Documentarian Ken Burns Was ‘Embarrassed’ by His Reading Choices as a Kid (Exclusive)

Ken Burns has always loved history.

The famous documentarian, whose body of work includes more than 40 films, including Leonardo DaVinci, The American Buffalo, The U.S. and the Holocaust and the forthcoming The American Revolution, was honored with the Critics Choice Impact Award at the 10th annual ceremony on Nov. 9 in New York City.

“When I was a little boy, I was embarrassed by the fact that all of my friends read novels, and I read encyclopedias, and I loved it,” he told PEOPLE on the carpet at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.

“And people in history classes said, ‘Oh, I knew that’s what you’re gonna do.’ And I would go, ‘No, I’m gonna be a writer or a filmmaker. What does that have to do to history?” Burns recalled.

By the time he was 12 years old, however, Burns was resolute: A filmmaker he’d become. He’d go on to attend Hampshire College after high school, “where all the teachers were documentary, still photographers and filmmakers,” he recalled.

“So suddenly, at 18, I was documentary! By the time I graduated, I was making films on history,” he said. “And it would be mind blowing to go back to that person 50 years ago and say, ‘That film you just did on history? You’re gonna be doing the same thing for the next 50 years.’ But I am, and I feel like I have the best job in the country.”

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Christine Baranski presented Burns with the Impact Award on Sunday night, noting that he’s the “most famous name in documentary filmmaking” and has “devoted to his life to showing that history isn’t dusty or distant. It’s alive.”

According to the Critics Choice Association, the award “recognizes documentarians whose work has illuminated our shared story, made complex issues accessible to broad audiences, and sparked meaningful dialogue that inspires reflection and action. Ken Burns exemplifies this impact through a career that has brought the American experience vividly to life and deepened the nation’s understanding of itself.”

“I have a brief, nine-part remarks,” Burns quipped as he accepted the honor. He also made sure to thank PBS for their unwavering support of both his films and nonfiction storytelling. “I’m so pleased to be in the company of such an extraordinary group of filmmakers,” he said.

And, as he concluded his remarks, Burns imparted a topical message, courtesy of one of his historical characters.

“I just wanted to echo the last thing you heard from Christian Friedel. He’s a German soldier named Captain Johann Ewald throughout our series on the American Revolution. He’s openly contemptuous of the people who he’s fighting against as a German mercenary soldier working for the British, but he is part of the — spoiler alert — surrender at Yorktown. That’s how it ends. Sorry. Just lost a couple hundred viewers,” Burns said with a laugh. “But he said, ‘Who could have thought a hundred years ago that out of this multitude of rabble could arise a people who could defy kings.’ Thank you.”

Ken Burns’ six-part docuseries, The American Revolution, premieres on PBS Nov. 16 and airs over the course of six nights.