Visionaries - Changing the World One Story at a Time

Our Host - Sam Waterston

The Visionaries is hosted by acclaimed actor Sam Waterston, star of Law & Order, I'll Fly Away and The Killing Fields.

Waterston's personal effort to become involved with humanitarian work that was important to him began after his Best Actor Oscar-nominated performance in the 1984 film The Killing Fields. Waterston played Sydney Schanberg, a real-life New York Times journalist who escaped the horrors of war-torn Cambodia with the help of his Cambodian colleague, Dith Pran.

For Waterston, working on the film and learning about Cambodia's genocidal Khmer Rouge regime was a life-altering experience. It motivated him to get involved with Refugees International, an organization instrumental in helping Cambodian refugees, as well as other people around the world who have been displaced by war and disaster. In its first season The Visionaries profiled Judy Mayotte, one of Refugees International's most tireless advocates, and it was this program that motivated Waterston to participate in the series.

Says Waterston, "As the spirit of the people in The Visionaries shows us, it's about putting it out there and seeing what happens. Doing what you can about huge, intractable problems; now that's an idea worth encouraging."

Waterston still won't take a cent for his time hosting The Visionaries. Waterston does not stand aloof; he is genuinely interested in The Visionaries -- giving input and offering support. He has been a wonderful spokesperson and supporter of The Visionaries.