perform in amateur theater when she was a kid

Edie Falco on doing theater in high school and overcoming her shyness in order to audition

Edie Falco on how she got her first agent

Edie Falco on being diagnosed with breast cancer during the run of The Sopranos

Edie Falco on a high school music teacher who inspired her artistically

Jerry Falwell on early religious broadcaster Charles E. Fuller, and on Falwell becoming a Christian 

Elma Farnsworth on her husband Philo reading Invention magazine as a child and first learning about mechanical television

Elma Farnsworth on her husband Philo patenting television in 1927

Elma Farnsworth on the reaction of her and her husband, inventor Philo T. Farnsworth (and colleagues Cliff Gardner and Carl Christensen), on September 7, 1927 when he produced the first all-electronic TV picture (a simple straight line) with his Image Dissector tube

Elma Farnsworth on Vladimir Zworykin at RCA copying Philo T. Farnsworth's image dissector for RCA's electronic television system

Elma Farnsworth on Philo T. Farnsworth demonstrating television at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia - the first public demonstration of television in 1934

Elma Farnsworth on Philo T. Farnsworth's dollar sign demonstration of television for his financial backers

Elma Farnsworth on RCA licensing Philo T. Farnsworth's patents in 1939 - the first time RCA ever licensed a patent 

Elma Farnsworth on the expiration of Philo T. Farnsworth's original television patents and the beginning of manufacturing television sets

Barbara Feldon on mentors throughout her life

Julian Fellowes on writing the feature film "Gosford Park" for director Robert Altman

Dorothy Fontana on being mentored in television writing by Samuel Peeples

Dorothy Fontana on updating the 1960s Star Trek worldview when making Star Trek: The Next Generation

Tom Fontana on how he came to write for St. Elsewhere  after being discovered by Bruce Paltrow and Blythe Danner

Horton Foote on his mentors

Ray Forrest on his first job as a junior radio announcer and why he finally joined AFRA (the precursor to AFTRA)

Fred Foy on the advent of radio in the early 20th century and the influences shows such as "The Shadow" had on him as a youth

Albert Freedman on his big break - writing for Groucho Marx on You Bet Your Life

Harry Friedman on moving to Los Angeles and being hired to write for Hollywood Squares

Chuck Fries on going to work for Ziv Productions and moving to California

Murray Fromson on getting his first byline in his junior high school newspaper

Murray Fromson on finding inspiration from Edward R. Murrow's broadcasts from London during World War II

Pamela Fryman on the enduring popularity of the sitcom, and on mentors in her career

Greg Garrison on working in radio and meeting Mike Wallace

Greg Garrison on his mentors, including Orson Welles

Larry Gelbart on working with Ed Gardner on Duffy's Tavern on the radio as a young writer; on learning to have fun with language, the biggest lesson he took from Ed

David Gerber on getting into producing

Sandra Gimpel on her first big job: as a dancer in the Fred Astaire movie "The Pleasure of His Company"

Sandra Gimpel on how she came to be cast as Bill Mumy's stunt double on Lost in Space, changing her career trajectory from dance to stunts

Sandra Gimpel on how she learned the technical side of directing, starting on the set of Lost in Space

Sandra Gimpel on her mentors in the stunt profession

Paul Michael Glaser on getting cast in Love of Life,  appearing in the feature film "Fiddler on the Roof" and being put off by acting in film

Lesli Linka Glatter on being tapped by Steven Spielberg to direct Amazing Stories, and on shadowing many directors on that show

Lesli Linka Glatter on Steven Spielberg being her mentor on Amazing Stories, and on what she learned from him

Gary David Goldberg on his mentor, Nate Monaster

Leonard Goldberg on his mentors and people he mentored

Leonard H. Goldenson on seeing television for the first time at the 1939 World's Fair

Julian Gomez on his mentors in editing

Louis Gossett, Jr. on the many mentors in his life

Carl Gottlieb on being hired to write for The Summer Brothers Smothers Show

Carl Gottlieb on mentorship

Lee Grant on her mentors

Walon Green on the impact David L. Wolper and Jack Haley, Jr. made with documentary series such as The Race for Space

