

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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Sep 19, 2024 • 25min
Joseph Kahn: Ick, music videos & the magic of ’80s horror flicks
Acclaimed music video director Joseph Kahn has worked with everyone from the Backstreet Boys to Taylor Swift, but in 2004, he expanded into feature films. His new creature feature “Ick” is a horror-comedy that just had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Joseph joins Tom to talk about the movie, what inspired it, and his prolific career directing music videos.
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Sep 19, 2024 • 25min
Mick Jackson: Threads at 40 — his realistic imagining of nuclear annihilation
Forty years ago, director Mick Jackson released a film titled “Threads” that’s been called the scariest movie ever made. But rather than featuring ghosts and monsters, it realistically and disturbingly portrays what would happen in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. Mick joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film's legacy, why he wanted to scare his audience with the truth, and how he went on to direct one of the biggest romances in movie history.
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Sep 18, 2024 • 36min
Miranda Lambert: Postcards from Texas and why losing is sometimes for the best
After more than 20 years in the music business, country superstar Miranda Lambert is coming home. Her new record, “Postcards from Texas,” is a love letter to the state she grew up in. She joins Tom to talk about the album, her musical homecoming, and why losing the reality singing competition show “Nashville Star” was a blessing in disguise.
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Sep 18, 2024 • 14min
Quick Q: T. Thomason is telling his truth and confronting transphobia through song
T. Thomason is a singer-songwriter from Nova Scotia who has a lot to say about how the music industry treats trans artists. Now, he’s opening up with a new single called “True” off his forthcoming album, “Tenderness.” T. sits down with Tom to talk about the song, and how it’s opened up new conversations and made him feel empowered.
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Sep 17, 2024 • 31min
Kathryn Hahn: Her path from theatre kid to comedy best friend to Marvel star
Kathryn Hahn got her start in film playing memorable supporting roles in comedies like “Anchorman,” “Step Brothers” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Now, she stars in the new Marvel series “Agatha All Along,” which sees her reprise her role as the powerful witch Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision.” Kathryn sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about that role and her hilarious life as a performer.

Sep 17, 2024 • 21min
Cody Lightning: From being a child actor in Smoke Signals to making a mockumentary about it
Twenty-five years after playing Little Victor in the 1998 coming-of-age drama “Smoke Signals,” Cody Lightning is all grown up and back with his directorial debut. It's a mockumentary, titled “Hey, Viktor!,” which follows a fictionalized version of himself trying to make a sequel to the cult classic film he acted in as a child. Cody joins Tom from Edmonton to talk about his gritty new Indigenous comedy, how his idea for the film began as a running joke with his friends, and how he looks back on his time as a child actor.
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Sep 16, 2024 • 37min
Kate Hudson: Aging and self-image, Almost Famous & her foray into music
Kate Hudson was raised by Hollywood royalty: Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. When she was growing up, they told her that if she wanted to be an actor it had to be because of something deep inside her — not just for fame and fortune. Her latest role is in Max Minghella’s “Shell,” which is all about the extreme measures actors will take to stay young. Kate sits down with Tom for a conversation about that film, her Hollywood upbringing, her Oscar-nominated role in “Almost Famous,” and why these days she's making music.

Sep 16, 2024 • 13min
Quick Q: New music from Softcult
The Canadian twin siblings Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn went from playing in the super successful band Courage My Love to moving in an entirely different direction as Softcult. They sit down with Tom to set up a song from their latest EP, “Heaven.”
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Sep 13, 2024 • 24min
Chloë Sevigny: Why she never let her It Girl status define her
What’s the cost of being cool? Back in the ‘90s and early ‘00s there was no one cooler than Chloë Sevigny, the ultimate It Girl. She was an in-demand model and actor who was known for her unique eye for fashion as well as for starring in indie films that are now considered cult classics. Chloë sits down with Tom to talk about that time in her life and how being cool affected her career, plus her latest film, "Bonjour Tristesse,” which just had its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
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Sep 13, 2024 • 27min
Matthew Rankin: Universal Language combines classic Iranian cinema with Winnipeg
Matthew Rankin is a Canadian director whose new film “Universal Language” has just been selected as Canada's pick for best international feature film at the 2025 Oscars. It’s set in an alternate version of Winnipeg where Canada’s two official languages are French and Farsi, not English. Matthew drops by the Q studio to chat with Tom about his vision for this film that he directed and starred in.


