George Stephanopoulos’s Life and Career as an Interviewer

George Stephanopoulus is a celebrated political commentator and TV personality. The host of This Week with George Stephanopoulos was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, and raised outside Cleveland, Ohio. George studied at Columbia University in New York before heading to Balliol College at the University of Oxford in England, where he got a master’s degree in theology as a Rhodes Scholar.

George served as President Bill Clinton's Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy and de facto Press Secretary. Upon leaving Washington, DC, after Clinton’s 1996 reelection, he penned a memoir, All Too Human: A Political Education, which became a New York Times bestseller. His successes include becoming chief anchor at ABC News, joining the Good Morning America team as coanchor alongside Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan, and moderating the 2008 Democratic presidential debates. George has interviewed top politicians, including President Joe Biden.

George Stephanopoulus is a fixture of US media and political science. Get to know more about the GMA coanchor with these five fast facts:

1. 1. George focused on many social initiatives in the Clinton Administration. While working in the White House, George’s initiatives included affirmative action, crime legislation, and health care.
2. 2. George was on a postage stamp. A Greek Orthodox Christian, George appeared on a €1 Greek postage stamp in 2016 alongside other famous Greek Americans.
3. 3. He leads a new documentary unit for Disney. George spearheads George Stephanopoulos Productions, a doc unit for Disney's digital platforms, where he hosts hour-long specials on the ABC network.
4. 4. He’s inspired some iconic TV moments. The esteemed political commentator, has inspired many characters in Aaron Sorkin’s works, including The American President and The West Wing. He was also the subject of a Friends episode, “The One with George Stephanopoulos,” in which the characters spot George in New York City. George has also played himself in House of Cards and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
5. 5. His ABC programs have hosted many notable guests. George has interviewed top Republicans and Democrats on ABC News and This Week, including President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden, and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, among others.

George has decades of experience delivering breaking news and hard-hitting interviews. You can expect these five highlights and more from his class on purposeful communication, available exclusively on MasterClass:

1. 1. Ask the right questions. “There are different kinds of questions for different kinds of interviews,” George says. Questions can help you learn information or find out more about a person. “The best way to do that is to ask the most open-ended questions,” he adds. “The first time you do it, it may feel a little intrusive. It may feel a little uncomfortable. But you also may get a surprising answer. You learn something, and you’ll create a connection with the person.”
2. 2. Conversations can tell a story, even in difficult times. George recalls some difficult interviews and how these conversations can enact change. “One of the most difficult conversations I ever had was speaking to the mother of one of the victims of the Pulse shooting in Orlando back in 2016,” he says. “Sometimes, after situations like this, you see people in their most extreme pain. Can you imagine? I always feel conflicted with interviews like this. On the one hand, I don’t want to feel like we’re exploiting this woman in her period of pain, but what you saw there is why people often choose to speak out in moments like this.”
3. 3. Different styles of TV journalism connote different energies. From political interviews to morning shows, George has done it all. “One of the things I’ve learned about morning television especially is that you’re an intimate part of people’s lives,” he says. “They’re watching you while they are making breakfast, or sending their kids off to school, or just turning on the television when they get up in the morning . . . and you’re the extra presence at that breakfast table. I think that you have to honor that. And that means showing a little bit more of yourself.”
4. 4. Nerves are humbling, and everyone has them. George has interviewed many starry guests. George says to remember three things: “First, there’s a good chance the person you’re talking to is just as nervous as you are. Remember that,” he says. “No. 2, remember, if it’s true, and I hope it’s true if you walked into this conversation, you’ve done what you need to do to prepare for this conversation. And three, remember that the worst that can happen is you might be a little bit embarrassed, and it can be fixed later.”
5. 5. Research is your bedrock. When interviewing high-profile guests, doing homework is essential to carry on a fluid and intelligent conversation. “It’s what I consider the most important part of the job,” George shares. “If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you can't talk. My days start early. . . I spend it just trying to make sure I know everything I can within the time I have, about what’s going on in the world. I get up around 2:30, meditate, [and] take a shower. I get to work. And I’m basically in the office by around 3:30. And the first two hours of my day are dedicated [to research]. That’s part of the reason I get there that early.”

For more perspectives on politics and broadcast journalism, consider the following classes:

1. 1. Bill Clinton on inclusive leadership. Bill Clinton is a politician who served as the forty-second president of the United States. Watch Bill’s class to learn about inclusive leadership, leadership strategies, and what makes a successful team.
2. 2. Doris Kearns Goodwin on US presidential history and leadership. Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin teaches you how to develop the leadership qualities of exceptional US presidents. Looking at the early lives of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ, Doris’s class can teach you how to build an effective team and enact a bold leadership style.
3. 3. Robin Roberts on effective and authentic communication. Television broadcaster and journalist Robin Roberts has held an impressive breadth of on-screen jobs, from sports anchoring to coanchoring ABC’s Good Morning America. Watch Robin’s class to learn how to build public speaking skills and communicate your value at work.

If you aspire to deliver breaking news or interview high-profile politicians, you must learn how to communicate effectively. Learn George Stephanopoulos’s approach to research, time management, and body language when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.