Xing The Gap, with Rick Miller

“If music be the food of love, play on.” (Twelfth Night, W. Shakespeare) Play on, music fans, because you’re in for a feast, as this episode features two musical giants of their generations, Alexina Louie & Michael Bridge. Alexina is one of Canadaʼs most celebrated composers, and her works for orchestra, opera and film draw influences from her Chinese heritage to the classical canon, from pop...

Rick speaks with Lu Hanessian and Nick Kepron, a multi-talented mother and son. Lu is an award-winning journalist, author, former NBC network anchor and Discovery Health Channel host, who has hosted more than a dozen TV shows over 25 years. She's a mind-brain resilience researcher and adjunct professor of peace and justice studies. Her articles and essays have been published in The New York T...

In this episode, Xing the Gap crosses the US border to speak with a couple of extraordinary Americans, Dan Millman and his daughter, Sierra Prasada. Dan’s a giant in the field of personal development. His first book, “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, was adapted into a film starring Nick Nolte, and has changed countless lives, including mine. Sierra's also an accomplished writer and voice actor,...

Drop in your nickel, folks, because the doctors are IN. Today, Rick speaks with two prominent psychiatrists, Dr. David Goldbloom and Dr. Juveria Zaheer, who both have ties to Canada’s East Coast, but now live and work in Toronto. David’s the Senior Medical Advisor at CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), an arts lover, educator, author, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He also sits...

Improv fans, you’re in for a treat, as Rick speaks to Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath. Colin’s about a big an improv star as you can get, with over 2 decades on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? , both the UK and US versions. But he’s not “Just for Laughs"... Colin’s also done Shakespearean tragedy, and played a serial killer on Murdoch Mysteries. He’s joined by his life partner Debra McGr...

Rick welcomes two prominent Montrealers who have made - and are continuing to make - a huge difference in his hometown. Andy Nulman is an entrepreneur, educator, author and speaker who’s always ahead of the curve, and happy to tell you so. He helped build the Just for Laughs festival into the world’s most prestigious comedy event, and he oozes with “Creativity, Courage and Guts” - that’s also the...

XTG extends a big Bienvenue to 2 Quebec artists, Robert Lepage and Lyndz Dantiste. If you’re into theatre, film, circus or opera, chances are you’ve heard of Robert Lepage, artistic director of Le Diamant, Ex Machina, and one of the world’s most celebrated living director/writer/performers. His groundbreaking vision and technical wizardry are what inspired Rick to do what he does and he's for...

Rick speaks with fellow podcasters Stephanie Wolfe, Karen Johnson-Diamond, and Griffin Cork, the voices behind "The Breakfast Dish", "Scamtime", and "Bridging the Gap Between Generations Who Assume Things About Each Other”, which Rick guested on in 2021. Stephanie and Karen are renowned Albertan actors and improvisers. Steph’s a founding member of the Canadian Comedy Award...

In this XTG episode, Rick interviews Steve Anthony and Malaika Astorga. For Canadian GenXers, Steve Anthony is a household name, as one of the early stars of MuchMusic. Steve then cut his locks, and spent the next decade hosting CP24 Breakfast, helping it become the #1 Morning TV show in Canada. He’s joined by Malaika Astorga, a Latinx B. Comm graduate from Concordia, and co-founder of Also Cool —...

XTG is about building bridges, and Rick speaks to 2 building experts (like, literal buildings). Bruce Kuwabara is a founding partner of KPMB Architects, Chair of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He’s joined by Roxane Bejjany, an up-and-coming KPMB architect, who brings a Millennial perspective on work, life, and everything in between. Through the lens of...

Rick speaks with Ravi Jain and his mom Asha, stars of the international hit show Brimful of Asha. Ravi is the co-artistic director and founder of Why Not Theatre, a trailblazing company that celebrates cultural diversity and gives access to a younger generation of Canadian artists. The mother-son pair, with an assist from dad Ramesh and baby Rohan, share stories about arranged marriage, raising ki...

Rick answers questions about the podcast in a 17-minute bonus episode. It covers the rationale behind the "X" and "the Gap" in the title, and gives an intimate, behind-the-scenes peek into the philosophy and creative process that have fuelled Miller's 25-year career onstage, online and on camera. And (as always) there's a game show to test your inter-generational pop...

In this special cooking episode, Rick speaks to Bruria Cooperman - “the Rebel Bubbie" - and chef James Mayer, a Millennial who starred on Master Chef Canada.  Bruria is an artist, storyteller, and author of “For THIS I Survived? Children of Survivors Beyond the Trauma”. By day, James works for the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and by night, he’s a classically trained, private ch...

Today's guest are Fiona Reid and Meher Pavri, two incredible Canadian performing artists. Fiona’s a legend of stage and screen, member of the Order of Canada, and a mother of  two. Meher's a multidisciplinary Millennial who does it all: opera, musicals, theatre, film and TV. The conversation covers generational misunderstandings, technological transformations, evolving views on policing,...

Rick's two guests are Mary Walsh and Jamie Pitt, who bring us inter-generational perspectives from Newfoundland. Mary is one of Canada’s most recognized comedians, a founding member of CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and a prolific writer, producer and performer. Jamie was a student of Mary’s, then her executive assistant, and is now a successful casting director, editor and educator. We...

Host Rick Miller explains the rationale behind his new podcast "X-ing The Gap: Why generations need to share stories or we’re f*cked." #BuildBridgesNotWalls XingTheGap.com BoomTheShow.com RickMiller.ca @RickMillerActor

Rick chats with Sébastien Heins and his Jamaican-born mother, Shella. Sébastien is the Associate Artistic Director of Toronto's renowned Outside The March theatre company, and he and Rick have collaborated on several projects. In this XTG episode, Sébastien and his mom share stories about Bohemian life in the 70s, getting pregnant in Paris, living as a mixed-race family, internalized bias, fu...

In this 1st XTG episode, host Rick Miller interviews early GenX-er Mark Kingwell, the renowned Canadian author, academic, and socio-political commentator. Mark is joined by his step-daughter Clara Puton, an extremely eloquent twenty-something who sheds light on the plight of Millennials. As a trio, they tackle the politics of the internet, the wisdom of youth, neo-Luddites, flip phones, turntables...

Rick speaks with Imogen Coe and Brea Scott, a mother-daughter pair who each straddle their own generational gaps. Imogen is a biochemist,  the former dean of Science at Ryerson University, and an advocate for women in science, and inclusion. Brea is a Ryerson student, and even though she’s not in the same department as her mom, they share many common interests. Our conversation touches on the semi...

Rick interviews fellow GenXer Dwayne Morgan and his GenZ daughter, Egypt. Dwayne is a celebrated spoken word artist, speaker and social entrepreneur from Scarborough, Ontario, who has spent his career promoting African Canadian and urban-influenced artists. His daughter Egypt is 13 years old, and possessed of more wisdom than many of us 4 times her age. The three of them cover our addiction to scr...