Q with Tom Power

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is able to make the most difficult life experiences seem funny. In her latest stand-up special, Father, she takes a look at her complex childhood growing up undocumented in the U.S. (she was technically kidnapped by her own grandma, though she doesn’t see it that way). Last July, Atsuko joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about turning those early experiences into co...

This year, Sandra Oh (Killing Eve, Grey’s Anatomy) received critical acclaim for her role in the Canadian indie film “Can I Get a Witness?” It’s set in a not-too-distant future when climate change has been solved. But there’s a catch: all humans are required by law to end their life at age 50. Back in March, the Ottawa-born actor joined Tom Power to talk about the movie and why it spoke to her. Sh...

Mo Amer is a Palestinian American comedian who puts himself at the heart of his work, using his own lived experiences to fuel his comedy. But with the situation in Gaza and the Israeli occupied West Bank right now, that’s getting harder to do. This past summer, Mo joined Tom Power to talk about the pressure he’s feeling as a Palestinian American comedian, the emotional conversations he's been havi...

Anne Murray definitely got her flowers in 2025. This past September, the Canadian icon returned with her 33rd studio album, “Here You Are,” which features 11 unreleased songs she recorded back in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. She sat down with Tom Power in Vancouver to tell us how a fan got her to revisit those old songs, why she purposely stayed out the U.S. for her whole career, and how her royalties...

Montreal’s own Yanic Truesdale has become a beloved actor all around the world, particularly for his role as Stars Hollow’s passive aggressive hotel concierge, Michel, on the hit show “Gilmore Girls.” Earlier this year, Yanic joined Tom Power to talk about his early days as an actor, his life-changing audition for the show that put him on the map, and why he didn't want to have a French accent for...

The award-winning Canadian filmmaker and screenwriter Deepa Mehta has redefined both Canadian and Indian cinema with her bold and groundbreaking films. Earlier this year, she was honoured with a career retrospective at TIFF in Toronto, featuring screenings of 10 of her most prominent films of the past 35 years. Deepa sat down with Tom Power for a career-spanning conversation about her life and wor...

After the success of “Uncut Gems,” director Josh Safdie is back with “Marty Supreme” — his first film without his creative partner and brother, Benny. The film is already generating significant buzz, particularly for Timothée Chalamet's performance as a charismatic but arrogant table tennis prodigy. Josh joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the film and what made Timothée perfect for the...

For the rising Canadian country music star Sacha, 2025 has been a very big year. She released her incredible debut record, “Woman in the Mirror,” she got three nominations at the Canadian Country Music Awards, and she put out a brand new Christmas song, “Where Are You Christmas.” But perhaps her biggest moment was making her debut on the hallowed stage of the Grand Ole Opry. Sacha joins Tom Power...

Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) is back with a new show, “Pluribus,” which he describes as a post-apocalyptic zombie tale with a twist. But in this story, an alien virus transforms all of humankind into one peaceful, happy hive mind — except for 13 people in the world who are somehow immune. Vince joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show, what draws him to post-apoca...

As a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship (also known as the MacArthur Genius Grant), you could say filmmaker Sterlin Harjo is a certified genius. He’s responsible for creating the groundbreaking series “Reservation Dogs,” which follows the lives of four Indigenous teenagers in rural Oklahoma. Now, Sterlin is back with a new series called “The Lowdown,” starring Ethan Hawke as a rough-and-tumble...

For three decades, director James Cameron (Titanic, The Terminator) has dedicated much of his creative life to the “Avatar” franchise. Now, he’s back with the third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” James sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his fascination with both nature and technology, writing characters he wants to understand, and how he may explore using generative AI i...

David Soren is a Canadian director and story artist who’s worked on beloved animated films like “Shrek,” “Chicken Run,” and the “Captain Underpants” movie. But while bringing these stories to life, David was living with a debilitating condition. Now, for the first time, he’s opening up about his struggles with Crohn’s disease in a semi-autobiographical novel for kids called “Invisible: The (Sort O...

