

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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Oct 25, 2024 • 24min
Isabella Rossellini: Conclave, Catholicism & the family business
After rising to fame as the world’s highest-paid model in the early ‘80s, Isabella Rossellini broke away from convention with daring and experimental film roles in “Blue Velvet” and “Death Becomes Her.” In recent years, she’s continued to follow her instincts by opening up her own hobby farm and only choosing to pursue projects that challenge her, like her new film, “Conclave,” which lifts the curtain on the Vatican’s mysterious ceremony to elect a new pope. Isabella sits down with Tom Power to talk about the film, her early life growing up in Rome as the daughter of Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, and how she got into the family business.
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Oct 24, 2024 • 35min
Keith Morrison: On his stepson Matthew Perry's life and legacy
A year ago this month, Matthew Perry suffered a fatal ketamine overdose following a lifelong struggle with addiction. The news became a big Hollywood story, but it was a deeply personal tragedy for Matthew’s family. Tonight, in the actor’s hometown of Ottawa, his family and friends will launch the Matthew Perry Foundation of Canada to support people recovering from addiction. Matthew’s stepfather, the Canadian journalist Keith Morrison (Dateline NBC), joins Tom Power to reflect on his stepson’s life and the work his family is now carrying out in Matthew’s name.
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Oct 23, 2024 • 27min
Ali Abbasi: Why Trump has condemned his new film The Apprentice
Ali Abbasi is no stranger to controversy. The Iranian-Danish filmmaker garnered a huge backlash from the Iranian government with his 2022 film, “Holy Spider,” and now his latest film, “The Apprentice,” is ruffling the feathers of Donald Trump. There’s no evidence that the former president has seen the film, but he’s already threatening to sue. Ali joins Tom Power to talk about “The Apprentice,” the reaction to the film from all sides of the spectrum, and the risk he took to explore one of the world’s most controversial living figures.

Oct 23, 2024 • 14min
Quick Q: Billianne on how one comment from Taylor Swift changed her life
Earlier this year, the Canadian singer-songwriter Billianne premiered her new single “Daydream” live on “The Today Show.” She joins Tom Power to talk about the song, her big network debut, and what it was like to find out Taylor Swift is a fan.
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Oct 22, 2024 • 39min
Q Introduces | Céline: Understood
Céline Dion is having a moment. It’s not her first, and millions of fans are hoping it won’t be her last. While Céline’s international stardom seems obvious now, it was all so unlikely.Now, as a rare illness threatens to retire Celine’s more-than-four-decade long career, in Céline: Understood culture writer Thomas Leblanc reveals the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created one of the most enduring superstars the planet has ever seen.Understood is an anthology podcast that takes you out of the daily news cycle and inside the events, people, and cultural moments you want to know more about. Over a handful of episodes, each season unfolds as a story, hosted by a well-connected reporter, and rooted in journalism you can trust. Driven by insight and fueled by curiosity…The stories of our time: Understood.More episodes of Understood are available at: https://lnk.to/CelineUnderstood
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Oct 22, 2024 • 24min
Kaniehtiio Horn: Channeling her rage into Seeds, her directorial debut
Kaniehtiio Horn (Letterkenny, Reservation Dogs, Alice, Darling) is making her feature-length directorial debut with her genre-bending horror film “Seeds.” She joins Tom Power in studio to talk about the challenge of not only being a first-time director, but writing and starring in her film, what she learned from the late visionary horror director Jeff Barnaby, and what makes the rez such a perfect setting for a horror movie.
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Oct 22, 2024 • 23min
Maev Beaty: The veteran Canadian actor takes on My Name is Lucy Barton
Maev Beaty, the Dora-winning Canadian actor, is taking on the lead role in the Canadian Stage production of the hit Broadway one-person show “My Name is Lucy Barton.” The play is based on Elizabeth Strout’s bestselling Booker-nominated novel of the same name. Maev joins Tom Power in studio to talk about why she wanted to take on this 90-minute solo performance, the challenges of that as an actor, and why this play was having so much relevance for her right now in her private life.
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Oct 21, 2024 • 26min
Nada Surf: Matthew Caws on Nada Surf's unexpected and beautiful career
Not many bands get a second chance, but Brooklyn’s Nada Surf are one of the lucky few. They hit it big with the mid-‘90s smash “Popular,” but only a couple of years later found themselves dropped by their record label. They grabbed their second chance and evolved into one of the great indie-pop bands of the last three decades. Lead singer-songwriter Matthew Caws drops by the studio to chat about second chances and their 10th album, “Moon Mirror.”
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Oct 21, 2024 • 22min
Stars: On 20 years of love and Set Yourself on Fire
Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan of the Canadian indie-pop band Stars drop by the studio to discuss the 20th anniversary of their landmark album “Set Yourself on Fire,” including how it launched their career and soundtracked weddings and breakups.
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Oct 18, 2024 • 24min
Mikey Madison: Anora and her strikingly nuanced portrayal of sex work
Sean Baker’s Palme d'Or-winning film “Anora” is generating major Oscar buzz this year and its star, Mikey Madison (Scream, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood), is already the talk of the town. The story follows a sex worker from Brooklyn who meets and marries the son of a Russian oligarch. But their fairytale romance is threatened after news of their shotgun wedding reaches his parents in Russia. Mikey sits down with Tom to talk about her deep research and preparation for the role, why she feels protective of her character, and how the film has changed her life.


