American Achievers

Season 4, Episode 12: Franc D’Ambrosio

Part 2 of 2: Franc D’Ambrosio talks about the sacrifices he made to chase his dreams, including routinely choosing between food and shelter, how dyslexia affected his career, how playing the Phantom changed his life, and the critical skill he learned from Barry Manilow.

Season 4, Episode 11: Franc D’Ambrosio

Part 1 of 2: Franc D’Ambrosio talks about walking away from the security of his family’s bakery business to pursue a career as a singer and actor, the intense desire that drove him, landing the part of Anthony Corleone in THE GODFATHER PART III, and how he almost turned down the stage role that will always define him—the masked man in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

Season 4, Episode 10: Ulice Payne, Jr.

Lawyer and former Major League Baseball executive Ulice Payne, Jr. talks about the formative values of his childhood in western Pennsylvania, landing a basketball scholarship to Marquette, where he played on the 1977 NCAA championship team, and the moment of heartbreak that opened the door to his future.

Season 4, Episode 9: Jodie Markell

Actress and director Jodie Markell, who recently starred in the satirical play LENI’S LAST LAMENT, talks about the moment when she first realized that performing stirred something deep in her soul and why she was driven to turn a long-forgotten Tennessee Williams screenplay into the independent film THE LOSS OF A TEARDROP DIAMOND.

Season 4, Episode 8: Randall Atcheson

Concert pianist Randall Atcheson talks about the talent that propelled him from small-town Alabama churches to Julliard and performance halls on five continents, how he keeps pushing himself to excel and connect with audiences, and the near-death experience that changed his life.

Season 4, Episode 7: Bob Lilly

Part 2 of 2: Bob Lilly talks about the mindset he brought to the field as a Hall of Fame defensive tackle for Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys, how it felt to become the first honoree at Texas Stadium’s Ring of Honor, and the gift that launched him on a different sort of adventure.

Season 4, Episode 6: Bob Lilly

Part 1 of 2: Bob Lilly talks about learning from his father’s tenacity, the devastating drought that forced his family to leave Texas, how his life pivoted on landing a football scholarship to TCU, and becoming the first draft choice of the expansion Dallas Cowboys.

Season 4, Episode 5: Richard Jadick

Urologist Richard Jadick talks about the tragedy that rocked his upstate New York family, the television show that inspired his medical career, how he became the most decorated doctor of the Iraq War, and the battlefield memories that still haunt him.

Season 4, Episode 4: Bob Tiffin

Bob Tiffin talks about the lessons he learned around his father’s home supply store, the leap he took to launch Tiffin Motorhomes, how he built the family operation into a leading RV manufacturer, and the power of a very big check.

Season 4, Episode 3: Eileen Collins

Part 2 of 2: Eileen Collins talks about the pressure she felt to measure up at NASA, becoming the first woman to pilot and command the Space Shuttle, how traveling to space affected her, and the tragic day when Columbia disintegrated on re-entry, killing seven of her colleagues.