Q with Tom Power

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.”