Podcast appearances and mentions of talia schlanger

When Bear Witness and Tim “2oolman” Hill of The Halluci Nation watched wrestling as kids, they had to look past stereotypes and tropes to find Indigenous heroes in the ring. Now, their new EP “Path of The Baby Face” uses wrestling to tell a more empowering story. The music duo tell guest host Talia Schlanger about their collaboration with wrestling icon Bret “The Hitman” Hart. Plus, they discuss the ways they support and care for each other.

After over a decade away from the spotlight, Canadian singer Melanie Fiona is back with an EP. “Say Yes” is her first record since she won two Grammys in 2012. She tells guest host Talia Schlanger how her intense burnout led to her spiritual awakening, and why she's saying yes to singing again.

The Canadian indie pop band and filmmaking collective shy kids consists of three multi-hyphenate friends: Matthew Hornick, Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg. They're musicians, but they're also filmmakers, animators, writers, directors and technology advocates. Matthew, Walter and Patrick sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about their new album, “a gathering of batteries,” and why diving into OpenAI's text-to-video model, Sora actually made them less afraid of the technology, despite receiving more than 40 death threats for their work. If you like this and you're looking for more from shy kids, check out Tom Power's conversation with Matthew from last year. 

Comedian Benito Skinner grew up attending Catholic school in Idaho, where he didn't feel safe being an out gay man. Instead, he concealed his sexuality and threw himself into football. Now, Benito is mining that awkward and uncomfortable time in his life for his art. He's the creator and star of “Overcompensating,” a new comedy show from A24 and Amazon Prime that's loosely based on his own life and experiences. Benito joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show and his journey from closeted perfectionist to self-acceptance.

Bria Salmena is a Canadian musician who originally rose to prominence as the frontwoman of the post-punk band FRIGS before joining Orville Peck's touring band. Now, she's released her debut solo album, “Big Dog.” One of its most powerful tracks, “Rags,” is a raw anthem about rage, shame and shedding the need to accommodate others. Bria joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the track and how it helped her reclaim her voice after moving to Los Angeles — a city that made her feel like she was in high school again.

In Karen Chapman's debut feature film, “Village Keeper,” a grieving single mother who's grappling with violence in her past learns how to put herself first. Karen sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the stigmas and stereotypes she aimed to challenge with this film, how she made “Village Keeper” in only 12 days while eight months pregnant, and why she feels that what happens behind the camera shows up on screen. If you're looking for more conversations with Canadian filmmakers, check out guest host Talia Schlanger's interview with “Morningside” director Ron Dias.

You might know Britt Lower as Helly R. on the hit series “Severance,” but she makes no less of an impression playing a librarian in the new Canadian indie film “Darkest Miriam.” The actor joins Tom Power to tell us how her love of libraries helped her bring her character Miriam to life and what it took to prepare for her “Severance” role — like studying trapped animals and people under interrogation. She also discusses her 2020 short film, “Circus Person,” and how it kind of comes full circle with her current projects. In case you missed it, last week Tom spoke with “Severance” stars Tramell Tillman and Zach Cherry. You can also check out guest host Talia Schlanger's conversation with “Darkest Miriam” director Naomi Jaye.

Charlotte Le Bon is a French Canadian actor and director who plays Chloe in Season 3 of “The White Lotus.” Back in 2023, around the time she released her feature directorial debut “Falcon Lake,” Charlotte joined guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how her Quebec roots shaped her career — starting with her very first acting job in France.

Calgary's Jan Lisiecki was only nine when made his orchestral debut as a classical pianist. While most of us were still figuring out cursive, he was playing sold-out recitals — so, of course, he was called a child prodigy. But Jan has complicated feelings about that term. He joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his new album, “Preludes,” why he's been resistant to being called a child prodigy, and what he's looking forward to as he turns 30 later this month.

The Canadian actor Molly Parker (Kissed, Six Feet Under, Deadwood) has become known for playing complex characters with really compelling stories. In her new series, “Doc,” she stars as a brilliant doctor who's struggling with amnesia. Molly joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show, her journey as an actor, and why she loves playing characters who've “lost everything.”

Nish Kumar is a British stand-up comedian who isn't afraid to ruffle feathers with his political comedy. But when he started getting death threats, it seriously impacted his mental health. Ahead of his new North American tour, Nish drops by our studio to chat with guest host Talia Schlanger about his comedy, the death threats he's received from the far-right, and why — against his therapist's advice — he wanted to talk about it all in his stand-up routine.

In the new sitcom “Small Achievable Goals,” co-creators Meredith MacNeill and Jennifer Whalen star as two women who are navigating menopause while also working in the podcast world. You might recognize the duo from the wildly funny all-female Canadian sketch comedy show “Baroness Von Sketch Show.” Meredith and Jennifer sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “Small Achievable Goals,” its hilarious and subversive take on menopause, and how they had to overcome some of their own shame to make it happen.

