In 1967, Dr. Thomas Starzl stunned the world with the first successful liver transplantation. His breakthrough provoked controversy. Critics accused him of recklessness, even murder. Others declared it the beginning of a medical revolution. "Burden of Genius" is the story of an innovator as complex and elusive as the biological secrets he unlocked. It is also a reflection on the price of scientific progress by the man many consider the greatest surgeon of the 20th century and the father of transplantation.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
 James RedfordSelf – Filmmaker, Liver Transplant Patient | Self – Filmmaker, Liver Transplant Patient |
 Larry KramerSelf – Writer/Activist/Liver Transplant Patient | Self – Writer/Activist/Liver Transplant Patient |
 David CrosbySelf – Musician, Liver Transplant Patient | Self – Musician, Liver Transplant Patient |
 David McCulloughSelf – Author, Historian | Self – Author, Historian |
| AArthur CaplanSelf – Professor of Bioethics, NYU | Self – Professor of Bioethics, NYU |