Q with Tom Power

There are countless songs about romantic love, but when Georgia Harmer sat down to write her new single, “Can We Be Still,” she had platonic love on her mind. Georgia says the song is an ode to friendship that she wrote for an old friend as they began to drift apart. The Canadian singer-songwriter joins Tom Power to tell us more about “Can We Be Still” and what inspired her to write it.

Josh Gad (Frozen, The Book of Mormon) has made a huge name for himself on the stage and screen, but he says he’s struggled with anxiety and body image issues throughout his career. The award-winning actor, singer and comedian has just released a new memoir, “In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some,” that sheds some light on those obstacles. Josh joins Tom Power over Zoom from his home in Los Angeles to talk about the book, his most famous role voicing Olaf in Disney’s “Frozen” franchise, and his time working with a legendary theatre director whose tough love might have crossed the line into something more harmful.

“A Taste of Hong Kong” is a new play that combines theatre and food to tell a story that’s not often seen on stage. Described as a “snack-sized tasting class,” the show invites audiences to try some of Hong Kong’s famous street foods (including pineapple buns, curry fish balls and siu mai) as they watch the performance. The story follows actor Derek Chan as Jackie, a man who moves to Canada from Hong Kong during the pro-democracy protests. Derek joins Tom Power to talk about the play, its delicious food, and why he feels it’s important to share this story about Hong Kong with Canadians.

Víkingur Ólafsson is one of the world’s most in-demand classical pianists right now. The Icelandic musician just picked up a Grammy for his “Goldberg Variations” album, and he recently reached one billion streams for his music. Before playing a few shows in Canada, Víkingur dropped by our studio and sat down at Glenn Gould’s rehearsal piano that lives here. He talked to Tom Power about why Gould is such a big influence on him. Plus, he played us his favourite version of the “Goldberg Variations.”

T. Thomason is a Canadian singer-songwriter who recently released an album called “Tenderness.” Now, he’s taking it on the road with his Dirty Thoughts tour. The tour is a collaboration with sex educators and workers, queer and trans small business owners and queer spaces. T. joins Tom Power to talk about the tour and how he hopes it will create an experience that draws people in and dispels shame.

The Canadian actor Molly Parker (Kissed, Six Feet Under, Deadwood) has become known for playing complex characters with really compelling stories. In her new series, “Doc,” she stars as a brilliant doctor who’s struggling with amnesia. Molly joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show, her journey as an actor, and why she loves playing characters who’ve “lost everything.”

When Peter Fernandes was just starting out as an actor in Edmonton, he was told he didn't have the right stuff to do Shakespeare. In fact, he was told he could never do Shakespeare. Today, he’s one of the most celebrated theatre actors in the country with a starring role in a new production of “Fat Ham” — James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning adaptation of “Hamlet” set at a barbecue in the American South. Peter sits down with Tom Power to tell us about the play, why he was so keen to bring it to Canada, and how it challenges conceptions of Black masculinity.

Jay Douglas has been making reggae music in Canada for decades. First as the frontman of The Cougars, a popular group in Toronto and Montreal’s Caribbean nightclub scenes, and then as a solo artist. A new documentary, “Play It Loud,” tells Jay’s story and the story of reggae in Toronto. He sits down with Tom Power in our studio to talk about the film, and how he went from selling out clubs in the ‘60s to almost being forgotten.  

Nish Kumar is a British stand-up comedian who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers with his political comedy. But when he started getting death threats, it seriously impacted his mental health. Ahead of his new North American tour, Nish drops by our studio to chat with guest host Talia Schlanger about his comedy, the death threats he's received from the far-right, and why he wanted to talk about it all in his stand-up routine.

For nearly 30 years, Sum 41 has been one of Canada’s most beloved and successful rock bands. This year, they’re saying their final goodbye, and lead singer Deryck Whibley has decided to share his story in a new memoir, “Walking Disaster: My Life Through Heaven and Hell.” He joins Tom Power to look back on his life and career, which saw him reach the heights of rock stardom and the depths of addiction and self-destruction.