Walon Green on meeting David Milch and going to write for Hill Street Blues

Walon Green on William Friedkin, Tony Richardson, and Stephen Frears being mentors to him

Walon Green on directing the documentary "The Hellstrom Chronicle," produced by David L. Wolper, for which Green won an Oscar

Marge Greene on getting hired to write for Kovacs on the Corner

Marge Greene on replacing Dorothy Collins on Candid Camera and meeting Allen Funt

Charles Grodin on being influenced by the movie "A Place in the Sun," and on getting into acting

Charles Grodin on deciding to get into show business, and on studying acting with Uta Hagen

Hal Gurnee on his first television job, at the DuMont Television Network as a page

Hal Gurnee on becoming the director Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Hal Gurnee on his mentors, including Jack Paar and Garry Moore

Donald Hall on mentorship and how he'd like to be remembered

Jon Hamm on his acting mentors 

Dean Hargrove on mentors in his career

Don Hastings on his mentors

Jeffrey Hayden on how he and the cast would work on new ideas for their current scripts at lunch on 77 Sunset Strip

Florence Henderson on her mentors

Danette Herman on her first television job on the Dick Clark series Where the Action Is

Danette Herman on working with Gilbert Cates

Albert Heschong on his mentor

Arthur Hiller on how his parents and a high school drama teacher inspired his love of theater

Arthur Hiller on his creative influences

Arthur Hiller on people he has mentored

Hal Holbrook on attending Denison University, where he really became an actor and met his mentor

Hal Holbrook on the creation of his one-man show "Mark Twain Tonight!"

Lee Holdridge on studying music in Boston and how it changed his life

Lee Holdridge on what he learned from his time at Universal

Lee Holdridge on a seminal career moment: his involvement in scoring the film Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Ellen Holly on being discovered as an actress by Charlotte Perry

Ellen Holly on appearing as "Stephanie" in the Broadway production of Too Late the Phalarope

Ellen Holly on mentors Michael Kahn and Joseph Papp (Ed. note: Ms. Holly would like to note that Charlotte Perry was also an important mentor, in addition to Michael Kahn and Joseph Papp)

Ron Howard on the first acting lesson his father taught him

Ron Howard on his struggle to gain the acceptance of Bette Davis, while directing her in the TV movie Skyward

Ron Howard on how actors should always consider television as a source of good roles

Felicity Huffman on her early interest in acting and theater

Felicity Huffman on appearing on an ABC Afterschool Special called "Home Run for Love" when she was fifteen

Felicity Huffman on studying with David Mamet and William H. Macy at the Practical Esthetics Workshop (now the Atlantic Acting School) and co-founding the Atlantic Theater Company

Felicity Huffman on appearing on the Stephen King miniseries Golden Years, which she considers her first big break

Felicity Huffman on two stories of being fired: one, in a Neil Simon play (by Simon himself) and again on a TV show which was recast after they had shot the pilot

Felicity Huffman on her work in the film "Transamerica"

Felicity Huffman on winning a Golden Globe and being nominated for an Academy Award for her work on "Transamerica"

Felicity Huffman on her proudest career achievement

Felicity Huffman on mentors she's had throughout her life

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on the first production in which they performed together: David Mamet's play "Bobby Gould in Hell" at Lincoln Center

Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on the film "Rudderless," directed by Macy and starring Huffman, and Macy's directing style

Kim Hunter on playing "Stella Kowalski" in "A Streetcar Named Desire" on Broadway in on film

Suzuki Ingerslev on her big break -- working on Days of Our Lives, which she considers "boot camp" for production design

Suzuki Ingerslev on an early mentor, art director Art Trugman

Suzuki Ingerslev on what she thought she wanted to be when she grew up

Suzuki Ingerslev on mentors throughout her career and on being a mentor to others

Suzuki Ingerslev on her proudest career achievement

Frank Inn on meeting Hollywood animal trainer Henry East

Frank Inn on meeting celebrity animal trainer Henry East

Frank Inn on his animal training mentor Henry East

Frank Inn on his duties working for Hollywood animal trainer Henry East

Ken Levine and David Isaacs on selling their first script, a spec for The Jeffersons

