Q with Tom Power
CBC
Five days a week, Tom Power brings you candid conversations with the artists shaping our culture. Whether he’s chatting with A-listers or rising stars, his disarming warmth and meticulous research always gets below the surface, bringing us deeper into the art and lives of today's most compelling musicians, writers, actors and filmmakers.As a Canadian institution, Q has attracted the biggest names in the world. But it's never been about the fame. It's always been about the art.Since becoming the host of Q in October 2016, listeners have come to know Tom for his in-depth interviewing style (asking founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA what was inside his teenage notebooks), his mischievous sense of humour (jokingly chiding actor Catherine O'Hara for her parenting skills in Home Alone), and his genuine enthusiasm and fearlessness (singing a duet with Mavis Staples).You’re just as likely to hear from celebrities and cultural icons as you are to hear from emerging artists at the beginning of their career. Tom gives each and every artist the space to tell their story in their own words. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom, like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Daniel Caesar, who appeared on Q well before they hit the mainstream.On Q, we cover arts and culture in all its forms, including music, movies, film, TV, comedy, painting, photography, theatre, cinema, Broadway, fashion, dance, opera, documentaries, books, fiction and memoirs.Look to our archives to hear some of Tom’s award-winning artist interviews, including his moving and insightful conversation with the Canadian actor Michael J. Fox, which was awarded the prestigious gold medal for best interview at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards.In 2022, Tom spoke with Friends star Matthew Perry in front of a live audience. Their warm and frank conversation about the actor's struggles with substance abuse struck a chord, leading to millions views on TikTok and Instagram, while also being picked up by news outlets internationally, including Vanity Fair and CNN.Tom’s impactful discussions with top talent have included Adele, Bono, Chappell Roan, Pamela Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Cher, Denzel Washington, Mick Jagger, Florence Pugh, Francis Ford Coppola, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Jim Carrey, Billy Porter, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Alan Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Darren Aronofsky, Harry Styles, Simu Liu, Sean Penn, Sandra Bullock, Michaela Coel, Ryan Reynolds, Katy Perry, Neil Young, Shakira, George Clooney, Ava DuVernay, Omar Apollo, Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, Big Sean, Anil Kapoor, Jane Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Elton John, Celine Dion, Kerry Washington, Chuck D, Steven Soderbergh, Mikey Madison, Cillian Murphy, Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Paris Hilton, Taylor Tomlinson, Gwen Stefani, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kylie Minogue, Stanley Tucci, Rufus Wainwright, Caroline Polachek, Hans Zimmer, Denis Villeneuve, Alex Garland, Alan Ritchson, Britt Lower, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, David Blaine, Brian Tyree Henry, Perfume Genius, Deepa Mehta, Tracy Chapman, Chloë Sevigny, Josh Hartnett and many more.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 31, 2025 • 34min
Abraham Anghik Ruben preserves his life and culture through sculpture
Abraham Anghik Ruben is a world-renowned sculptor who’s been creating groundbreaking and genre-defining work for the last five decades. The Inuk artist is best known for his multidimensional sculptures, which he carves out of stone, ivory, bronze and bone, but more recently, he’s also taken up painting. With an ongoing solo show at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq, Abraham joins guest host Garvia Bailey to look back on 50 years of creativity. Plus, he shares what needs to happen to ensure that art from the North continues to thrive.
Jul 31, 2025 • 13min
How an edible changed Charlie Houston’s life and career
When Canadian musician Charlie Houston was a student at NYU a few years ago, she took a weed edible that gave her a really bad trip. It was so bad that she quit music, dropped out of school and moved back in with her parents in Toronto. Earlier this year, Charlie released her debut album, “Big After I Die,” which explores the precarious and often surreal experience of transitioning between phases of life. She sat down with Tom Power to tell us the story of the edible that changed her life and how she got back into music. Plus, she sets up a track from her new album.
