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
Sep 18, 2025 • 26min
Zosia Mamet was in a Nyquil-induced haze when she auditioned for Girls
Actor and writer Zosia Mamet is best known for playing the role of Shoshanna Shapiro on the hit HBO series “Girls.” But there’s a lot more to Zosia’s story that you may not know. In her new book of personal essays, “Does This Make Me Funny?” she writes about being bullied as a child, her experience with an eating disorder, and the ups and downs of life in the entertainment industry. Zosia joins guest host Talia Schlanger to share some stories and read from her book.
Sep 18, 2025 • 26min
This musical is a digital detox for our brains
Are we all addicted to the internet? Digital technology feels like something we can’t live without, but with all the physical and mental health issues it's creating, it’s also starting to feel like something we can’t live with. A new production of the musical “Octet” is looking at this dilemma. One of its stars, the Dora Award-winning stage and musical theatre actor Hailey Gillis, sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how the musical uses the human voice to explore our internet addictions, and why she thinks the play is a detox for our brains.
Sep 17, 2025 • 51min
Sarah McLachlan on the legacy of Lilith Fair (Live)
Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan didn’t just make some of her generation’s greatest songs, she started a movement. In this special episode, Sarah sits down with Tom Power in front of a live audience to reflect on the challenges and joys of creating Lilith Fair — the groundbreaking, all-female music festival that changed the face of the music industry. The iconic festival is now the focus of a new documentary, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,” which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Sarah also performs two songs, including a new release off her latest album, “Better Broken.”
Sep 16, 2025 • 28min
Why Blair Underwood leads with his humanity
Throughout his 40-year acting career, Blair Underwood (L.A. Law, Longlegs) has always made it a priority to lead with his humanity. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, he came up against the stereotypical roles Black actors faced at that time, and his breakout role on “L.A. Law” stirred up some strong reactions in South Africa, where he was both loved and hated. Now, Blair stars in the Canadian re-make of the 1986 cult classic “Youngblood,” in which he plays a hockey dad who pushes his son to act tough on and off the ice. Blair sits down with Tom Power to talk about the new film and why he’s drawn to unexpected stories. Plus, he tells us about the time he met Prince.
Sep 15, 2025 • 26min
Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira on becoming an indie cinema darling
Barbie Ferreira got her start as a model before landing her big break starring on the gritty teen drama “Euphoria.” Since leaving the show, she’s decided to pursue more creatively fulfilling work in indie film. Her latest project, “Mile End Kicks,” just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack, and it follows a young music journalist who’s coming up in Montreal. Barbie joins Tom Power to talk about how she learned a Canadian accent for the film, taking risks in her career and how “Euphoria” changed her life.
Sep 15, 2025 • 24min
How Tim Key got Carey Mulligan in The Ballad of Wallis Island
The film “The Ballad of Wallis Island” tells the story of Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who uses his money to hold a private concert on the remote Welsh island where he lives. The band he hires is his favourite group of all time: the fictional folk rock duo McGwyer Mortimer. The only problem is they haven’t spoken in years — and the concert is just for Charles. British poet and comedian Tim Key stars as Charles and co-wrote the movie, which is based on a short film he made in 2007. Earlier this year, he joined Tom Power to talk about the project and why it took 18 years to turn his short into a feature. Plus, he reveals how he persuaded Hollywood A-lister Carey Mulligan to get on board.
Sep 12, 2025 • 29min
Bob Odenkirk says embarrassment is sometimes a good thing
In his new film “Normal,” actor and writer Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Mr. Show) plays a small town sheriff who discovers a big secret. At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he sat down with Tom Power to tell us how the feeling of embarrassment has actually fueled some of the best decisions in his life and career. Bob talks about chasing the things that scared him most, from early improv, to writing groundbreaking sketch comedy, to becoming an Emmy-nominated dramatic actor to his biggest risk yet: becoming an action star in his 60s.
Sep 12, 2025 • 22min
Basia Bulat found inspiration in video games and Polish disco music
When the Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat was a kid, she felt embarrassed by the Polish disco music her dad listened to. But now that she’s a parent herself, she’s found a new appreciation for her parents’ taste in music. It even inspired a tune on her latest album, “Basia's Palace.” Earlier this year, Basia joined Tom Power to talk about the album, the Polish music that soundtracked her childhood, and how she also drew inspiration from video games.
Sep 11, 2025 • 30min
Why adapting Stephen King’s bleak novel The Long Walk was so hard
For decades, Stephen King fans have been clamouring for a movie adaptation of his dystopian horror novel “The Long Walk.” Now, 46 years after it was first published, the iconic story will finally hit the big screen. Director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games, I Am Legend) joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film, the surprising difficulty of making a movie where all the characters will walk and die, and how his old career as an acclaimed music video director shapes his work today.
Sep 11, 2025 • 21min
Playwright Makram Ayache is telling the queer stories he never had
Makram Ayache’s play “The Green Line” blends together two queer storylines in Lebanon — one taking place in 2018, and the other in 1978 during the Lebanon Civil War. Makram wrote the play as a way to explore what it means to be a queer Lebanese Canadian. A new production will be staged in Toronto later this month at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Ahead of that, Makram sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “The Green Line,” how it was informed by his own travels to Lebanon and what he learned about grief from his younger self.