Seaman Jacobs on mentors in his career

Al Jean on getting his first job in television

Al Jean on becoming involved with writing The Simpsons

Geri Jewell on how a college friend inspired her to try stand-up comedy at the Comedy Store, which led to her breaking into television

Geri Jewell on the first time she did stand-up comedy, and how she talked about cerebral palsy in her routine

Geri Jewell on how she does not see herself as being "courageous" for doing stand-up comedy, but instead attributes it to "the theory of the bumblebee"

Geri Jewell on having to perform a dance number on the first The Facts of Life episode on which she appeared ("Cousin Geri")

Geri Jewell on being made a recurring character on The Facts of Life, then her role being downsized, and her challenges navigating the entertainment industry and her own sexuality and identity

Geri Jewell on the difficulty she faced while filming a scene with Peter DeLuise on 21 Jump Street

Geri Jewell on filming a particularly challenging scene on Deadwood where she had to dance

Charles Floyd Johnson on role models in his career and what he's learned from them

George Clayton Johnson on his mentors

Julie Ann Johnson on mentors in her career

Russell Johnson on his mentor, Paul Henreid

Hal Kanter on his first big break writing for Eddie Cantor and other comedians on radio

Elodie Keene on editing Tales of the Unexpected for Norman Lloyd

Elodie Keene on what makes Ryan Murphy's work so groundbreaking, and on what it was like to work with him

David E. Kelley on mentor Steven Bochco and what he learned from Bochco

David E. Kelley on meeting Steven Bochco and interviewing to work on L.A. Law

Kim Kimble on attending beauty school, which she thought would allow her to eventually attend school to study fashion, but which instead led to her realizing that she loved doing hair and wanted to participate in hair shows and hair competitions

Kim Kimble on doing hair for the film B.A.P.S., which was her first experience working on a movie

Kim Kimble on her inspiration for starting her own haircare product line

Kim Kimble on being underestimated as a Black woman working as a hair stylist in the entertainment industry, especially early in her career

Walter Koenig on being cast as "Pavel Chekov" on Star Trek and making the character Russian

Walter Koenig on his advice to a young actor

Arnie Kogen on his mentors, and on his son, Jay Kogen

Buz Kohan on his first job in television - in the U.S. Army

Bernie Kopell on mentors in his career

Sid and Marty Krofft on Michael Eisner being a mentor and offering them opportunities

Sid and Marty Krofft on Michael Eisner being a mentor and offering them opportunities

Perry Lafferty on CBS programmer Michael Dann being his mentor

Rita Lakin on mentors in her career

Lucy Lawless on playing "Xena" on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys 

Norman Lear on his parents being similar to "Archie" and "Edith" on All in the Family

Norman Lear on how he schemed to reach out to Danny Thomas and write a bit for him that turned out to be his big break

Norman Lear on he and Ed Simmons beginning their career writing for Ford Star Revue

Eugene Lee on a pivotal moment in his career: doing set design for a theater in Madison, WI

Eugene Lee on deciding to go to Carnegie Tech

Jack Lemmon on his first big break on the radio

Dr. John Leverence on his first job, as a ticket-taker at the Roxy Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, which enabled him to sneak a peek at films being shown, and on his early memories of television and the shows he enjoyed

Ken Levine and David Isaacs on selling their first script, a spec for The Jeffersons 

Barry Levinson on radio and television classes he took in college, and a training program in television he took part in

Barry Levinson on signing up for an acting class when he first moved to Los Angeles

Barry Levinson on writing and performing with Craig T. Nelson on Lohman and Barkley

Barry Levinson on directing "Rain Man" and winning an Academy Award for it

Barry Levinson on his professor at American University who opened his eyes to opportunities in the entertainment industry

Jerry Lewis on his father's influence on his career

Jerry Lewis on his father and grandmother

Hal Linden on making his Broadway debut in "Bells Are Ringing" with Judy Holliday

