Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Actress, director, and documentarian Lee Grant reflects on her storied career in Hollywood, from emerging on Broadway in the 1950s and overcoming the Hollywood blacklist, to starting a career as a documentary filmmaker highlighting social issues.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Lee Grant’s life after being blacklisted
00:01:23 Growing up as Lyova Haskell Rosenthal and becoming Lee Grant
00:03:07 Learning acting from Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen
00:04:55 Broadway beginnings
00:06:00 Teaching at the Actor’s Studio
00:07:06 Detective Story: Lee Grant’s film debut
00:08:32 Living and working during Red Scare Hollywood
00:10:23 Political activism following the blacklist
00:12:12 Dinah Manhoff: Lee Grant’s daughter and inspiration
00:14:21 Defying the House Un-American Activities Committee
00:15:35 Peyton Place and Shampoo: life after the blacklist
00:18:51 A new chapter making social justice documentaries
00:24:19 Sharing transgender stories on film
00:25:19 Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue: the music in Lee Grant’s life
00:26:33 Living with hope
“Beating the Blacklist” is part of The Thread Documentary series by Life Stories, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing inspiring stories on social justice, history, and culture. See the next episode of The Thread, featuring Murray Fisher, on November 23, 2025 on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@lifestoriesdotorg?sub_confirmation=1
Educators, teach The Thread episodes in your classroom with free lesson plans here: lifestories.org/learning/resources-items/teaching-the-thread-documentary-interview-series
Original Title: Beating the Blacklist
Interviewee: Lee Grant
Interviewed by: David Bender
Interview Date: July 25, 2023
© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
Actress, director, and documentarian Lee Grant reflects on her storied career in Hollywood, from emerging on Broadway in the 1950s and overcoming the Hollywood blacklist, to starting a career as a documentary filmmaker highlighting social issues.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Lee Grant’s life after being blacklisted
00:01:23 Growing up as Lyova Haskell Rosenthal and becoming Lee Grant
00:03:07 Learning acting from Sanford Meisner and Uta Hagen
00:04:55 Broadway beginnings
00:06:00 Teaching at the Actor’s Studio
00:07:06 Detective Story: Lee Grant’s film debut
00:08:32 Living and working during Red Scare Hollywood
00:10:23 Political activism following the blacklist
00:12:12 Dinah Manhoff: Lee Grant’s daughter and inspiration
00:14:21 Defying the House Un-American Activities Committee
00:15:35 Peyton Place and Shampoo: life after the blacklist
00:18:51 A new chapter making social justice documentaries
00:24:19 Sharing transgender stories on film
00:25:19 Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue: the music in Lee Grant’s life
00:26:33 Living with hope
“Beating the Blacklist” is part of The Thread Documentary series by Life Stories, a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing inspiring stories on social justice, history, and culture. See the next episode of The Thread, featuring Murray Fisher, on November 23, 2025 on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/@lifestoriesdotorg?sub_confirmation=1
Educators, teach The Thread episodes in your classroom with free lesson plans here: lifestories.org/learning/resources-items/teaching-the-thread-documentary-interview-series
Original Title: Beating the Blacklist
Interviewee: Lee Grant
Interviewed by: David Bender
Interview Date: July 25, 2023
© Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
