Influential with Katty Kay

Katty travels to Louisiana to sit down with actor Wendell Pierce, who is known for his roles in hit TV series like The Wire, Suits, and Jack Ryan. In addition to discussing his work as an award-winning actor, Pierce tells Katty about his relationship to the city of New Orleans and the devastating effect Hurricane Katrina had on him and his family.

Ina Garten - also known as the Barefoot Contessa - is an iconic American cook, author, and television personality. Katty visits Garten’s home in New York for a conversation about success, failure, and how Garten became one of the most influential figures in the culinary world.

Katty talks with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was America’s top doctor during the Covid-19 pandemic, about why he left the government and decided to become a university professor. Dr. Fauci also tells Katty about his work leading the US response to the AIDS crisis and opens up about how recent threats to his security have affected his day to day life.

Katty travels to the UK to visit Ken Follett, who is the author of dozens of bestselling novels such as ‘The Pillars of the Earth’ & ‘Eye of the Needle.’ Ken and Katty discuss his approach to writing, how he views his success, and what it was like growing up in a house where he wasn’t allowed to watch television or movies.

Katty travels to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London to meet Hugh Bonneville, the actor who is best known for his iconic roles in Downton Abbey, Notting Hill, and Paddington. Bonneville talks about getting his start in Shakespeare, the surprising popularity of Downton Abbey, and what he’s learned from working alongside other great actors.

Katty travels to New York City to meet up with Misty Copeland, the iconic ballerina who became the first African-American woman to achieve the role of Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. The two of them spoke on stage at Lincoln Center about Copeland’s status as a trailblazer, how she copes with injuries and setbacks, and what she hopes to achieve in the next phase of her career.

Katty visits a bookshop with author Michael Lewis who is known for bestselling books such as ‘Moneyball’, ‘The Blind Side’, ‘The Big Short’, and ‘Going Infinite’. Lewis tells Katty about how he got his start as an author, his favorite interview techniques, and whether there are any topics that he feels intimidated to write about.

Katty heads to California to speak with Jane Wurwand, who founded the skincare company Dermalogica. Jane tells Katty what it was like to create a business from scratch, how she got the confidence to start a company despite not going to university, and what lessons from her childhood helped her become one of the most influential figures in skincare.

José Andrés is a world-renowned chef and restaurateur who is also the founder of the disaster-relief nonprofit World Central Kitchen. Katty went to meet him at his test kitchen in Washington D.C. for a conversation about José’s culinary successes as well as his charitable work.