

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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Dec 25, 2024 • 32min
k-os: The 20th anniversary of his iconic album Joyful Rebellion
The Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter and producer k-os is kind of like the Forrest Gump of popular music — he’s been everywhere. Earlier this year, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his smash hit album “Joyful Rebellion,” k-os sat down with Tom Power to share some wild stories from his life and career, like the time he hung out with Prince.

Dec 25, 2024 • 21min
Brenda Lee: The story behind her smash hit Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Last year, Brenda Lee’s iconic holiday song “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” turned 65. We revisit Tom Power’s conversation with Brenda about the song, how she was just 13 when she recorded it, and how the movie “Home Alone” changed its popularity.
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Dec 24, 2024 • 21min
Tim Burton: Making Beetlejuice’s long-awaited sequel
As a visionary director and self-professed loner, Tim Burton has spent decades channelling the angst and loneliness he felt as a child into hit movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” But it was his outlandish 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” that set his career into motion and proved to Hollywood that being weird was an asset, not a problem. This year, 36 years after the original “Beetlejuice,” the film’s long-awaited sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” has finally hit theatres. Tim joined guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the new movie, how it helped him rediscover his love of filmmaking after a creative slump, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Disney.
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Dec 24, 2024 • 25min
k.d. lang: How she broke the mold of country music
Though she’s been called Canada’s original cowboy punk, k.d. lang has had a long and complex relationship with country music. When she got her start as a singer in Edmonton, she didn’t fit the mold of what people thought a country artist should be. Earlier this year, k.d. was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She joined guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her history with the genre, from her early days channelling Patsy Cline to her thoughts on country music today.
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Dec 23, 2024 • 33min
Omar Apollo: God Said No, his acting debut and hot sauce
After a crazy few years, Omar Apollo returned with his sophomore album, “God Said No,” this past summer. It was inspired by a bad breakup that he says left him feeling like he hit “rock bottom.” A few months ago, Omar sat down with Tom Power for the second time to talk about transforming his sadness into music, making his acting debut in Luca Guadagnino’s film “Queer,” and launching a new hot sauce.
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Dec 23, 2024 • 16min
Quick Q: Mattea Roach on Jeopardy! and their new show Bookends
A few months ago, a new podcast and radio show called “Bookends” premiered on CBC. It’s hosted by Mattea Roach, the Canadian “Jeopardy!” champion who held a 23-game winning streak a few years ago. Right before the show’s debut, Mattea sat down with Tom Power to tell us a bit about “Bookends” and what they were most looking forward to. Plus, they shared the correct strategy for wagering on a Daily Double.
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Dec 20, 2024 • 20min
Robert Eggers: Why bringing Nosferatu back to the screen has been his life’s dream
The director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Witch) has been fascinated and haunted by the shadowy form of Nosferatu since he was a kid. Now, he’s brought his take on “Nosferatu” back to the screen with his long-anticipated remake of the same name, which stars Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe and Bill Skarsgård. Robert joins Tom Power to discuss the film and why he wanted to bring this gothic horror tale back to life.
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Dec 20, 2024 • 23min
Lauren Collins: From Degrassi to her new series My Dead Mom
The Canadian actor Lauren Collins became famous for playing a gutsy, outspoken high school student on "Degrassi: The Next Generation.” But now as she approaches her 40s, she’s matured into roles that portray women with new kinds of problems, such as when to have a baby, how not to work so much, and what to do about the ghost of your mother who won’t shut up. Lauren sits down with Tom Power to talk about her new show, “My Dead Mom,” and how it strikes the perfect balance between anger, humour, grief and the conflicting emotions around losing a parent who drove you crazy.
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Dec 19, 2024 • 25min
Heather Ogden: Dancing The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairy
For 20 seasons, National Ballet of Canada principal dancer Heather Ogden has been performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the enduring holiday classic “The Nutcracker.” Heather sits down with Tom Power to talk about the magic and opulence of this production — and what makes the Sugar Plum Fairy’s solo so tricky. Plus, she makes a special announcement about an upcoming National Ballet of Canada production of “Swan Lake.”
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Dec 19, 2024 • 23min
Suki Waterhouse: Making the pivot from actor to musician
Suki Waterhouse is best known as a model and actor, but she’s had a quiet passion for music since she was a kid. After starring in the hit show “Daisy Jones & The Six,” which is about a band finding success in the ‘70s, she was inspired to finally pursue a career in music. Suki joins Tom Power to talk about her career pivot and her new album, “Memoir of a Sparklemuffin.”