archytele The Vault

Ken Burns

Directing Born Jul 29, 1953 Brooklyn, New York, USA 164 credits
164
Total Credits
2026
75 Years Career Span
48
Vault Titles
10
Key Co-Stars

Biography

Ken Burns is an American documentarian born on July 29, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Known primarily for directing, he has amassed ninety-three known credits in the film and television industry. His documentary works are recognized as treasure troves of archival materials. Burns skillfully utilizes period music, footage, photographs, periodicals, and ordinary people's correspondence in his projects. In these works, correspondence is often read by seasoned professional actors in an intentional effort to move away from a traditional great man approach to history. Across his non-fiction filmmaking projects, Burns frequently serves multiple roles beyond directing, often taking on the duties of writer, cinematographer, editor, music director, and producer.

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Career

Career overview

Ken Burns is an American documentarian born in Brooklyn, New York, on July 29, 1953. He has built a notable reputation and audience through traditional meditations on Americana. His documentary projects are characterized by the extensive use of archival materials, including period music and footage, photographs, periodicals, and correspondence from ordinary people. These letters are frequently read by professional actors, which helps Burns avoid a traditional great man approach to history in his filmmaking.

Across a career encompassing ninety-three known credits in directing, Burns functions as a multifaceted non-fiction filmmaker. In addition to directing and producing his projects, he often takes on multiple creative roles, serving as a writer, cinematographer, editor, and music director.

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Known for

Film

Nandalala

2010
Film

Nandalala

2010

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

2018

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

as Self
Film

The Man in the Net

1959
Film

The Man in the Net

1959
Film

The Man in the Net

1959
Film

La Menace

1977

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

as Self - Guest

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

as Self

Difficult People

as Ken Burns

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

as Self - Guest

Frequent co-stars

Stephen Colbert 1 shared title
Jon Stewart 1 shared title
Mike Huckabee 1 shared title
Chris Matthews 1 shared title
Andrew Sullivan 1 shared title
Jeff Goldblum 1 shared title
Arianna Huffington 1 shared title
Jack White 1 shared title
Christiane Amanpour 1 shared title
Tim Meadows 1 shared title

Career timeline

Henry David Thoreau · DirectorHenry David Thoreau · WriterHenry David Thoreau · ProducerHenry David Thoreau · CreatorHenry David Thoreau · Producer
The American Revolution · ProducerThe American Revolution · DirectorThe American Revolution · Creator
In the KnowLeonardo da Vinci · DirectorLeonardo da Vinci · Executive ProducerLeonardo da Vinci · CreatorKen Burns: One Nation, Many Stories
The American Buffalo · DirectorThe American Buffalo · ProducerThe American Buffalo · Executive ProducerHomecoming · Executive ProducerSpirit of Golf
Benjamin Franklin · DirectorBenjamin Franklin · ProducerThe U.S. and the Holocaust · ProducerThe U.S. and the Holocaust · DirectorThe U.S. and the Holocaust · Creator
The Problem with Jon StewartHemingway · DirectorHemingway · ProducerMuhammad Ali · Executive ProducerMuhammad Ali · Director
The Gene: An Intimate History · ProducerEast Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story · ProducerEast Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story · Executive ProducerKen Burns: Here & ThereHere For A Good Time
Country Music · DirectorCountry Music · Executive ProducerCollege Behind Bars · Executive ProducerVery RalphHenry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America
Firing Line with Margaret HooverFiring Line with Margaret HooverThe Mayo Clinic · DirectorThe Mayo Clinic · WriterThe Mayo Clinic · Executive Producer
The Vietnam War · ProducerThe Vietnam War · DirectorThe Vietnam War · Executive ProducerWalden · Executive Producer
Jackie Robinson · DirectorDefying the Nazis: The Sharps' War · DirectorDefying the Nazis: The Sharps' War · Executive Producer
The Late Show with Stephen ColbertThe Late Show with Stephen ColbertDifficult PeopleCancer: The Emperor of All Maladies · Producer
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonInterstellar · ThanksThe Roosevelts: An Intimate History · DirectorThe Roosevelts: An Intimate History · WriterThe Roosevelts: An Intimate History · Creator
Yosemite — A Gathering of SpiritYosemite — A Gathering of Spirit · DirectorYosemite — A Gathering of Spirit · Executive ProducerYosemite — A Gathering of Spirit · CinematographyAfter the Central Park Five · Director
The Mindy ProjectFinding Your RootsThe Central Park Five · DirectorThe Central Park Five · WriterThe Central Park Five · Producer
Prohibition · Executive ProducerProhibition · ProducerProhibition · DirectorProhibition · Creator
Baseball: The Tenth Inning · DirectorBaseball: The Tenth Inning · WriterBaseball: The Tenth Inning · ProducerBaseball: The Tenth Inning · Director of PhotographyBaseball: The Tenth Inning · Executive Producer
The National Parks: America's Best Idea · ProducerThe National Parks: America's Best Idea · DirectorMLB: Baseball's Seasons
The War · Executive ProducerThe War · DirectorCraft in America
Wordplay
The Colbert ReportThe Colbert ReportThe Tim McCarver ShowUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson · DirectorUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson · Producer
The Tony Danza ShowUnforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson · Director
Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip · Director
Mark Twain · DirectorMark Twain · DirectorMark Twain · ProducerMark Twain · Director of Photography
Jazz · DirectorJazz · Producer
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation
Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony · ProducerNot for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony · Director
Frank Lloyd Wright · DirectorFrank Lloyd Wright · Producer
The ViewLewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery · DirectorLewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery · ProducerThomas Jefferson · DirectorThomas Jefferson · Creator
The Daily ShowThe West · Executive Producer