Daniel Lipman on writing a play during college, and sharing it with his professor, theater critic Elliot Norton, which led to him being represented by agent Audrey Wood

Daniel Lipman on mentors he's had in his career, mostly importantly writing partner Ron Cowen

James Lipton on appearing on "The Lone Ranger" radio show at age 12

James Lipton on moving to New York City, and studying acting with Stella Adler at The Actors Studio

Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Gary David Goldberg helping her with a contract dispute with Warner Bros. and the valuable lesson she learned from him

Susan Lucci on auditioning for the character of "Erica Kane" on All My Children and finding out she got the part

Stewart MacGregory on going to work for NBC television 

Stewart MacGregory on his mentors

Will Mackenzie on his friend and creative collaborator Barnard Hughes

Will Mackenzie on his mentors in the television industry

Bob Mackie on the famous curtain-rod dress he made for Carol Burnett in "Went With the Wind," a spoof of Gone With the Wind on The Carol Burnett Show

Bob Mackie on finding inspiration for costume designing on television

Gavin McLeod on the first Broadway play he appeared in "A Hat Full of Rain"

Robert MacNeil on how he came to work for NBC

Robert MacNeil on his mentors

William H. Macy on studying acting with David Mamet at Goddard College

William H. Macy on being cast in the film "Fargo"

William H. Macy on the effects of being nominated for an Academy Award for "Fargo"

William H. Macy on being cast in the film "Boogie Nights"

William H. Macy on his first taste of show business: performing in his seventh grade talent contest after his brother taught him to play guitar

William H. Macy on his proudest career achievements and being "visited by the muse" on stage

Jodi Mancuso on how she started working as a hair stylist on Saturday Night Live

Barry Manilow on becoming the musical director for the local WCBS series Call Back

Barry Manilow on playing the Bijou Theater in Philadelphia with Andy Kaufman as his opening act

Barry Manilow on his mentor Clive Davis

Martin Manulis on being hired by CBS

Rose Marie on being convinced to stay on The Dick Van Dyke Show after the death of her husband

Rose Marie on her weekly NBC radio show as baby Rose Marie, and on touring RKO Theaters skirting child labor laws

Rose Marie on what she learned from the great performers, including Milton Berle and Phil Silvers

Wink Martindale on mentors in his career

John Martinelli on assistant editing The Lawrence Welk Show

Jamie Masada on his role as a mentor of sorts to new comedians

David McCallum on mentors

Rue McClanahan on being cast by Norman Lear as "Vivian Harmon" on Maude

Kent McCray on his early experience in the theater, and on his mentor, Dr. Nagy

Kent McCray on his mentors, and people he learned from while working at NBC in Los Angeles

Kent McCray on mentors in his career

Ed McMahon on early radio announcers he admired, and why he wanted to be an announcer

Barney McNulty on how he became involved with The Ed Wynn Show, where he first became involved in writing out cue cards

Eryn Krueger Mekash on attending Sandy Burman's makeup effects school, and how that led to her first job in the industry -- working for John Buechler

Eryn Krueger Mekash on An American Werewolf in London, the video for "Thriller," and movies solidifying her desire to work in makeup

Al Michales on announcing local baseball and football games on the Hawaii Islands

David Milch on "leading a double life" while writing for Hill Street Blues  and his duties as Story Editor

Mitch Miller on how he first came to play music - through his father and through the public schools in Rochester, NY

Nolan Miller on his high school art teacher who recognized his creativity

Nolan Miller how Dynasty impacted his life and career

John Moffitt on admiring Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin 

Millie Moore on her first big break - working on the travelogue documentaries of Jack Douglas

Millie Moore on serving as Assistant Editor to Sid Levin

Donald A. Morgan on his first job in television -- in the mailroom of KTTV -- and on how he became interested in lighting

Donald A. Morgan on cinematographers who have influenced or mentored him and on cinematographers he has mentored

Pat Morita on his family being placed in an internment camp during World War II

Pat Morita on what he learned from his friend Redd Foxx during his time on Sanford and Son

Pat Morita on doing voice over for the feature "Mulan," and on being inspired by Mel Blanc