Nia Nadurata is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from Toronto who just released her first EP, “Still Living With My Parents.” It captures the thoughts and emotions of a young artist who’s at an important intersection in her life as she starts on a new path as an adult. Nia joins Tom Power in our studio to talk about her music and set up a song off the record.

Enrico Colantoni (Galaxy Quest, Flashpoint, Veronica Mars) is one of Canada’s most successful actors with more than 100 TV and film credits to his name. He joins Tom Power to look back on his career, from his early days as a struggling actor, to getting his first big break playing John Belushi in an episode of “A Current Affair,” to developing his memorable character Mathesar in the movie “Galaxy Quest.” Enrico also talks about his current role on the CBC police procedural drama “Allegiance,” and what makes it feel different from his past roles on other cop shows.

The Toronto-born artist Saya Gray has just released her debut album, “Saya,” but it isn’t her first foray into music by a long stretch. Saya grew up in a piano studio, surrounded by some of the best musicians in the country. She’s been gigging seriously since she was a teenager, playing in bands with much older musicians at clubs where she had to use a fake ID to get in. Eventually, she started touring with the likes of Daniel Caesar and Willow Smith. Saya sits down with Tom Power to tell us about her critically acclaimed new album, what it’s been like navigating the music industry as a young woman, and where she’s going next in her music career.

In the new sitcom “Small Achievable Goals,” co-creators Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen star as two women who are navigating menopause while also working in the podcast world. You might recognize the duo from the wildly funny all-female Canadian sketch comedy show “Baroness Von Sketch Show.” Meredith and Jennifer sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “Small Achievable Goals,” its hilarious and subversive take on menopause, and how they had to overcome some of their own shame to make it happen.

The Canadian director Ron Dias describes his new film “Morningside” as a love letter to Scarborough — the district of Toronto where he grew up. The film follows a group of Scarborough residents as they grapple with violence in their community, a rapidly changing city, and the loss of their local community centre to gentrification. Ron sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the film and how he hopes it changes the way people see Scarborough.

Calgary's Tate McRae is back with five Juno nominations and a brand new album, “So Close To What.” The reigning Canadian pop princess talks to Tom Power about her skyrocketing career, growing up on social media, and how she’s learning to slow down and appreciate the present moment.

Sebastian Gaskin is a musician from Tataskweyak Cree Nation in Manitoba who fuses his culture with R&B, rock and pop music. Now, he’s released his debut album, “Lovechild.” Sebastian joins Tom Power to talk about his path in music, how he came around to embrace his Indigenous identity in his art, and why writing joyful and hopeful songs is just as important to him as writing political songs.

The musician Will Oldham, also known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is more than 30 years into his career with no sign of slowing down. With the release of his new album, “The Purple Bird,” Will joins Tom Power to reflect on his life and music. He tells us about the time he met Johnny Cash, how he ended up conducting Cash’s cover of his song “I See a Darkness,” and how that memorable recording session led him to meeting David Ferguson, the producer of his latest record.

Matt Wright is a Canadian comedian from Newfoundland and Labrador who’s just released his first stand-up special, "Live at the Majestic.” He drops by our studio to chat with Tom Power about his life in comedy and why he says it's his human right to be a goof.Plus, Vivian Chong is a Dora-nominated performer who’s blind in both eyes. She lost her vision a few years ago after she had a toxic reaction to a medication. Now, she’s taking audiences into her dating life with a new one-woman show, “Blind Dates.” Vivian joins Tom to tell us what she’s learned in the dating world, and why she wanted to open up about it on the stage.

Matthew Rankin is the Canadian director and star of the film “Universal Language.” It’s an absurdist comedy set in an alternate version of Winnipeg with two official languages: Farsi and French. During the Toronto International Film Festival last fall, Matthew dropped by to chat with Tom Power about his vision for this film and why he wanted to collaborate with Winnipeg’s Persian community.

