Q with Tom Power

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.