Jan Murray on getting his big break -- working in the Catskill Mountains

Anne Nelson on her mentor, Ernie Martin, and on working for CBS Radio

Horace Newcomb on his distaste for mentors

Bob Newhart on his big break at the local Chicago Emmy Awards and recording his first comedy album

Bob Newhart on his national big break at the 1960 Emmy Awards

Laraine Newman on performing on The Lily Tomlin Special 

Soledad O'Brien on learning from her boss, Jeanne Blake, at WBZ

Soledad O'Brien on the importance of mentors and sponsors in her career

Carroll O'Connor on learning how to play comedy from Micheál MacLiammóir, at the Gate Theatre, which he later used in his characterization of Archie Bunker in All in the Family

Edward James Olmos on being cast as "Martin Castillo" on Miami Vice

Lori Openden on getting hired as a secretary on Barnery Miller and getting interested in casting

Bernie Orenstein on how he got his start in show business: he dropped out of college after appearing in a University of Toronto show called "The All Varsity Revue"

Bernie Orenstein on how his first writing job on a Canadian variety show produced by Norman Jewison led to his moving to New York City and writing for Candid Camera

Lyn Paolo on her proudest career achievement, and on Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story being her current-favorite show that she's worked on

Lyn Paolo on how an initial job working at Film Consortium in commercial production eventually led to being hired by Sandy Martin as a stylist though she had no prior experience in production

Lyn Paolo on how she came to get her first job in a costume department on a television show, on the hugely popular Dallas in its second season

Fess Parker on mentors in his career

Estelle Parsons on her mentors in the theater, including Lee Strasberg

Jacques Pépin on mentors in his career

Alan Perris on his first television job at PBS station WVIZ in Cleveland 

Daniel Petrie, Sr. on filmmakers who inspired him

Pam Polifroni on mentors in her career

David Pollock on meeting writing partner Elias Davis

Elias Davis and David Pollock on their first big break as writers for Pat Buttram on the radio

Elias Davis and David Pollock on their mentors

Elias Davis and David Pollock on the legacy of M*A*S*H and its creator Larry Gelbart

Sterling "Red" Quinlan on his mentors

Charlotte Rae on mentors in her career

Sally Jessy Raphael on hosting her first televisions shows, in Puerto Rico in the late 1950s

Sumner Redstone on mentors and teachers in his career

Marian Rees on getting into television as a secretary at NBC in Hollywood

Marian Rees on joining Tandem Productions with Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear 

Marian Rees on her mentor Fay Kanin and her advice to create her own company

Marian Rees on starting her own production company

Della Reese on her mentors, and how she'd like to be remembered

Tim Reid on the impact that comedian Richard Pryor had on him

Tim Reid on launching LGCYTV.com, a streaming service designed by and for the African diaspora, during the COVID-19 pandemic and on fostering young talent

Hank Rieger on how his uncle's job as a journalist inspired him

Tony Roberts on the comedic actor Hiram Sherman, and on what he learned from him as well as Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and others

Tony Roberts on learning comedic technique from Milton Berle, and on farce

Cliff Robertson on receiving encouragement from Bosley Crowther

Cliff Robertson on receiving encouragement from Bosley Crowther

Pat Robertson on mentor Harald Bredesen

Fatima Robinson on John Singleton asking her to choreograph the music video for Michael Jackson's "Remember the Time"

Fatima Robinson on her mentor, Sylvia Rhone, and on mentoring others

Paul Rodriguez on working with and being mentored by Richard Pryor

Fred Rogers on the origin of his trademark sweaters and his love of music

Fred Rogers on being hired at WQED to work in educational television

Phil Roman on his mentors

Andy Rooney on being in on the ground-floor of television and the wonders of the modern pace of innovation

Howard Rosenberg on television critics who influenced him and his preparation to go into the field

Howard Rosenberg on television critics who influenced him and his preparation to go into the field

Barney Rosenzweig on being influenced by the themes of "Easy Rider"

Actress Marion Ross on her first television role, on Life with Father starring Leon Ames

Stanley Ralph Ross on becoming in-demand as a writer after being hired to write for Batman