When the Canadian musician Charlie Houston was a student at NYU a few years ago, she took an edible that gave her a really bad trip. It was so bad that she quit music, dropped out of school and moved back in with her parents in Toronto. Now, she’s released her debut album, “Big After I Die,” which explores the precarious and often surreal experience of transitioning between phases of life. Charlie sits down with Tom Power to tell us the story of the edible that changed her life and how she got back into music. Plus, she sets up a track from her new album.

The Canadian singer-songwriter Jann Arden joins Tom Power to talk about her new covers album “Mixtape,” the time she was called a one-hit wonder, and why she thinks the ‘90s are making a resurgence in 2025.

Avan Jogia is a Canadian actor, author and director who spent his teen years in the spotlight as one of the stars of the hit Nickelodeon series “Victorious.” Now, Avan’s new book of poetry, “Autopsy (of an Ex-Teen Heartthrob),” takes a critical look at the culture of celebrity and the sinister side of fame. Avan tells Tom Power about how starring on a Nickelodeon show felt like he was “performing adolescence and purity,” what he thinks about the documentary “Quiet on Set,” and why he’s chosen poetry to reflect on his time as a teen star. 

When the award-winning author Jason Reynolds was visiting a juvenile detention centre, he asked what kind of books young boys checked out the most. The answer really surprised him: romance novels. Jason realized that young men have a real hunger to learn about love, sensitivity and intimacy. That sparked the idea for his latest book, "Twenty-Four Seconds from Now,” which follows a Black teen boy who’s about to have sex with his girlfriend for the first time. A few months ago, Jason joined Tom Power to talk about the book and how he’s writing the stories he wishes he had growing up. 

A few years ago, the musician Tia Wood moved to Los Angeles from her home of Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta. Though she comes from a musical family (her mom is in a drum group, her sister is a Juno winner, and her dad is a founder of the award-winning group Northern Cree), Tia has managed to find her own sound. Now, she’s the first Indigenous woman to be signed to Sony Music Canada, and she’s released her debut EP, “Pretty Red Bird.” Back in November, she sat down with Tom Power to set up a song from the record.

The Grammy-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Alessia Cara has a unique talent for capturing the inner life of someone growing up in the digital age as they deal with love, acceptance and rejection. On her fourth and latest album, “Love & Hyperbole,” she opens up about her feelings of being an introvert in an extrovert’s industry. Alessia sits down with Tom Power to talk about the record and how it reflects her growth as an artist.

They say never meet your heroes, but don't tell that to Brandi Carlile. The 11-time Grammy winner has teamed up with Elton John on a new album, “Who Believes in Angels?” Its title track is all about the realities of working with someone you admire. Brandi joins Tom Power to introduce us to the song and tell us more about her collaboration with Elton.

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Neko Case has written her first memoir, titled “The Harder I Fight The More I Love You.” It traces her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest to moving to Canada and starting her career as a professional musician. Neko sits down with Tom Power to look back on her life, how music (specifically Canadian music) gave her a home, and why she wanted to write honestly about the challenges faced by musicians today.

For his first headline tour from Ontario to Atlantic Canada, the Juno-winning singer-songwriter Aysanabee is shining a light on local First Nations, Métis and Inuit artists in each of the small communities he’s visiting. Aysanabee joins Tom Power to talk about his call out for openers. Plus, he plays us his new single, “Edge Of The Earth.”

When the filmmaker and animator Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) decided to adapt Peter Brown’s kids’ book “The Wild Robot” for the screen, he threw a lot of modern animation conventions out the window. Chris decided to use hand-painted images instead of CGI and he centered the story on motherhood when mothers are mostly absent in kids’ movies. Now, “The Wild Robot” is nominated for three Oscars. Chris joins guest host Gill Deacon to tell us more about the film and how he made it.

There’s a new production in Toronto that explores the very first musical instrument: the voice. “The Wolf in the Voice” features three singers, including the acclaimed Canadian soprano, dancer and performer Neema Bickersteth. She joins Tom Power to talk about the show, how it investigates the relationship between singing and the human voice, and the joy — and deep anxieties — faced by professional singers.

