< Conversation with a Curator

Before They Were Stars ...

Thursday, March 19, 2026 
4:00 pm 
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC
Curator: Ron Simon

Television has always been a launch pad for young talented actors and performers as they learn about their craft in small roles. In this conversation we will view some of the earliest work of novices who later became major stars. Join curator Ron Simon as he screens early live TV roles of James Dean, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and Grace Kelly, as well as daytime appearances by Meg Ryan, Julianne Moore, and Morgan Freeman. You will also experience Jodie Foster, Brad Pitt, Michael B. Jordan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and George Clooney in sitcoms, in addition to the dramatic TV debut of Denzel Washington, and much more curated from the Paley Archive.

Free for Paley Members, included in General Admission.
Become a Member for this and many other benefits.

Get Tickets   Become a Paley Member

 

Visit us:
The Paley Museum
25 West 52 Street, New York City

Events and participants are subject to change.​

Back to Top

More Paley Events Calendar

TPA BHPL Photo of Room Thumb1
Come Visit and Enjoy
The Paley Archive at Beverly Hills Public Library, 444 N. Rexford Drive, Beverly Hills, CA

The Paley Archive, From Storytime to Screentime, and more at Paley in Beverly Hills

CRM   Thumb  1200 x 675  Soccer26
PaleyExhibit
Thursday, June 11, 2026 – Sunday, July 26, 2026
Wed – Sun, 12 – 6 pm
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC

The FIFA World Cup™ Comes to Life

Thumb  1200 x 675  A250
Paley Salutes
Wednesday, June 24, 2026 – Sunday, July 26, 2026 in New York
The Paley Museum, 25 West 52 Street, NYC

America 250 at Paley: Moments That Brought Us Together