Actor Raúl Juliá had a fascinating—and ultimately tragic—life, which saw himrise from a minor artist in his native Puerto Rico to a major international Hollywood and Broadway star.His path led him to recognition, awards, humanitarian work, everlasting fame, and a sad untimely death.
And now, for the first time, the ups and downs of his life and career will be retold in an unprecedented documentary,called American Masters Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage.
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An exciting project
Produced by John Leguizamo(Moulin Rouge!, John Wick) and directed by Ben DeJesus(John Leguizamo's Road to Broadway), American Masters Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stageis a candid portrait of a charismatic journey that follows the legendary actor from Puerto Rico to 1960's New York, achieving fame in Broadway fame before finally conquering Hollywood a few years later.
The intimate tale is told in Juliá's own voice through archived interviews, and through the words of those who knew him best. Passionate, determined, and joyful, Juliá's life features a brilliant and inspiring career that was tragically interrupted by his unexpected death.
The film features several interviews with the most respected actors who worked with Juliá, including Anjelica Huston, Edward James Olmos, Rita Moreno, James Earl Jones, Sonia Braga, and Rubén Blades.Also, actors John Leguizamo, Esai Morales, Jimmy Smits, Andy García, among others, share how they were profoundly influenced by Juliá's career, helping keep his legacy alive.
We'll also be treated to previously unseen footage and photographsthat will show us the more personal side of the actor's life, alongside the memories of his children, relatives, and his wife, Merel.
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The team behind
For this documentary, the American Masters Series joins forces with Latino Public Broadcasting's VOCES series to tell Juliá's life as it should be told. And you can tell the team behind it is as passionate about the story as it gets, with director Ben DeJesus showing extraordinary commitment to the project.
"It was a work of love for me and my team. As a Boricua, I feel truly honored to help celebrate Raúl Juliá's work with such a special film and to share his story with the world," said DeJesus.
And the rest of the team is no less excited. "The tale of Raúl Juliá needed to be told, and NGL Studios was the perfect team to tell it," said David Chitel, CEO and founder of NGL Collective. "We're proud to produce content that entertains, educates, trains, and throws a positive light on the Latinx community. We're exceptionally proud of this documentary."
The documentary is co-produced by ITVS, NGL Studios, Diamante Content, and Latino Public Broadcastingin association with American Masters Pictures. Sandie Viquez Pedlow, Donald Thoms, John Leguizamo, David Chitel, Michael Kantor, and Sally Jo Fifer serve as executive producers.
Director Ben DeJesus is recognized for his work on MTV, especially forproducing and writing the iconic MTV Cribs series. Together with John Leguizamo and David Chitel, heco-founded NGL Studios, which now bring us this exciting original production. DeJesus was nominated for a Tony Award in his 2018 debut as a producer of a Broadway play, John Leguizamo's Latin History For Morons, which is currently touring the US. DeJesus' distinguished career has turned him into a powerful voice for Latinx and urban youths throughout America—a voice we're sure to be hearing again from in the coming years.
American Masters Raúl Juliá: The World's a Stage premiers on September 13 on PBS.
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