After decades stealing scenes as a supporting actor, Colman Domingo generated Oscar buzz for his first lead role in the Obama-backed Netflix film “Rustin.” In this conversation with Tom Power from a little while back, Colman talks about the weight of playing the civil rights leader Bayard Rustin (advisor to Martin Luther King Jr.), what he learned about vulnerability when he was a professional clown, and why acting is a form of service to the public.

When Darcy Michael started a TikTok channel with his husband Jeremy Baer, he was a retired stand-up comedian who had spent nearly 20 years trying to find an audience. After Darcy and Jer (as they’re known online) started posting candid videos together from their home in British Columbia, millions of fans across the internet found them. Now, in two new streaming specials — “No Refunds” and “Happily Ever Laughter” — Darcy and Jer open up about living out their love story in public. The two sit down with Tom Power to talk about those films, and how going viral changes a relationship. 

Bob Geldof is a musician, activist and one of the organizers of Live Aid, the massive 1985 benefit concert that raised millions for famine relief in Ethiopia. Some of the biggest artists and bands of all time came together for that concert — but how did Bob convince them all to give up their time for free on the same day? Ahead of the Toronto opening of “Just For One Day,” a new jukebox musical about Live Aid, Bob sits down with Tom Power to share some of the stories from behind the scenes of Live Aid, including how he got Queen to participate and why David Bowie insisted on the use of some CBC footage as the one condition of him playing.

Jully Black is a powerhouse singer-songwriter from Toronto who’s often called Canada's queen of R&B soul. Now, she’s embarking on her first cross-country tour in almost 17 years. Jully sits down with Tom Power to tell us how singing in church at age six put her on her artistic path, why she feels speaking out is always the right thing to do, and how this upcoming tour celebrates connection, resilience and joy.

West Coast glam rocker Art d'Ecco joins Tom Power to set up the title track off his new album, “Serene Demon.” The song is an epic seven-and-a-half minute play about existentialism in four acts.

Rufus Wainwright is a difficult artist to categorize at the best of times. As a musician, he’s recorded pop songs, folk music, operas and stage musicals. But his new album, “Dream Requiem,” is a little different, even for him. It’s a religious work inspired by a range of subjects, including a poem by Lord Byron, the music of Giuseppe Verdi, and his beloved late dog Puccini. He also managed to recruit Meryl Streep to narrate the project. Rufus joins Tom Power over Zoom to talk about the different influences behind “Dream Requiem,” his upbringing in Quebec, and how this project really mourns the death of the American Dream.

The Toronto singer-songwriter and actor Lia Pappas-Kemps (best known for her role as Jane in “Anne with an E”) recently released her debut EP, “Gleam.” She calls the record a fragmented love letter to her teenage years, which isn’t surprising seeing as she wrote it all between the ages of 16 and 19. Lia joins Tom Power to discuss the EP and she introduces us to a track called “Switchblade.”

Tom Rooney is one of Canada’s most beloved stage actors. Over the last three decades, he’s taken on some of theatre’s most memorable roles, from Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet” to Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady.” But Tom has also played a big part in contemporary Canadian theatre, which is where we find him now. Currently, he’s playing Majnoun in Mirvish’s remount of “Fifteen Dogs,” based on the Giller Prize-winning book of the same name by André Alexis. The story follows a group of dogs who are given the gift of human consciousness and language. Tom drops by the “Q” studio to talk about his life in acting, his love of the craft, and what it takes to play a dog.

The CBC radio show and podcast “Under the Influence” just launched its 20th season. Show host and creator Terry O'Reilly joins Tom Power for a career chat about his early days as an ad man, his experience working with some of the biggest brands and celebrities of our time, and how he pitched a show about advertising to a network with no advertising.

