All hail! Divas demand worship, from Beyoncé and Barbra to the fictional Grace Davis in the new flick The High Note. But these powerful women aren't content to merely conquer music -- they want Hollywood, too. Why do divas risk their reputations for a shot at the big screen? Who's succeeded? And how did "diva" go from reverence to insult? Let's trace the history of the word back to the living gods of Ancient Rome, where Caligula put his own spin on "Slay!" Then, let's meet the opera and silent film stars who embraced the word and defied social taboos small and large, whether feeding their pet alligators champagne or openly celebrating their own worth. Perhaps we should be a bit more diva? Special guest: The High Note director Nisha Ganatra.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.