Full Filmography

164 titles
  • Henry David Thoreau (2026) Director
  • Henry David Thoreau (2026) Writer
  • Henry David Thoreau (2026) Producer
  • Henry David Thoreau (2026) Creator
  • Henry David Thoreau (2026) Producer
  • The American Revolution (2025) Producer
  • The American Revolution (2025) Director
  • The American Revolution (2025) Creator
  • In the Know (2024) as Self
  • Leonardo da Vinci (2024) Director
  • Leonardo da Vinci (2024) Executive Producer
  • Leonardo da Vinci (2024) Creator
  • Ken Burns: One Nation, Many Stories (2024)
  • The American Buffalo (2023) Director
  • The American Buffalo (2023) Producer
  • The American Buffalo (2023) Executive Producer
  • Homecoming (2023) Executive Producer
  • Spirit of Golf (2023) as Self
  • Benjamin Franklin (2022) Director
  • Benjamin Franklin (2022) Producer
  • The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) Producer
  • The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) Director
  • The U.S. and the Holocaust (2022) Creator
  • Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (2022) Executive Producer
  • The Unmaking of a College (2022) as Self
  • The Problem with Jon Stewart (2021) as Self
  • Hemingway (2021) Director
  • Hemingway (2021) Producer
  • Muhammad Ali (2021) Executive Producer
  • Muhammad Ali (2021) Director
  • Muhammad Ali (2021) Writer
  • Back on the Record with Bob Costas (2021) as Self
  • De la poussière et des hommes (2021) Director
  • The Gene: An Intimate History (2020) Producer
  • East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020) Producer
  • East Lake Meadows: A Public Housing Story (2020) Executive Producer
  • Ken Burns: Here & There (2020) as Himself
  • Here For A Good Time (2020) as Self
  • Country Music (2019) Director
  • Country Music (2019) Executive Producer
  • College Behind Bars (2019) Executive Producer
  • Very Ralph (2019) as Self
  • Henry Louis Gates Jr.: Uncovering America (2019) as Self - Director and Producer
  • Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (2018)
  • Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (2018) as Self
  • The Mayo Clinic (2018) Director
  • The Mayo Clinic (2018) Writer
  • The Mayo Clinic (2018) Executive Producer
  • The Vietnam War (2017) Producer
  • The Vietnam War (2017) Director
  • The Vietnam War (2017) Executive Producer
  • Walden (2017) Executive Producer
  • Jackie Robinson (2016) Director
  • Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War (2016) Director
  • Defying the Nazis: The Sharps' War (2016) Executive Producer
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self
  • Difficult People (2015) as Ken Burns
  • Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies (2015) Producer
  • The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (2014) as Self - Guest
  • Interstellar (2014) Thanks
  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014) Director
  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014) Writer
  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (2014) Creator
  • The Address (2014) Director
  • OETA's On the Record: Ken Burns (2014) as Self
  • Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit (2013) as Narrator (Voice)
  • Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit (2013) Director
  • Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit (2013) Executive Producer
  • Yosemite — A Gathering of Spirit (2013) Cinematography
  • After the Central Park Five (2013) Director
  • After the Central Park Five (2013) Writer
  • The Mindy Project (2012) as Ken Burns
  • Finding Your Roots (2012) as Self
  • The Central Park Five (2012) Director
  • The Central Park Five (2012) Writer
  • The Central Park Five (2012) Producer
  • The Dust Bowl (2012) Director
  • The Dust Bowl (2012) Producer
  • Plimpton! Starring George Plimpton as Himself (2012) as Himself
  • Prohibition (2011) Executive Producer
  • Prohibition (2011) Producer
  • Prohibition (2011) Director
  • Prohibition (2011) Creator
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Director
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Writer
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Producer
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Director of Photography
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Executive Producer
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Creator
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Writer