The Canadian director Ron Dias describes his new film “Morningside” as a love letter to Scarborough — the district of Toronto where he grew up. The film follows a group of Scarborough residents as they grapple with violence in their community, a rapidly changing city, and the loss of their local community centre to gentrification. Ron sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the film and how he hopes it changes the way people see Scarborough.

At the Munich Olympics on Sept. 5, 1972, the Palestinian militant organization Black September stormed the Olympic Village, where they immediately killed two Israeli athletes and took nine more hostage. Ultimately, all of the Israeli hostages lost their lives. As the crisis unfolded in real-time, the story was being broadcast live on television by ABC Sports. Now, the Swiss director Tim Fehlbaum has made a new film, “September 5,” which follows the small ABC crew that led the live coverage while close to a billion people watched from around the globe. Tim sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film and the questions it opens up about how the media covers a crisis.

Bear Witness of The Halluci Nation joins guest host Talia Schlanger to set up the group's first new single of 2025, “Babylon.” The track pays tribute to Ottawa's Babylon night club, which hosted the groundbreaking electric powwow parties that kickstarted their career.

Sean Wang is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who released his debut feature film, “Dìdi,” earlier this year. It's a coming-of-age story in the tradition of movies like “Stand by Me,” but told from the perspective of a young Asian American boy in Northern California. Sean talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about the film, and what he learned about himself and his immigrant mom while making it.

You might know Nava Mau as the breakout star of the hit Netflix series “Baby Reindeer,” for which she earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress. That adds her to a very short list of trans actors to receive an Emmy nod. Nava joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “Baby Reindeer,” how her work helping LGBTQ+ survivors of violence has made her nomination extra meaningful, and why trans representation is so important.

The Canadian actor and singer Maisy Stella stars alongside Aubrey Plaza in “My Old Ass.” It's a new coming-of-age movie about a teenager named Elliott who comes face-to-face with her 39-year-old self during a mushroom trip on her 18th birthday. Maisy joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her big-screen debut, what it's like playing someone going through a major transition, and how she manifested her role in this movie.

In the late ‘80s, Paula Abdul helped define what a pop star could be, from dance to music to performance. If you were watching music videos at that time, you would have seen her on your screen. If you weren't around for that, you may remember her as one of the original judges on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009. Back in September, Paula sat down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on how she was discovered by the Jackson family, what it was like choreographing for some of the biggest superstars in the world while she was still a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers, and her philosophy as a mentor.

In 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, Arthur Miller went to China to direct a Mandarin version of his famous play “Death of a Salesman.” Despite some hurdles, the production ended up being a touchstone moment in Chinese-American cultural relations. Now, a new play called "Salesman in China" tells the story of the American playwright's incredibly high-stakes collaboration with the Chinese artist Ying Ruocheng. This past summer, Jovanni Sy, the director and co-writer of "Salesman in China," joined guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us more.

Though she's been called Canada's original cowboy punk, k.d. lang has had a long and complex relationship with country music. When she got her start as a singer in Edmonton, she didn't fit the mold of what people thought a country artist should be. Earlier this year, k.d. was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She joined guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her history with the genre, from her early days channelling Patsy Cline to her thoughts on country music today.

As a visionary director and self-professed loner, Tim Burton has spent decades channelling the angst and loneliness he felt as a child into hit movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” But it was his outlandish 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” that set his career into motion and proved to Hollywood that being weird was an asset, not a problem. This year, 36 years after the original “Beetlejuice,” the film's long-awaited sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” has finally hit theatres. Tim joined guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the new movie, how it helped him rediscover his love of filmmaking after a creative slump, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Disney.

Three years after the release of her acclaimed debut album, “Anything Can't Happen,” the Canadian singer-songwriter Dorothea Paas has returned with a brand new record, “Think of Mist.” She sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to set up a song from the album.

In this 1588th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Talia Schlanger about her pivot from radio star to indie musician. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at mike@torontomike.com

More than 20 years ago, Paris Hilton started building an entertainment empire that went hand in hand with her reputation for being a ditzy blonde heiress. But that wasn't her true self — it was a character she played in public as a trauma response. Now, she's dropped the character and is showing the public the real her. In this conversation with guest host Talia Schlanger, Paris opens up about her mental health struggle and the abuse she faced at a boarding school for troubled teens. Plus, she talks about making her return to music with her new album, “Infinite Icon,” and reuniting with Nicole Richie to celebrate 20 years of “The Simple Life.”