Mark Rothman on his first professional writing job on The Mike Douglas Show

Glenda Rovello on how she got her start in production design

Haim Saban on how he came to enter the music business: by finagling his way into a Beatles cover band as both bass player and manager (eventually he stopped being the bass player and was just the manager)

Haim Saban on his client, Noam Kaniel recording the theme song to the animated series Goldorak, which became a massive hit and a huge windfall for Saban because he owned the master recording of the song

Jay Sandrich on learning a valuable lesson about directing from actor Richard Benjamin

Ted Sarandos on writing for the local newspaper when he was in high school and getting the opportunity to do an interview with Ed Asner

Ted Sarandos on his role at Netflix when he was hired as Chief Content Officer in 2000, and on his acquisition strategy at the time

Joseph Sargent on his first directing job on the series Lassie

Edgar Scherick on mentors throughout his career

Edgar Scherick on being a mentor to others (Roone Arledge, Brian Grazier, Scott Rudin, Barry Gordon, Michael Barnathan)

Bob Schieffer on moving to Washington, D.C. and on going to work for CBS News

Robert Schuller on hearing "his calling" to the ministry 

Robert Schuller on Billy Graham's influence on him to get into television

John Shaffner on starting out in television

John Shaffner on his big break in television in first-run syndication

NIna Shaw on her involvement in The Hollywood Reporter Women In Entertainment Mentorship Program and the importance of mentorship

Judith Sheindlin on learning comedic timing from her father and from a family friend

James Sheldon on moving to California instead of staying in New York and directing the musical "West Side Story"

Cybill Shepherd on mentors throughout her career

Treva Silverman on writing for the variety series The Entertainers, starring Carol Burnett

Bob Simon on how his Bronx accent almost prevented him from being a reporter on-air

Sam Simon on how he came to write for Taxi

John Singleton on how seeing "Star Wars" when he was nine made him understand what a director does

John Singleton on the importance of movies to him when he was growing up

John Singleton on changing junior high schools of his own volition (without moving or permission), and how this led him to meeting children of people in the film business who also aspired to be filmmakers

John Singleton on attending USC Film School: "It was a revelation for me"

John Singleton on seeing the film "She's Gotta Have It," meeting Spike Lee and telling him, "I'm going to USC Film School in two weeks. Watch out for me. I'm coming"

John Singleton on seeing a screening of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" and how it made him determined to find his own voice and tell his own stories

John Singleton on getting his first agent based on the strength of the screenplay to "Boyz N the Hood"

John Singleton on how he uses music and sound in his work, and how this was influenced by classes he took at USC

John Singleton on the opening sequence of his film "Baby Boy" and using the theories of psychiatrist Frances Cress Welsing

Robert Smigel on wanting to be a comedian since he was three years old, and on his early influences being comedians like Red Skelton, and television shows like Mister Ed and Saturday Night Live, but on deciding to become dentist like his father because he didn't think it was possible to have a career as a comedian

Robert Smigel on Dan Crowley inviting him back to Chicago and Second City and eventually joining his comedy group (All You Can Eat) as Dan's replacement, and on Al Franken and Tom Davis, original writers from Saturday Night Live, coming to Chicago to see a show he had created, "All You Can Eat and the Temple of Doom"

Robert Smigel on the "modern" type of "so bad it's good" comedy he was interested in early in his career; catching the comedy bug after performing and winning a comedy stand-up contest at NYU; "I was stung, I was infected"; on getting to perform at the Comic Strip in New York City; on his closing bit as Ronald Reagan (foreshadowing a later TV Funhouse sketch "The X Presidents"); on getting more gigs after that; on being a fan of comedy that "tore everything down and made fun of itself"; on being introduced to The Second City by Tim Kazurinsky

Robert Smigel on the first show of Saturday Night Live he was hired to write for; on a sketch he wrote for Madonna when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 1985 where she portrayed a Spanish variety show hostess; on his recollections of that show; on what he learned about writing a successful sketch for the show; on what it meant to him to be part of SNL- a show he grew up watching; on being a comedy nerd coming to the show and feeling he was not fitting in

