Q: The Podcast From Cbc Radio

You might know E.R. Fightmaster from their groundbreaking role as Dr. Kai Bartley on “Grey's Anatomy” or you may be familiar with their music. Earlier this month, the actor and musician released their second EP, “Bloodshed Baby” under their stage name Fightmaster. E.R. joins Tom to set up a song off the record and shares what it was like being cast as the first non-binary doctor on “Grey's Anatomy.”

Last year was a big one for Gracie Abrams. The singer-songwriter released her debut album, got nominated for best new artist at the Grammys, and opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. Now, she’s released her sophomore album, “The Secret of Us,” which she co-wrote with her best friend. Gracie joins Tom in studio to talk about the record, getting over her fear of performing, and what it’s like working with Taylor.

The Montreal singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé is back with a new single, “Moi je t'aime.” It’s the Juno-winning artist’s first song in French, despite French being her first language. Dominique joins Tom to set up the track and explain what singing in French gives her as an artist.

Dr. Shirley Cheechoo is one of Canada’s most prominent voices in Indigenous film and theatre. At this year’s annual Weengushk International Film Festival, Dr. Cheechoo is giving back to her community with a special event called Blanket of Stars: A Tribute to Resilience, which is dedicated to Canada’s residential school survivors — or as she calls them, residential school warriors. Dr. Cheechoo joins Tom to talk about her life on stage and screen, and what art can and can’t do when it comes to healing.

The legendary Canadian actor Donald Sutherland has died at age 88. Over the course of his six-decade career, he was in more than 150 films and TV series, and more recently he was honoured with his very own Canadian stamp. Today, we revisit Tom’s conversation with Donald about his stamp, his early days as an actor, and why he didn’t want dual Canadian and American citizenship.

Lily Gladstone is having an incredible year. She was nominated for an Oscar for her starring role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and she became the first Indigenous actor to win a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award. In her latest film, “Fancy Dance,” Lily brings another Indigenous character to screen. She joins Tom to talk about her post-“Killers of the Flower Moon” fame, the importance of preserving endangered Indigenous languages, and what kinds of projects she wishes to be involved with moving forward.

Elisapie was jogging and listening to ABBA when she got the idea for her latest project, “Inuktitut.” It’s a 10-track covers album of classic pop and rock hits that each represent a special childhood memory for the Inuk singer-songwriter. What makes the album unique is that each song is translated into Inuktitut. Elisapie joins Tom to talk about the project and how reclaiming some of her most painful childhood memories through song started her on a healing journey.

The comedian Paul Scheer has had roles on some of the biggest sitcoms ever, including “30 Rock,” “Parks and Recreation” and “The League.” He also co-hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the world, “How Did This Get Made,” which takes on the worst movies of all time. But in his new memoir, “Joyful Recollections of Trauma,” Paul writes about the abuse he and his mom suffered at the hands of his stepfather. He joins Tom to share how he escaped the cycle of abuse, why pain often leads to humour, and how he found a community in improv comedy.

Weyni Mengesha is an award-winning Canadian theatre maker and the artistic director of Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre Company. Five years ago, she reworked Tennessee Williams’s historic play “A Streetcar Named Desire,” which was a resounding hit for Canadian theatre. Now, Soulpepper has remounted the production. Weyni joins Tom to talk about the changes she made to “A Streetcar Named Desire,” its legacy, and why it still matters today.

When she was just 17, Chappell Roan signed her first record deal with a major label and moved to Los Angeles. But when the deal fell through, she returned home to Missouri where she began soul searching and trying to figure out her next steps. Chappell talks to Tom about being discovered on YouTube, how she responded when she was dropped from her record label in 2020, and what inspired her critically acclaimed debut album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”

The Canadian artist Miles Greenberg says flesh is his medium. He’s no stranger to pushing his body to the extreme for his art. Some of the things Miles has done include standing on a plinth dripping in fake blood, embracing a stranger while naked and blind, and walking on a conveyor belt all day. For his latest work, “Respawn,” he wrestles and stabs versions of himself in front of a live audience for nine hours straight — and if you’re asking why, Miles has a very good answer. He sits down with Tom to shed light on the piece and his journey in art.

Dallas Smith was the lead singer of the Canadian band Default, which had a big hit called “Wasting My Time.” But after a long, lonely time on the road, Dallas decided to make a career change that took him from rock stardom to country music dominance. He sits down with Tom to talk about the risk that comes with that decision, why he stayed in British Columbia instead of moving to Nashville, and how you actually pronounce the name of his old band.

When the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall was approached to write a musical about Tina Turner, she got to fly to Switzerland to spend some one-on-one time with Tina herself. Katori joins Tom to discuss the concerns the late music icon had about the way her story would be told, what they learned they have in common, and why it’s important to look at our favourite musicians and artists as people — not as myths.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld, Veep) is best known for her quick wit, physical comedy and — when it comes to her character Elaine Benes — her dance moves. But in her new film, “Tuesday,” the Emmy-winning actor flexes her dramatic chops. Julia joins Tom to discuss the film, why she’s more comfortable talking about death these days, and what happens to your comedy when you get mentally healthy.

How do you step away from your most famous creation? Mohawk artist Walter Scott is about to find out. More than a decade after creating his beloved “Wendy” series of graphic novels, Walter is taking a long hiatus from his cartoon alter-ego. He joins Tom to tell us how he came up with Wendy — a neurotic young party girl who’s trying to make it as an artist — and why his latest book, “The Wendy Award,” is going to be her final adventure for now.

The Canadian director Ally Pankiw is no stranger to working with funny people. She’s directed comedian Mae Martin in their series “Feel Good” as well as comedy actor Annie Murphy in the dark satire “Black Mirror.” Now, she’s released her debut feature film, “I Used to Be Funny,” which stars real-life comedian Rachel Sennott as a stand-up comedian who’s struggling with PTSD. Ally joins Tom in studio to discuss the film and why she wanted the story to capture the coexistence of joy and despair.

The Griffin Poetry Prize is the world’s largest prize for poetry written or translated in English. This year, it went to “Self-Portrait in the Zone of Silence,” which was written in Spanish by the Mexican poet Homero Aridjis and translated into English by the Canadian poet George McWhirter. Tom catches up with George to talk about his big win, his collaboration with Homero, and the art of translation.

This week, the singer-songwriter and French cultural icon Françoise Hardy died at 80 years old. Back in 2018, she spoke with Tom about her memoir, “The Despair of Monkeys and Other Trifles.” It was a rare English interview that looked back on her decades-long career and her early doubtful days, as well as some incredible stories about Bob Dylan and Iggy Pop. Today, we revisit Françoise's conversation with Tom in honour of her passing.

The award-winning jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington is back with a new album, “Fearless Movement.” His distinct sound has captured the imagination of many listeners outside of the traditional jazz audience, including a younger crowd. Kamasi grabbed people's attention after collaborating on Kendrick Lamar’s groundbreaking record “To Pimp a Butterfly,” and releasing his own three-hour long opus, “The Epic,” just a few months later. He even scored Michelle Obama’s documentary “Becoming.” Kamasi joins Tom to talk about his life in music, his new album, and how being a father has limited his time but expanded his approach.

Nine years ago, the multidisciplinary artist Ahmed Moneka was forced to seek asylum in Toronto after his life was threatened in his hometown of Baghdad. Separated from his family and his heritage, he used music to remember his roots and bridge the language gap he faced in Canada. Ahmed sits down with Tom to talk about his debut album, “Kanzafula,” and how performing his Afro Sufi music helps him remember where he came from.