The Canadian actor and playwright Ins Choi is best known as the creator of “Kim’s Convenience,” which started as a play in 2011 before it became a hit sitcom in 2016. This month, “Kim’s Convenience” is back at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company where it was first professionally staged in 2012. Ins sits down with Tom Power to talk about the ups and downs of adapting “Kim’s Convenience” for TV, the role that faith has played in his life, and what it’s like stepping into the part of Appa in this latest production.

For a time in the ‘90s, there was no band on earth bigger than Bush. Their debut album, “Sixteen Stone,” had singles that were in heavy rotation on MuchMusic, MTV and every rock radio station. That record also turned singer Gavin Rossdale into a star. Ahead of Bush’s cross-Canada tour this spring, Gavin joins Tom Power to look back on the band’s early days, what it was like breaking out of Britain when they didn’t sound like the Britpop bands of the time, and what goes through his mind when he hears “Glycerine.”

Mikey Madison is up for an Oscar for her role in Sean Baker’s Palme d'Or-winning film “Anora.” 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. A few months ago, Mikey sat down with Tom Power to talk about her deep research and preparation for the role, why she feels protective of her character, and how the film changed her life.

The Canadian actor Amrit Kaur is one of the breakout stars of Mindy Kaling’s HBO Max series “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” She joins Tom Power to talk about getting into acting for all the wrong reasons, being inspired by her character Bela, and how acting eventually helped her overcome her self-loathing.

When you were growing up, did you get along with your sibling? Did your parents want you to get along better than you did? When Leela and Jay Gilday were growing up in Northwest Territories, their dad wanted them to sing together more, but it wasn’t until decades later that they did. Leela and Jay both have distinguished music careers on their own, but more recently, they’ve come together as the contemporary roots duo Sechile Sedare (“my younger brother, my older sister” in Dene). They join Tom Power to talk about their collaboration. Plus, they set up their new single, “Hold On.”

In Sook-Yin Lee’s new film, “Paying For It,” a couple whose romantic attraction is waning decide to open up their relationship. While Sonny explores dating, her introverted boyfriend, Chester, opts to hire sex workers. The story is based on Sook-Yin’s real-life former relationship with Canadian cartoonist Chester Brown, who released a bestselling graphic memoir of the same name in 2011. It reflects on intimacy, connection, the rights of sex workers, the boundaries we put around relationships, and Toronto in the ‘90s. Sook-Yin joins Tom Power to talk about the movie and what she learned in the process of making it. Plus, she discusses her early work as a MuchMusic VJ, and how she struggled to deal with the slow cultural shift from alternative music to boy bands.

Denis Villeneuve’s massive sci-fi epic “Dune: Part Two” is up for best picture at the Oscars this year. Last year, around the film’s Canadian premiere, the Quebecois filmmaker joined Tom Power to discuss his vision for the second installment, the challenges of shooting in the intense heat of the desert, and how politics and religion in Quebec play into the film more than you might think.

The Brazilian film “I’m Still Here” looks at one of the darkest chapters in Brazil’s modern history. It tells the true story of Eunice Paiva, whose husband was apprehended, tortured and executed by the military in 1971. The film’s star, Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres, is nominated for best actor at the Oscars for her performance. She joins Tom Power to talk about the responsibility of telling a real person’s story, and how she hopes the film will correct false narratives about Brazil’s past military dictatorship.

Jaylene Tyme is a Vancouver drag legend, a community leader, and a proud two-spirit Indigenous trans woman. She recently competed on Season 5 of “Canada’s Drag Race,” where she not only won the title of Miss Congeniality, but also used her platform to send powerful messages about truth and reconciliation, missing and murdered Indigenous women, and her experience as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. Jaylene joins Tom Power to talk about fusing her art with advocacy, and how it led to a worldwide viral moment.

The Montreal comedian Sugar Sammy refers to himself as an “equal opportunity offender.” As a comic, he says the only thing worse than outrage is silence. Ahead of his 20-city Canadian tour, Sammy sits down with Tom Power to tell us what’s on his mind, why our changing world is a goldmine for new material, and how offensive jokes can actually unify us. Plus, he reveals the four components he believes define a successful stand-up comedian.