Robert Smigel on his Bob Dole Clutch Cargo impression on Late Night with Conan O'Brien being his favorite; on talking about the politician in the third person; on Dole being the funniest person he ever got to play; on doing a different version of the impression when he did Dole on The Dana Carvey Show

Robert Smigel on coming up with the idea for his character "Triumph the Insult Comic Dog" for Late Night with Conan O'Brien; on the character first saying “for me to poop on”; on the dog’s gold bow tie; on the cigar prop; on doing a deadpan stare as "Triumph" in the vein of comedian Myron Cohen; on the character being a good catharsis for the audience since Conan is super polite and "Triumph" is the opposite

Howard Smit on doing makeup for the feature film "The Wizard of Oz"

G.E. Smith on playing guitar for David Bowie and appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

G.E. Smith on becoming music director for Saturday Night Live

G.E. Smith on his earliest musical influences

G.E. Smith on music he listened to on the radio as a child and his first exposure to rock and roll

G.E. Smith on playing guitar for Hall & Oates and appearing with them on Saturday Night Live

G.E. Smith on attending a broadcast of Hootenanny and learning to play from watching other musicians

Gary Smith on his mentors and people who he has mentored

Jaclyn Smith on being a "Breck Girl" and appearing on McCloud

Yeardley Smith on how she got her first New York agent

Yeardley Smith on her Broadway debut in Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" directed by Mike Nichols

Yeardley Smith on the challenges of show business: "It made me care about things that don't matter"

Yeardley Smith on creating balance in her life, starting her shoe line, and creating her development company

Mark Snow on The Rookies  being the first show he worked on and getting the job through his then-brother-in-law, Georg Stanford Brown

Mark Snow on his mentors and composers that inspired him

Suzanne Somers on learning comedy from John Ritter on the set of Three's Company and being mentored by producer Mickey Ross

Suzanne Somers on her audition with George Lucas for the movie "American Graffiti"

Carroll Spinney on Jim Henson scouting for someone to play "Big Bird" and "Oscar the Grouch" in 1969, and Spinney's one lesson on operating Muppets

Darren Star on how his first industry job, as an assistant at the public relations firm Guttman & Pam, led to his first break: selling a film script to Warner Bros.

Darren Star on the serendipitous events early on his career that led to his first big break, including working at Showtime for Peter Chernin, who later became the decision maker on Beverly Hills, 90210 at Fox

Fred Steiner on composition teacher Norman Lockwood, who was a mentor to him

Fred Steiner on his early jobs in radio working for Van Cleave, who became a mentor

Jeremy Stevens on early television 

Jeremy Stevens on his first writing job for television on The Skitch Henderson Show

Norman Stiles on going to write for Sesame Street

J. Michael Straczynski on being a teaching assistant to Norman Corwin

J. Michael Straczynski on the differences between the original Twilight Zone  and the revival, and meeting Rod Serling

J. Michael Straczynski on Harlan Ellison

J. Michael Straczynski on being a big believer in failure

John Strauss on his mentors

Jeffrey Tambor on appearing on Kojak, his first television role

William Tankersley on peers whom he respected

Nina Tassler on how agent David Windsor helped her to see her potential to become an agent

Nina Tassler on her proudest career achievement

Richard Thomas on appearing on the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Christmas Tree" at age 6, and on learning from Margaret Hamilton and Jessica Tandy on that show

Richard Thomas on mentors in his career including Will Geer, Geraldine Page, Michael Learned, and Ralph Waite

Daniel J. Travanti on finding out he was cast on Hill Street Blues

Saul Turteltaub on forming a comedy team with a college friend and getting hired to perform at Catskills resorts

Saul Turteltaub on dating Shari Lewis (then Phyllis Hurwitz) at summer camp as a kid and calling her up for a writing job when he saw her on television in 1957

Saul Turteltaub on Carl Reiner as his mentor

Bill Tush on his broadcast influences 

Leslie Uggams on the importance of music in her childhood

Leslie Uggams on how she began performing at the Apollo Theater when she was nine years-old

