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
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Jan 17, 2025 • 25min
Pamela Anderson: Entering a new chapter of her career with The Last Showgirl
For decades, Pamela Anderson has been recognized as a pop culture icon, but she says she hasn’t recognized herself until now. Earlier this month, she earned her first Golden Globe nomination for her role as a fading Las Vegas showgirl in Gia Coppola’s new film, “The Last Showgirl.” Her critically acclaimed performance marks a new chapter of her career as a serious dramatic actor and bonafide artist. Pamela joins Tom Power to talk about the film — and why she says it’s never too late to start over.
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Jan 17, 2025 • 26min
Tim Fehlbaum: A new film dramatizes the live coverage of the 1972 Munich crisis
At the Munich Olympics on Sept. 5, 1972, the Palestinian militant organization Black September stormed the Olympic Village, where they immediately killed two Israeli athletes and took nine more hostage. Ultimately, all of the Israeli hostages lost their lives. As the crisis unfolded in real-time, the story was being broadcast live on television by ABC Sports. Now, the Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum has made a new film, “September 5,” which follows the small ABC crew that led the live coverage while close to a billion people watched from around the globe. Tim sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film and the questions it opens up about how the media covers a crisis.
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Jan 16, 2025 • 26min
Paul Gross & Martha Burns: The real-life acting couple takes on Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
After nearly 40 years of marriage, the Canadian actors Paul Gross and Martha Burns say they’re still learning new things about each other. Currently, they’re co-starring as one of theatre’s most dysfunctional married couples, George and Martha, in a new production of Edward Albee’s “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” at Canadian Stage. Paul and Martha sit down with Tom Power to tell us what it’s like playing this famously toxic couple, and what they’re still learning about each other after all these decades.
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Jan 16, 2025 • 25min
Eve: Her new memoir, Ruff Ryders & hip-hop's double standard
At the height of her fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Eve seemed to have it all: stadium tours, a clothing line, and collaborations with the likes of Prince, Missy Elliott and Gwen Stefani. But in her new memoir, “Who’s That Girl?,” she tells the story of what was actually going on behind the scenes. Eve joins Tom Power to talk about some of the major highlights of her career, the negative side effects of fame, and the hip-hop industry’s double standard.
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Jan 15, 2025 • 30min
Taylor Kitsch: American Primeval, Friday Night Lights & acting as “service”
For 20 years, the Canadian actor Taylor Kitsch has been disappearing into his roles, whether it be a high school football player in “Friday Night Lights” or a loner frontiersman in his latest series “American Primeval.” He joins Tom Power to talk about the intense preparation he does for his roles, why he thinks of acting as service, and his thoughts about appearing in the upcoming “Friday Night Lights” reboot.
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Jan 15, 2025 • 10min
Quick Q: The Halluci Nation pay tribute to the club where it all began
Bear Witness of The Halluci Nation joins guest host Talia Schlanger to set up the group’s first new single of 2025, “Babylon.” The track pays tribute to Ottawa’s Babylon night club, which hosted the groundbreaking electric powwow parties that kickstarted their career.
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Jan 14, 2025 • 24min
Sindhu Vee: Her move from investment banking to stand-up comedy
If you’ve ever thought it was too late for you to try something new, you should listen to Sindhu Vee. She’s one of the most talked-about comics in the U.K. right now, but just a few years ago, she was an investment banker who was trying to figure out what to do with her life after having kids. Sindhu joins Tom Power to tell us how she got her start in comedy without ever having seen a live stand-up show, the strange similarities between investment banking and what she does now, and what attracted her to her new series, “The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh.”
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Jan 14, 2025 • 27min
ALOK on their new stand-up special + Holly Cole on making the moon her muse
The comedian, actor and poet ALOK joins guest host Saroja Coelho to talk about their new standup special, “Biology,” and their experience making a cameo appearance on the Peabody-winning show “Sort Of.”Plus, Holly Cole is a Juno-winning Canadian jazz singer who’s been making music since the early 1990s. Now, she’s back with her 13th studio album, “Dark Moon.” Holly joins Tom Power to talk about the record, how it embraces spontaneity, and the childhood memory that launched her lifelong fascination with the moon.
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Jan 13, 2025 • 24min
Brady Corbet: The Brutalist director wasn’t sentimental — until he met Adrien Brody
At the Golden Globes earlier this month, Brady Corbet’s sprawling historical epic “The Brutalist” took home best drama, best director and best actor for Adrien Brody, who stars as the fictional Jewish Hungarian architect László Tóth. Brady sits down with Tom Power to reflect on the critical acclaim for his latest film, his transition from acting to directing, and why it’s easier to tell historical dramas when the work is fiction.
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Jan 13, 2025 • 17min
Allan Hawco: His new police procedural set on St-Pierre-Miquelon
The Canadian actor Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle) has spent a good chunk of time playing detectives. Now, he stars in the new police procedural “Saint-Pierre,” which is set on St-Pierre-Miquelon, the French island just off the coast of Newfoundland. Allan drops by to chat with Tom Power about the show’s unique location and why he’s drawn to detective-type roles.
