Q with Tom Power CBC Arts & Entertainment
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- Arts
Five days a week acclaimed interviewer Tom Power sits down with the artists, writers, actors and musicians who define pop culture. Whether he’s ribbing Adele, singing a boyband classic with Simu Liu, or dissecting faith with U2 frontman Bono – Tom brings the same curiosity, respect and meticulous preparation into every conversation. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom – like Lizzo and Billie Eilish — who appeared on Q well before hitting the mainstream. Hear your favourite artists as they truly are, every weekday with Tom Power.
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Tarsem Singh: On Dear Jassi and the real-life tragedy that inspired the film
The director Tarsem Singh first made a name for himself in the ‘90s making iconic music videos for bands like R.E.M. and Dream Warriors. In 2000, he captured moviegoers' imaginations with the sci-fi thriller, “The Cell,” starring Jennifer Lopez. His latest movie, “Dear Jassi,” is based on the real-life story of Jassi Sidhu, a young Sikh woman from Vancouver who was kidnapped and murdered while visiting the man she secretly married against the wishes of her family. Tarsem sits down with Tom to talk about this tragic love story, and why it was also pretty personal to him.
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Alexander Stewart: His pop music journey, the devastating moment his voice changed, and his debut album
After blowing up on TikTok, the rising Canadian pop star Alexander Stewart has now released his debut album, “bleeding heart.” He sits down with Tom to discuss his journey, writing songs about eating disorders and body dysmorphia, how devastated he was when his voice changed, and how Shawn Mendes’s singing coach took him under his wing.
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George Miller: Furiosa, what Mad Max is really about, and his early career as an ER doctor
The Australian director George Miller made his name with the post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” film trilogy that he launched 45 years ago. In 2015, he revived the franchise with a fourth film, “Fury Road,” which won six Oscars and introduced the character of Furiosa. Now, George has created a new film in the franchise that focuses on Furiosa’s origin story. He sits down with Tom to discuss “Furiosa” and his evolution as a filmmaker through the entire “Mad Max” franchise.
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Jane Schoenbrun: I Saw the TV Glow, the trans experience, and their ‘90s TV obsessions
The director Jane Schoenbrun first became known for their 2021 movie “We're All Going to the World's Fair,” which tapped into a teenaged fascination with the culture of viral memes. Now, Jane has made a new film called “I Saw the TV Glow,” which follows two suburban teens who get emotionally enmeshed in a fictional ‘90s TV show called The Pink Opaque. The result is a moody investigation of identity, growing up and making decisions about who you want to be. Jane talks to Tom about how this film relates to transness, why ‘90s TV has a special place in the film, and their own experience getting intertwined in TV shows as they grew up.
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Ethan and Maya Hawke: On Wildcat and their love of Flannery O'Connor
The father-daughter duo Ethan and Maya Hawke have teamed up for the new film called “Wildcat,” which follows the life of Flannery O'Connor while she was struggling to publish her first novel. Ethan and Maya join Tom to talk about their collaboration and why O’Connor’s work connected with them so deeply.
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Zainab Johnson: How some big plot twists in her life led to a career in comedy
The comedian Zainab Johnson had dreams of being a professional basketball player until she got hit by a truck and started reevaluating her life. Now, more than a decade deep into her career as a comedian and an actor, Zainab has released one of the most talked about specials of the year, “Hijabs Off.” She talks to Tom about pulling through personal chaos, from growing up with 12 siblings to switching careers.