At this year's Cannes Film Festival, the director Payal Kapadia won the prestigious Grand Prix award for her debut narrative feature, “All We Imagine as Light.” It's one of the buzziest films of the year and the first Indian film in 30 years to compete at Cannes. The story centres around three women who are each living and working in Mumbai. Though they're all financially independent, they're not free from the expectations of what it means to be women in a patriarchal society. Payal joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about making a film that celebrates female friendship, how she addressed some of her own biases against women in the film, and how she feels about it not being selected to represent India at the next Oscars.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a Haida artist who's considered the father of Haida manga — a distinct style that combines the traditional art of his culture with contemporary Japanese comic book storytelling. His work explores themes of cultural identity, environmentalism and colonialism, while making it accessible in the graphic novel form. Michael sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss Haida manga and his new exhibit, “Diaries After a Flood,” which is on now at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto.

Graham Isador is a Canadian writer and playwright who's living with a degenerative eye disease called keratoconus, which means he's losing his sight. But since there's no obvious sign of it, people don't always believe him. His new project, “Short Sighted,” started as a one-man play and is now a five-part podcast series that explains what it's really like for him to lose his vision. Graham joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the project and what he's learned about himself along the way.

Samuel D. Hunter is the award-winning playwright and screenwriter behind “The Whale.” His latest play, “A Case for the Existence of God,” is about an unlikely friendship between two men who have one thing in common: they're single fathers of young daughters. Samuel was inspired to write the play after he adopted his own daughter and realized that as a parent he no longer had "the luxury of being cynical.” He joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the play, and why he puts so much of himself in his work.

The Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Logan Staats has had one heck of a month. He performed alongside Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal and Allison Russell at a Robbie Robertson tribute concert in Los Angeles, and then he took part in the inaugural Reverie Indigenous Music Residency presented by CBC and the SOCAN Foundation. Ahead of a special performance at Massey Hall in Toronto, Logan sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell the story behind his new song “Deadman” off his latest record.

Mike Burkett, also known as Fat Mike, is the lead singer and bassist of NOFX, which is not only one of the most influential and successful punk bands of all time, but also one of the longest-serving. They've been together for 41 years, but just last month, it all came to an end when they wrapped up the last few shows on their final tour. In this chat with guest host Talia Schlanger, Mike opens up about how it feels to say goodbye, what he regrets, and what he calls his “desperate need for validation.”

Anna Marie Tendler is a multidisciplinary artist known for her evocative self-portraits that explore grief and isolation. In 2021, following her high-profile divorce with comedian John Mulaney, Anna checked herself into a psychiatric facility, seeking treatment for self-harm and suicidal ideation. She details that experience in her new memoir, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” which is her reintroduction to the world as an artist on her own terms. Anna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her mental health journey, how photography kept her grounded and why she chose to leave her ex-husband out of the book.

The Canadian actor and singer Maisy Stella stars alongside Aubrey Plaza in “My Old Ass.” It's a new coming-of-age movie about a teenager named Elliott who comes face-to-face with her 39-year-old self during a mushroom trip on her 18th birthday. Maisy joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her big-screen debut, what it's like playing someone going through a major transition, and how she manifested her role in this movie.

Forty years ago, director Mick Jackson released a film titled “Threads” that's been called the scariest movie ever made. But rather than featuring ghosts and monsters, it realistically and disturbingly portrays what would happen in the event of a nuclear apocalypse. Mick joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film's legacy, why he wanted to scare his audience with the truth, and how he went on to direct one of the biggest romances in movie history: Whitney Houston's “The Bodyguard.”

Kathryn Hahn got her start in film playing memorable supporting roles in comedies like “Anchorman,” “Stepbrothers” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.” Now, she stars in the new Marvel series “Agatha All Along,” which sees her reprise her role as the powerful witch Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision.” Kathryn sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about that role and her hilarious life as a performer.

In the new film “Out Come the Wolves,” all of our greatest fears about being stranded — and hunted — in the wilderness come to life. The Canadian writer, director and actor Enuka Okuma wrote the screenplay. She joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about tapping into fear to create this movie.

In the late ‘80s, Paula Abdul helped define what a pop star could be, from dance to music to performance. If you were watching music videos at that time, you would have seen her on your screen. If you weren't around for that, you may remember her as one of the original judges on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009. Paula sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on how she was discovered by the Jackson family, what it was like choreographing for some of the biggest superstars in the world while she was still a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers, and her philosophy as a mentor.

Though she's been called Canada's original cowboy punk, k.d. lang has had a long and complex relationship with country music. When she got her start as a singer in Edmonton, she didn't fit the mold of who people thought a country artist should be. Now, k.d. is being inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. She sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her history with the genre, from her early days channelling Patsy Cline to her thoughts on country music today.