Jul 30, 2025 • 31min
Prabal Gurung explains why Kamala Harris’s pockets matter
World-renowned fashion designer Prabal Gurung grew up in a turbulent household, with an abusive father at home and bullies at school who teased him for being too feminine. It was only when he moved to New York City to work with designers like Donna Karan and Cynthia Rowley that Prabal began to embrace the things that made him different. His new memoir, “Walk Like a Girl,” is a tribute to the women who made him the fashion designer he is today, from Anna Wintour, who championed his work, to longtime clients like Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris and Kate Middleton.
Jul 30, 2025 • 12min
Cate Blanchett forgot the sound of her real voice
Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, The Aviator, Tár) is one of the most respected actors of our time. She's an on-screen chameleon who transforms into whatever role she plays, taking on whatever accent is required of her — so much so that she says it’s easy to forget what she actually sounds like. At last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, Cate sat down with Tom Power for a thoughtful conversation about two of her most recent projects (the unique political satire “Rumours” and the psychological thriller series “Disclaimer”), plus, her voice work.
Jul 29, 2025 • 27min
Heather and Arizona O'Neill find a bit of magic on the Montreal Metro
Heather and Arizona O'Neill are more than just mother and daughter — they're creative partners, storytellers and travel companions. Their latest collaboration, a novel called “Valentine in Montreal,” is already an instant bestseller. Heather wrote the book, which was first published in weekly installments in the Montreal Gazette, and Arizona illustrated it. The mother-daughter duo join Tom Power to tell us what it's like working together and why the Montreal subway system plays a special role in their relationship.
Jul 29, 2025 • 24min
How Brian Tyree Henry overcame his imposter syndrome
Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta, Causeway, The Book of Mormon) has become one of Hollywood's busiest actors. On the new series “Dope Thief,” he plays Ray Driscoll — a complex character who’s dealing with generational trauma, addiction and grief. Back in April, Brian joined Tom Power to talk about the role, the epiphany he had that reframed the way he looks at his career, and how he put his imposter syndrome in the rearview mirror.
Jul 28, 2025 • 41min
The pressure of being a Palestinian American comedian
Mo Amer's comedy career couldn't be going any better right now. His semi-autobiographical TV show “Mo” is a big success and he’s currently on a massive stand-up tour. But even though his professional life is thriving, certain things in his personal life are a bit more complicated. Mo joins Tom Power to talk about the pressure he’s feeling as a Palestinian American comedian, the emotional conversations he's been having with his fans, and how his life in comedy all got started.
Jul 25, 2025 • 30min
Angélique Kidjo’s life and work is defined by one thing: freedom
Multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo is now the first Black African performer to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This past March, she joined Tom Power from our Montreal studio to talk about her incredible career in music. Angélique reflected on her childhood in Benin, how she fled to France to escape her home country’s strict military dictatorship, and what that experience taught her about freedom of all kinds. Plus, she tells Tom why percussion has to come first when she’s making music.
Jul 25, 2025 • 23min
Thriller writer Ruth Ware has never done a sequel — until now
Bestselling author Ruth Ware doesn’t do sequels, or so she’s said. After nine standalone psychological thrillers, the British novelist has released “The Woman in Suite 11,” which is a follow-up to her hit 2016 book, “The Woman in Cabin 10.” Ruth sits down with guest host Ali Hassan to tell us how her readers persuaded her to take another look at her character Lo Blacklock — a travel journalist who seems to find herself on the deadly end of luxury excursions. Plus, Ruth explains how maternity leave put her on the path to becoming a professional writer.
Jul 24, 2025 • 34min
Robby Hoffman’s unconventional path to comedy
Comedian Robby Hoffman is having a big year. She was just nominated for an Emmy for her role in the hit HBO show “Hacks,” where she plays a character based on her own experiences. Plus, her Just For Laughs show in Montreal this summer is sold out. But Robby hasn’t had a conventional path into comedy. From leaving an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community in Brooklyn as a kid to living in Montreal with her nine siblings, Robby tells Tom Power about how she forged her own path.
