American Masters
Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage
A tribute to Puerto Rican–born actor Raúl Juliá, who broke through barriers and inspired future generations of Latino actors.
American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos
John Leguizamo presents a Latinx-focused side of American history that recontextualizes their contributions to America as inventors, intellectuals, war heroes, and more.
- Series
- Voces
- Funding Initiative
- Series and Special Projects
Producer/Director
Ben DeJesus
Ben DeJesus is an award-winning, Emmy and Tony-nominated director, producer, writer, and co-founder of NGL Studios with John Leguizamo. Recent projects include PBS American Masters Lights, Camera, Acción and Raúl Juliá: The World's A Stage, Peacock / Telemundo's “2021 Latino Inaugural Special,” and CBS's “Momento Latino Special.”
- Other ITVS Films
- Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage
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The Film
Prompted by his quest to shed light on Latinx heroes, John Leguizamo takes viewers on a journey through history to showcase the often-overlooked contributions of Latinx people. In this docuseries, he’s on a mission to share rarely explored aspects of the Latinx impact on American history. John weaves a story of “American Historia” centered around key Latinx game-changers across several categories: inventors, artists, musicians, activists, intellectuals, war heroes, and beyond.
Inspired by his own multi-faceted style, American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos presents a dynamic fusion of enlightening historical segments and interstitials where John delivers passionate monologues on key moments and figures in history. With John as guide and storyteller, the series visits historical sites and captures conversations with experts and historians, uncovering Latinx heroes who should have made it into American history books.
