Angels in America (2003)
Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning epic arrives on HBO as a shattering six-part miniseries about love, death, and America's soul.
Angels in America - Series Information
- Original Title: Angels in America
- First Air Year: 2003
- Last Air Year: 2003
- Created by: Tony Kushner
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
- Content Rating (US): TV-MA
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (58 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 1
- Number of Episodes: 6
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English, Hebrew, Yiddish
- First Air Date: December 7, 2003 (United States - TV-MA), December 7, 2003 (United Kingdom - 15), December 7, 2003 (Germany - 16), December 7, 2003 (France - 18), December 7, 2003 (Australia - MA 15+), December 7, 2003 (Brazil - 14), December 7, 2003 (Mexico - B), December 7, 2003 (Spain - 13), December 7, 2003 (South Korea - 19)
- Networks: HBO
- Alternative Titles: Anjos na América (BR), Angels in America (AQ), Angels in America (US), 美国天使 (CN)
- Production Companies: HBO Films, Avenue Pictures, Avenue Entertainment
- Production Countries: United States of America
Angels in America - Plot
God has abandoned Heaven. It's 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. In Manhattan, Prior Walter tells Louis, his lover of four years, he's ill; Louis leaves but asvdisease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Louis. Joe Pitt, a Mormon Republican attorney, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn toward a job at the Justice Department. Pitt and Cohn are closeted: Pitt, out of shame and religious turmoil; Cohn, to preserve his power and access. Pitt's wife Harper is strung out on Valium, aching to escape a sexless marriage. An angel invites Prior to be a prophet in death.
Angels in America - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the epic scope of this landmark miniseries:
The messenger has arrived.
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Angels in America - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Tony Kushner
Main Cast
- Al Pacino
- Justin Kirk
- Ben Shenkman
- Mary-Louise Parker
- Meryl Streep
- Jeffrey Wright
- Patrick Wilson
- Emma Thompson
- Brian Markinson
- James Cromwell
Writers
- Tony Kushner
Executive Producers
- Cary Brokaw
- Mike Nichols
Angels in America - FAQs
Is Angels in America based on a true story?
It's rooted in real history rather than a single true story. Tony Kushner drew from the actual AIDS crisis of the 1980s and based the character Roy Cohn on the real-life lawyer and political fixer. The other central characters are fictional, though deeply informed by the era's social and political realities.
What makes Angels in America worth watching today?
Few miniseries have aged as powerfully. With a near-perfect critical reception and a cast that includes Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Emma Thompson at their finest, it remains a devastating, funny, and visionary portrait of America at a crossroads. Its themes of illness, identity, and political hypocrisy feel as urgent now as ever.
Who plays Roy Cohn in Angels in America?
Al Pacino plays Roy Cohn, the real-life right-wing political fixer and closeted lawyer who mentored Donald Trump. It's one of Pacino's most ferocious performances — a man simultaneously wielding enormous power and dying of AIDS while publicly denying both his illness and his sexuality.
Where can you stream Angels in America?
You can stream Angels in America on HBO Max or through the HBO Max Amazon Channel. If you prefer to own it, episodes are available to buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Fandango At Home.
Did Angels in America win any major awards?
Absolutely. The miniseries swept the 2004 Emmy Awards, winning 11 Emmys including Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actor for Al Pacino, and acting awards for Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Jeffrey Wright. It also won five Golden Globes, making it one of the most decorated television productions in history.
What role does Meryl Streep play in Angels in America?
Meryl Streep plays four distinct roles: Hannah Pitt, a devout Mormon mother; Ethel Rosenberg, the executed spy who haunts Roy Cohn; a Rabbi; and the Angel Australia. Her ability to inhabit such wildly different characters across the miniseries is a showcase of extraordinary range and one of the production's most celebrated elements.
Who directed the Angels in America miniseries?
Mike Nichols directed all six episodes. The legendary filmmaker — known for The Graduate and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — brought a theatrical grandeur to the material while keeping the intimate emotional core intact. His collaboration with writer Tony Kushner resulted in one of the most acclaimed television productions ever made.
What are good shows to watch after Angels in America?
If the LGBTQ history and emotional depth resonated, It's a Sin (2021) and Fellow Travelers (2023) are essential follow-ups. POSE (2018) offers a vibrant celebration of queer community during the same AIDS era. When We Rise (2017) traces decades of LGBTQ activism with similar political sweep and personal intimacy.
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