  • Baseball: The Tenth Inning (2010) Director
  • A Hall for Heroes: The Inaugural Hall of Fame Induction of 1939 (2010)
  • Seeing, Searching, Being: William Segal (2010) Director
  • The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009) Producer
  • The National Parks: America's Best Idea (2009) Director
  • MLB: Baseball's Seasons (2009) as Self - Filmmaker
  • The War (2007) Executive Producer
  • The War (2007) Director
  • Craft in America (2007) as Himself
  • Wordplay (2006) as Self
  • The Colbert Report (2005) as Self
  • The Colbert Report (2005) as Self (uncredited)
  • The Tim McCarver Show (2005)
  • Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005) Director
  • Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2005) Producer
  • The Tony Danza Show (2004) as Self
  • Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson (2004) Director
  • Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003) Director
  • Mark Twain (2002) Director
  • Mark Twain (2002) Director
  • Mark Twain (2002) Producer
  • Mark Twain (2002) Director of Photography
  • Jazz (2001) Director
  • Jazz (2001) Producer
  • Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation (2000) as Self
  • Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) Producer
  • Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony (1999) Director
  • Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) Director
  • Frank Lloyd Wright (1998) Producer
  • The View (1997) as Self
  • Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) Director
  • Lewis & Clark - The Journey of the Corps of Discovery (1997) Producer
  • Thomas Jefferson (1997) Director
  • Thomas Jefferson (1997) Creator
  • The Daily Show (1996) as Self
  • The West (1996) Executive Producer
  • Baseball (1994) Director
  • Baseball (1994) Producer
  • Baseball (1994) Executive Producer
  • Baseball (1994) Writer
  • Baseball (1994) Director of Photography
  • Late Show with David Letterman (1993) as Self - Guest
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993) as Self - Guest
  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Producer
  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Director
  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Executive Producer
  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Music Director
  • Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio (1991) Director of Photography
  • The Civil War (1990) Director
  • The Civil War (1990) Writer
  • The Civil War (1990) Executive Producer
  • The Civil War (1990) Director of Photography
  • Lindbergh (1990) Producer
  • The Simpsons (1989) as Ken Burns (voice)
  • Thomas Hart Benton (1989) Director
  • Thomas Hart Benton (1989) Producer
  • The Congress (1989) Director
  • Huey Long (1985) Director
  • Huey Long (1985) Producer
  • The Statue of Liberty (1985) Director
  • The Statue of Liberty (1985) Cinematography
  • The Statue of Liberty (1985) Producer
  • The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) Director
  • The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) Producer
  • The Shakers: Hands to Work, Hearts to God (1984) Cinematography
  • This Week (1981)
  • Brooklyn Bridge (1981) Director
  • Brooklyn Bridge (1981) Director of Photography
  • Brooklyn Bridge (1981) Cinematography
  • CNN Special Report (1980) as Self
  • 60 Minutes (1968) as Self
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) as Self
  • Today (1952) as Self

Frequently Asked Questions

What movies or TV shows is Ken Burns best known for?

Ken Burns is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including Nandalala (2010), Nandalala (2010), Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (2018), Firing Line with Margaret Hoover (2018).

When and where was Ken Burns born?

Ken Burns was born on July 29, 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, USA.

How many credits does Ken Burns have?

Ken Burns has accumulated over 164 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1952 to 2026.

What is Ken Burns's background in cinema and television?

Ken Burns is an American documentarian born on July 29, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. Known primarily for directing, he has amassed ninety-three known credits in the film and television industry. His documentary works are recognized as treasure troves of archival materials. Burns skillfully utilizes period music, footag...