Leslie Uggams on getting her start in television as a child on The Milton Berle Show and other variety shows

Leslie Uggams on winning a Tony Award and performing at the Tonys

Tracey Ullman on how she started doing impersonations of people when she was a kid, both of people she knew and women on television

Tracey Ullman on attending a performing arts school starting at age 12

Tracey Ullman on she transitioned from dance into acting early in her career, and on being cast in the play "Four in a Million" by Les Blair, which was improvised and how that led to her being cast on a sketch show on the BBC

Tracey Ullman on meeting her husband, Allan McKeown, and on moving to the United States

Tracey Ullman on being introduced to James L. Brooks and on his idea for her to "do a Peter Sellers thing" on the then-new network Fox, and on the research she did into American comedy (and particularly female comedians) prior to starting the show

Tracey Ullman on how she maintains her confidence in her work, and on the champions she's had over the years

Tracey Ullman on the opportunities and advice mentors have given her throughout her career

Tracey Ullman on getting to meet and work with some of her comedic heroes over the years, including Carol Burnett, Gilda Radner, and Lily Tomlin

Dick Van Dyke on being influenced by the physical comedy of Laurel & Hardy, and Buster Keaton

Bruce Vilanch on his first job, writing for Bette Midler

Jimmie Walker on discovering he wanted to be a stand-up comedian due partly to Dick Gregory

Jimmie Walker on doing stand-up at the African Room, and on learning from comedian David Brenner

James Wall on various mentors in his career

Mike Wallace on being hospitalized for exhaustion, and on dealing with depression

Malcolm-Jamal Warner on being cast as "Theo Huxtable" on The Cosby Show

Keenen Ivory Wayans on auditioning for The Improv in New York and how the experience changed his life and his comedy

Keenen Ivory Wayans on his movie "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" and how it changed his career

Keenen Ivory Wayans on his proudest achievement: "Scary Movie," which he made with his brothers, and his biggest regret

Matthew Weiner on being inspired by creators who continue to have success like David Chase, Larry Gelbart, Mike Nichols

Ellen Wheeler on being cast as "Marley Love Hudson McKinnon" on Another World

Joseph M. Wilcots on his mentors and mentoring others

Andy Williams on his mentor, Kay Thompson

Cindy Williams on the effect the film "American Graffiti" had on her career and her fame

Larry Wilmore on his comedic influences

Larry Wilmore on mentors or examples in his career

Hugh Wilson on going to work for Armstrong and how he started in television at MTM Productions

Ethel Winant on her mentors, including Audrey Wood and Irene Selznick, and how she felt about her career

Terence Winter on The Sopranos' David Chase as a mentor and writing comedy and drama into the scripts

Ben Wolf on his first television job as a cameraman at KLAC

Dick Wolf on his mentors in the industry

David L. Wolper on critical reaction to The Race for Space and on the show being a turning point in his career

Steven Wright on how his first time on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson came about

Steven Wright on comics he was influenced by

"Weird Al" Yankovic on his influences

Bud Yorkin on his big break becoming director of The Colgate Comedy Hour at the behest of Pat Weaver

Bud Yorkin on Billy Wilder, whom he considered a mentor

Leo Yoshimura on his various mentors at the Yale School of Drama

Louie Zakarian on being self-taught as a makeup artist and how he learned about makeup from books, magazines, and testing on himself

Louie Zakarian on his first job in television, on the show Monsters

Lauren Zalaznick on working on her first feature film, "Compromising Positions"

Jeff Zucker on a pattern in his career of moving from sports coverage to wider news coverage

Jeff Zucker on getting his first job after college, as an Olympic Researcher for NBC

Jeff Zucker on being diagnosed with colon cancer

Alan Zweibel on the influence of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and on his friendship with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks

Alan Zweibel on learning to write jokes by watching shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Dick Cavett Show

Alan Zweibel on Larry David's early stand-up act, and on his comedy mentors like Garry Shandling

Alan Zweibel on meeting Lorne Michaels and being hired to write for Saturday Night Live

Alan Zweibel on his mentors and on being a mentor