PBS and WETA Washington, D.C., have announced that Caregiving, the documentary created with executive producer Bradley Cooper highlighting the challenges and triumphs of caregiving in America, will premiere Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS (check local listings), and on the PBS YouTube Channel. Caregiving will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS App beginning Tuesday, May 27, 2025.
Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba (The Residence, Painkiller, Orange is the New Black) was also announced as the film's narrator, bringing her own experience as a caregiver for her mother to the project.
The two-hour documentary is centered on the personal experiences of caregivers providing for loved ones, and the challenges and triumph they face each day. These stories are interwoven with the broader context of the cultural and economic conditions in the U.S., leading to a care system tipping into crisis. According to recent studies, in addition to 5 million paid caregivers nationally, it is estimated that between 53 million to 105.6 million U.S. adults provide unpaid caregiving for ill, aging, or disabled family members and friends. In addition, an estimated 5.4 million children and adolescents in the U.S. are direct caregivers. Caregiving examines the historical and contemporary efforts to address this often unrecognized and rapidly increasing need. Caregiving is a production of Cooper's production company, Lea Pictures, and public media station WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media.
"The caregiving experience I had with my father inspired this documentary. During his battle with lung cancer, I came face to face with the overwhelming realities of taking care of a loved one," said Bradley Cooper, actor, producer, director and caregiver. "I was lucky enough that I was able to be there for my Dad. And I certainly benefited from the help we also got from others. Caregivers are heroic people. Their ability to focus and give all of themselves is something I stand in awe of. I came to appreciate how we need to care for caregivers better. It is my hope that Caregiving will provide affirmation and support for those who do this profoundly meaningful and increasingly vital work."
Bradley Cooper Invites the Public to Share Their Caregiving Story
Each story of caregiving is unique, and the public is invited to help share the complexity, delights and difficulties of caregiving via #ShareYourCaregivingStory on social media or the We Are Well Beings Storywall at wellbeings.org/share-your-story. There, Cooper invites the public in a #ShareYourCaregivingStory video to join him in sharing personal reflections, photos, videos and stories while building a community of understanding about caregiving.
The Documentary
Caregiving 3-minute sizzle reel