Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

Josh Hartnett became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars in his early 20s, but instead of chasing fame, he started questioning what he actually wanted from his career. These days, he’s drawn to roles that surprise him — and might surprise the audience too. His latest role is no exception. In the new Netflix series, Below, Josh plays Calvin Penney, a fisherman from Newfoundland dealing with an unknown threat lurking beneath the water. He joined Tom Power to talk about falling in love with Newfoundland, mastering the accent and growing up in Minnesota with a musician father who taught him that family matters more than a job.

Cybèle Young has made a name for herself with her miniature paper sculptures. But in a new exhibition, Kamiphony, the Governor General’s Award-winning artist and author is putting a new twist on her work, building kinetic paper machines. Cybèle joins Tom Power to talk about how menopause and changes in her own body inspired this new project, and how her life as an artist completely changed when she discovered Japanese paper. 

Before the gold medals, three-time Olympic champion ice dancer Tessa Virtue was just a nine-year-old girl trying to decide between ballet and skating. Now, years after retiring from competition, she’s stepping off the ice and onto the stage, performing without skates for the first time in her professional career. This month, at the Fall for Dance North Festival in Toronto, the Olympian will perform a brand new solo choreographed by Alyssa Martin. Tessa joins Tom Power to tell us what it means to return to dance on entirely different terms, what she’s discovered about life after the Olympics, and where she’s headed next. 

If you’re a fan of rock music living in the Maritimes, things are looking good. That’s because there’s a deep lineage of incredible rock bands that came out of the East Coast back in the ’90s — and their influence is still felt today. Enter Gizmo, a new rock band out of Charlottetown, fronted by Julien Kitson. He grew up listening to ’90s slacker rock and Halifax groups like Thrush Hermit, Sloan and The Super Friendz. Not to mention, his dad fronted the Celtic rock band Rawlins Cross. Julien joins Tom Power to tell us why he wanted to incorporate East Coast influences into Gizmo’s debut album, All Your Worships. Plus, he sets up the record’s lead single, Antiques Roadshow.

Jordan Tannahill, the Giller Prize-shortlisted and Governor General's Award-winning playwright, director and novelist, has long used his work to shine a light on queer culture. His latest novel, The Living Realm, is no exception, but this time, there’s a ghostly twist. Set in Teufelssee — a famous cruising spot in Berlin’s Grunewald forest — the story follows an aging British archaeologist who’s convinced he’s seeing his deceased ex-lovers. Jordan joins Tom Power to discuss his own experiences in Teufelssee, why cruising makes him look at time differently, and how he embraces the spirit of the "eternal amateur."

Reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of Jersey Shore fame has traded New Jersey boardwalks for ghost-hunting in Ontario. She’s the star of the new Crave series Snooki: The Paranormal Rookie, which follows her to some of the province's most haunted locations as she learns paranormal investigation alongside a psychic medium. Snooki joins Q guest host Gill Deacon to discuss her lifelong interest in “ghosties” and aliens, her own experience with UFOs, and how she looks back on her time on Jersey Shore.

Juno Award-winning blues guitarist Colin James is opening up about his life and legacy in a new memoir, Playing the Changes. The book traces his journey from growing up in Regina through the ’60s and ’70s to the edge of superstardom just before his breakout 1988 self-titled debut. Packed with road stories and encounters with legends like Joni Mitchell, John Hammond, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, it’s an intimate look at an iconic Canadian career. Colin joins Tom Power to talk about his Saskatchewan roots, discovering his passion for the guitar, and the invaluable lessons he learned from his musical heroes.

Getting older can mean caring a little less about what you’re supposed to do, and a little more about what makes you happy. For Canadian musicians James Bryan and Jay Levine, that means bringing their iconic animated duo Prozzäk back to life. More than 25 years after their cartoon alter egos, Simon and Milo, became unlikely pop stars, James and Jay join Tom Power to reflect on their legacy, returning to the stage and hitting the road with the Vengaboys.

Though she may not be a household name, Darlene Love is a true musical icon. You know her voice from the timeless holiday anthem Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but her legendary vocals also power classic hits like Monster Mash, Monday, Monday, Frank Sinatra's That’s Life, and Sam Cooke's Chain Gang. For years, Darlene provided uncredited lead and background vocals while under contract to Phil Spector — the famously abusive producer who systematically kept her from getting her due. A new documentary, Darlene Love: I Know Where I've Been, takes a look at her extraordinary life and career in music. Darlene sits down with Tom Power to share her remarkable story, reflect on decades behind the microphone, and reveal how she overcame the obstacles in her path to claim her spotlight.