Art imitates life for Canadian actor Will Arnett (Arrested Development, BoJack Horseman) in “Is This Thing On?” — a new film about a middle-aged man at a crossroads. Will left Toronto for New York City right after school to pursue a career in acting. Instead of doing stand-up or sketch comedy, he studied the craft in hopes of becoming a dramatic actor. But then his obvious comedic ability steered...

Before he was the frontman of Great Big Sea, Alan Doyle spent a decade working as a tour guide in Newfoundland and Labrador. Now, after years as a musical ambassador for his home province, he’s returning to that guide role in his latest book, “The Smiling Land,” in which he gives a tour through Newfoundland and Labrador as he sees it. Alan joins Tom Power to talk about the book and why he felt the...

Already a household name in his home country of Brazil, Wagner Moura (Narcos, Civil War) is building an international profile as a politically engaged actor who’s drawn to movies with a message. Most recently, he won best actor at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival for “The Secret Agent.” Set during the waning days of Brazil’s repressive military dictatorship, the movie is a deeply personal one for Wag...

Rachel Cousins has always had a voice that could stop you in your tracks, but on her new album, “What Hasn’t Killed Me,” the St. John’s singer-songwriter turns that power inward. Working with Grammy-winning producer Greg Wells, Rachel steps away from pop perfection and into something raw and real — music about growing up, learning to ask for help, and finding beauty in the mess. She sits down with...

After 70 years in the music industry, Paul Anka has more than 900 songs to his credit. The prolific Canadian songwriter is also the only artist in history to have a song on the Billboard Top 100 during seven consecutive decades. In the new HBO documentary “Paul Anka: His Way,” Paul recounts his life as a teen idol in the ’50s, writing some of the most memorable songs for artists like Buddy Holly a...

If you looked at Nicole Ariana’s career, you might be surprised to hear that she was feeling a bit like an imposter. Nicole was traveling all over the world as an award-winning songwriter and collaborating with big names in the music industry, but deep down she was facing a lot of self-doubt. So she wrote a song about the moment she decided to face her inner demons. Nicole joins Tom Power to talk...

Tom Kenny has been the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants since 1999 and he still thinks it's the greatest job in the world. As the Bikini Bottom crew embark on a new adventure, “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants,” Tom joins Tom Power to reminisce on 26 years of SpongeBob.

Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl, Tár) is behind some of the most interesting film and TV scores in recent years. But now, Hildur is back with a new solo album, “Where to From,” which is her first in more than a decade. Hildur joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the unique inspirations for this record, plus, she shares the stories behind some of her...

Leon Thomas has been working in the entertainment industry since he was just a kid. He got his start on Broadway, performing in “The Lion King” when he was eight. He then landed a starring role on the hit Nickelodeon show “Victorious” with Ariana Grande. But behind the scenes, Leon was quietly building his music career, writing and producing songs. Now, he’s one of the most nominated people at thi...

After director Rian Johnson finished making “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” he didn’t really know how to follow it up. So he decided to bang out a really quick murder mystery script. The result was his 2019 film “Knives Out,” which led to the 2022 sequel “Glass Onion,” which has now led to the third film in the series, “Wake Up Dead Man.” Rian sits down with Tom Power to discuss his latest “Knives Out...

For her sophomore release, Mexican singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada intended to write an album that showcased her sense of humour. But after experiencing immense personal loss and tragedy, she instead made a record that examines love, grief and humanity. It’s called “Vendrán Suaves Lluvias” (or “Soft Rains Will Come” in English) and it’s out now. Silvana sits down with Tom Power to talk about her...

It’s been a banner year for Yungblud, the English rock star who just released a joint EP with Aerosmith, titled “One More Time.” He also recently picked up his first Grammy nominations for his solo album “Idols,” as well as for his emotional performance of Black Sabbath’s “Changes” at their farewell show in Birmingham over the summer. Yungblud joins Tom Power to talk about his breakout year in mus...

Canadian photographer Kayla Isomura has a question for you: if you were forced to quickly leave your home with only one day’s notice, what would you bring with you? That’s the question at the heart of their powerful photography series “The Suitcase Project.” Kayla is a fourth-generation Japanese Canadian whose ancestors, like so many other Japanese Canadian families, were forcibly removed from the...