Renowned Actor Norman Reedus and Acclaimed Writer & Producer David Zabel will Explore How Storytelling Is Evolving on a Global Scale
Reedus and Zabel will Join Previously Announced Participants Giannis Antetokounmpo,
Rodney Brooks, John Cleese, Willem Dafoe, Karen Hao, Emmanouil Karalis, Eric Nam,
Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Francesca Rossi, Nia Vardalos, and More
The Conversation Is Part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s (SNF) 30th Anniversary Celebration of Global Grantmaking, Bringing Together SNF Grantee-Partners from around the World to Share Ideas, Stories, and Experiences
NEW YORK, June 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Paley Center for Media, the media industry’s leading nonprofit dedicated to celebrating the cultural, creative, and social significance of media and its impact on society, announced today it will present a timely conversation on the future of global storytelling at SNF Nostos 2026 from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). The program, featuring renowned actor, visual artist, producer, and photographer Norman Reedus and acclaimed writer & producer David Zabel, will take place on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:00 pm in Athens, Greece. The event marks the Paley Center’s first time participating in SNF Nostos.
“The Paley Center is proud to present this compelling conversation where Norman Reedus and David Zabel will offer a unique perspective on the future of entertainment and the powerful ways storytelling continues to connect audiences across cultures and borders,” said Maureen J. Reidy, President & CEO of The Paley Center for Media. “We are especially honored to take part in SNF Nostos 2026 during this milestone anniversary year for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. We extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Andreas Dracopoulos and the entire SNF team for creating such an inspiring global gathering focused on reflection, ideas, and what lies ahead for humanity.”
At a moment when the boundaries of storytelling are rapidly expanding, this conversation brings together Norman Reedus—known worldwide for his role in The Walking Dead and for a career spanning film, television, and beyond—alongside David Zabel, whose credits include The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, ER, and more. During the conversation, moderated by Variety‘s Chief Correspondent Daniel D’Addario, they will explore the forces reshaping the global entertainment landscape—from the rise of international IP and cross-cultural storytelling to shifting power dynamics within Hollywood and the accelerating consolidation of media—examining how stories are created, financed, and shared across borders. Drawing on perspectives from both in front of and behind the camera, Reedus and Zabel will offer insight into what lies ahead for how stories are told and experienced around the world.
The conversation takes place during an unprecedented year for the Paley Center as it celebrates its historic 50th anniversary. From the grand reopening of its newly renovated, state-of-the-art theaters and reimagined public spaces at The Paley Museum in New York, for which SNF provided support, to the opening of the Paley Archive at the Beverly Hills Public Library on the West Coast, Paley serves as both a vibrant gathering place for both the public and industry leaders and visitors from around the world.
“SNF Nostos, much like the Paley Center, serves as a public forum that brings together original, forward-looking perspectives from fields ranging from journalism, film, entertainment, and sports, among others, to civil society and beyond and puts them into conversation with one another,” said SNF Co-President and Paley Center Trustee Andreas Dracopoulos. “This year’s SNF Nostos is also a collective celebration both of SNF’s 30th anniversary and of our incredible grantee-partners, especially those like the Paley Center also celebrating milestone anniversaries in 2026.”
SNF Nostos 2026 is a free and open public event that will take place from June 21–28 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, and many of the sessions will be streamed live. Conversations at SNF Nostos 2026, curated with SNF’s journalism nonprofit close partner iMEdD, will reflect the wide-ranging nature of SNF’s grantmaking across arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. With offerings throughout the week, the SNF Dialogues Initiative returns to SNF Nostos in 2026 to explore, experiment, and cultivate—as always—creative public dialogue that transcends geographic, social, and cultural boundaries.
During the first four days, the stage belongs to organizations SNF has partnered with over the years, with a program built through an open call inviting grantee-partners to shape the program together with SNF. Drawing on more than 250 proposals and featuring more than 220 contributors with 130 hours of programming, they will explore timely issues related to different aspects of their work at thematic hubs: the House of Arts & Culture, the House of Civics & Education, the House of Health & Sports, and the House of the Future.
The discussions culminate on Friday, June 26, when SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos will serve as host and interlocutor throughout the day.
In addition to Norman Reedus and David Zabel, figures from a wide range of fields will share their perspectives, ideas, and talents at SNF Nostos 2026, including Emmy Award–winning executive Noopur Agarwal, physicist Asimina Arvanitaki, basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIT AI lab head Rodney Brooks, artist and musician David Byrne, comedian John Cleese, actor Willem Dafoe, Pulitzer Center President Lisa Gibbs, best-selling author Karen Hao, human rights champion Radwa Hosny, actor Jason Isaacs, pole vault record holder Emmanouil “Manolo” Karalis, chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov, composer Giorgos Koumendakis, anti-trafficking activist Sunitha Krishnan, historian Mark Mazower, K-pop star Eric Nam, Academy Award–nominated director Nisha Pahuja, actor Maisie Richardson-Sellers, computer scientist Francesca Rossi, former US House of Representatives member John Sarbanes, author Ersi Sotiropoulos, HRH Princess Ghida Talal, civic tech activist Rose Njeri Tunguru, writer and actor Nia Vardalos, comedian Katerina Vrana, and many more.
For more information about the organizations please visit: paleycenter.org and snf.org
Follow The Paley Center for Media:
Paley’s Facebook page, and @PaleyCenter on X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and on TikTok: @thepaleycenter.
Follow SNF and SNF Nostos:
Official Websites: SNFNostos.org, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
About The Paley Center for Media
Founded by media pioneer William S. Paley in 1975, and chaired by Frank A. Bennack, Jr. since 1991, The Paley Center for Media is the world’s leading nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to preserving media history and exploring media’s powerful shaping influence on culture and society. The Paley Center for Media, which owns the iconic Philip Johnson-designed Paley Museum, has proudly made its home in New York City for fifty years. The Paley Museum is where media, sports, gaming, and entertainment come together and has been recognized as New York City’s “Best Museum” and “Best Children’s Party Place” for three years in a row.
During the year, the Paley Center produces unmatched programs and respected educational classes for the public and industry. Paley’s best-in-class public programming offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences and exclusive access to today’s most talked about names through memorable programs that are entertaining, educational, and captivate audiences across generations. On the industry side, programs educate, inform, and lead the conversation on the rapidly evolving media landscape. Paley’s unmatched convening power offers unparalleled access to top industry CEOs, world dignitaries, and global thought leaders. At the heart of the institution is the Paley Archive, the largest publicly accessible collection of its kind—with more than 160,000 programs. Often referred to as a national treasure, this invaluable resource is available at The Paley Museum in New York and at the Beverly Hills Public Library in California and plays a central role in Paley’s respected educational initiatives that serve K-12 educators and students throughout the year.
About the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), which is celebrating 30 years of grantmaking in 2026, is one of the world’s leading private international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. SNF supports organizations and programs worldwide that aim to achieve a broad, lasting, and positive impact for society at large and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also seeks to support projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving public welfare. Since 1996, SNF has committed almost $4 billion to more than 3,100 grantee-partner organizations in 137 countries around the world.
Find out more at snf.org.
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SOURCE The Paley Center for Media