Long before they were directing television, J Stevens was convinced they were going to be the next Serena Williams. But when they picked up a camcorder in high school, everything changed. Today, J is an award-winning filmmaker and one of the first openly non-binary filmmakers in the Directors Guild of Canada. They’re also one of the co-creators of Slo Pitch — a mockumentary series about a “loveable, queer, beer league softball team” that grew from a web series into a half-hour show on Crave. J sits down with Tom Power to talk about the show, how they’re telling queer stories with universal appeal, and the power of the camera in comedy.

Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) is an actor, comedian, musician, writer and podcaster. This year, he stars in two Canadian films that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival: Smudge the Blades and The Stunt Driver. While in town for TIFF, Ed joined Tom Power to talk about playing a hot-headed hockey coach in Smudge the Blades — a fresh take on the underdog sports genre centring on an Indigenous hockey team in Northern Alberta. He explains why playing a “mean” character doesn’t come naturally to him, and how a deep heartbreak over the state of the world shaped his portrayal of one of his best-known characters, Andy Bernard. Plus, he shares stories about meeting the legendary George Carlin and chartering a jet straight from The Hangover set to make his call time for The Office.

Emma Pennell has come a long way as a singer. When they were a kid, the trees of Northern Ontario were their audience. Now, the two-spirit Indigenous soprano is singing for thousands with the Canadian Opera Company in a new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. Emma joins Tom Power to discuss their journey in opera, the hurdles they’ve overcome along the way, and why they see music as medicine.

Anna Lambe almost walked away from acting before landing her starring role on North of North. She had headed to Ottawa to study international development, deciding to focus less on acting and more on her activism for Indigenous rights. But it was the pull of North of North’s characters — with their genuine depth and nuance of Indigenous experiences — that finally brought her back to the screen. Earlier this year, she joined Tom Power for a special interview in Banff, and shared why none of her projects have felt more personal than this show and its current success.

In just four years since Aysanabee left his day job to pursue music, he’s played more than 400 shows, toured all over the world and was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize. He also made history as the first Indigenous artist to win Juno awards for both alternative album of the year and songwriter of the year. This past spring, Aysanabee joined Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his new EP, Timelines, his recent Juno wins, and the moment that made him quit his day job and pursue a career in music.

The Canadian duo Majid Jordan is best known as one of the pillars of Toronto’s R&B sound. This past August, they released their fifth studio album, Two Roads. On the day of their hometown stop in the 6ix, Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman joined Tom Power to talk about some of the first music they ever loved, what they think the best song they’ve ever written is, and the secret behind what’s kept them working together for 15 years. 

A new box set celebrates the late Canadian jazz icon Oscar Peterson. It’s called Oscar Peterson: World Tour, and it features live concert recordings from around the globe spanning 1969 to 1996. Oscar’s wife, Kelly, and daughter, Céline, join Tom Power to recount stories from the road with the legendary Montreal pianist — from his quiet vulnerability to his reputation as a prankster. Plus, they share some of his personal poetry.

Kardinal Offishall is back with Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes — the long-awaited follow-up to one of Canadian hip-hop's most iconic records of the early 2000s. He joins Tom Power to reflect on why now was the right moment for the sequel, what it was like collaborating with Idris Elba, and what continues to drive his creativity more than 30 years into his legendary career.

Being a teenager comes with serious pressure to make big decisions about the future. That’s something Violet Bruneel, Lola Good, and Clara Magnan of the teen rock trio Thunder Queens know all about. Their latest album, Deep Below, gets into the realities of growing up, from navigating major life shifts to learning how to let go. Thunder Queens join Tom Power to share what life is like when you’re both a high school student and a professional musician. Plus, they set up a song called Falling Rain off the new record.

Last year, Curry Barker’s debut feature Obsession made movie history at the Toronto International Film Festival. After its midnight premiere, it was bought by Focus Features for roughly $15 million — one of the largest festival acquisitions ever. Since then, the sleeper hit has grossed more than $500 million worldwide, bringing the 27-year-old director back to TIFF this year for a special fan screening. Curry joins Tom Power in the Q studio to talk about his whirlwind rise, why staying grounded fuels his creativity and how a single year completely transformed his life.

Back in the ’70s, Canadian stuntman Ken Carter attempted to execute the boldest maneuver of his career: launching a rocket-powered car one mile across the St. Lawrence River from Ontario into New York State. It was a stunt rife with challenges and setbacks. Ken’s story is now the inspiration behind the new film The Stunt Driver, which recently made its world premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Director Michael Dowse (FUBAR, Goon) joins Tom Power to unpack Ken’s legacy and why he considers this film his “white whale.”