Thirty-six years ago, Catherine O'Hara stepped onto a movie set and fell in love with a production designer who would later become her future husband. The movie was a dark fantasy comedy called “Beetlejuice,” directed by a then-fledgling filmmaker named Tim Burton. After the film's release, both she and Burton became household names. Now, a sequel called “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has just hit theatres. Catherine joins guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on how the original film changed her life, what it was like reprising her role as the eccentric Delia Deetz in the new sequel, and the similarities between Delia and her iconic “Schitt's Creek” character Moira Rose.

As a visionary director and self-professed loner, Tim Burton has spent decades channelling the angst and loneliness he felt as a child into hit movies like “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” But it was his outlandish 1988 movie “Beetlejuice” that set his career into motion and proved to Hollywood that being weird was an asset, not a problem. Now, 36 years after the original “Beetlejuice,” the film's long-awaited sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” has finally hit theatres. Tim joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the new movie, how it helped him rediscover his love of filmmaking after a creative slump, and his on-again, off-again relationship with Disney.

Boman Martinez-Reid went viral on TikTok for his funny and pointed parodies of the Kardashians and other reality TV stars, but he always dreamed of being an actor. On his new Crave original series, “Made For TV,” he finally takes a step toward realizing that dream. Each episode sees Boman try out a new genre of reality TV (including dating, drag, cooking and even sports broadcasting) to find out which one fits him. He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show and what makes reality TV so memeable.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb is back with her latest children's album, “That's What It's All About,” which is a collaboration with the family-friendly folk band The Hollow Trees. Lisa joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the record, how it's inspired by her own childhood, plus, 30 years of the song that first put her on the map — “Stay (I Missed You).”

In 1983, in the midst of the Cold War, Arthur Miller went to China to direct a Mandarin version of his famous play “Death of a Salesman.” Despite some hurdles, the production ended up being a touchstone moment in Chinese-American cultural relations. Now, a new play called "Salesman in China" tells the story of the American playwright's incredibly high-stakes collaboration with the Chinese artist Ying Ruocheng. Jovanni Sy, the director and co-writer of "Salesman in China," joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us more.

Luna Li is a Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who found fame during lockdown when videos of her bedroom jam sessions went viral. Now, she's back with her second album, “When A Thought Grows Wings,” which tells the story of a transitional moment in her life. Luna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her latest record and what it was like performing on “Saturday Night Live.”

Anna Marie Tendler is a multidisciplinary artist known for her evocative self-portraits that explore grief and isolation. In 2021, following her high-profile divorce with comedian John Mulaney, Anna checked herself into a psychiatric facility, seeking treatment for self-harm and suicidal ideation. She details that experience in her new memoir, “Men Have Called Her Crazy,” which is her reintroduction to the world as an artist on her own terms. Anna joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her mental health journey, how photography kept her grounded and why she chose to leave her ex-husband out of the book.

Josh Ramsay is the lead singer of the Juno-winning band Marianas Trench (one of Canada's biggest musical exports during the pop-punk boom of the early aughts). He sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the band's new album, “Haven,” plus, what it was like co-writing Carly Rae Jepsen's massive hit “Call Me Maybe.”

Keysha Freshh has been a trailblazer in the Canadian hip-hop scene for 15 years, which is impressive considering she's only 31. The Canadian rapper is a solo artist as well as a part of the all-female rap group The Sorority. Now, she's released her latest solo album, “Pretty Boys Break My Heart,” which examines heartbreak in all its different forms. Keysha sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on her career, her new record and what it was like collaborating with her cousin Maestro Fresh Wes.

Lucky Daye is typically classified as an R&B musician, but one look at his wide-ranging discography shows that he isn't so easily defined by genre. The Grammy winner is sought after by some of the biggest names in music, but his path to success wasn't easy. He grew up in a strict religious household that didn't allow him to listen to secular music, and at one point, he even ended up homeless. With the release of his new album, “Algorithm,” Lucky joins guest host Talia Schlanger for a career-spanning chat about how his struggles have shaped him as an artist, and how his music intentionally expands the confines of what we expect from R&B musicians.

Sean Wang is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker who's just released his debut feature film, “Dìdi.” It's a coming-of-age story in the tradition of movies like “Stand by Me,” but told from the perspective of a young Asian American boy in Northern California. Sean talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about the film, and what he learned about himself and his immigrant mom while making it.

You might know Nava Mau as the breakout star of the hit Netflix series “Baby Reindeer,” for which she recently earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress. That adds her to a very short list of trans actors to receive an Emmy nod. Nava joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “Baby Reindeer,” how her work helping LGBTQ+ survivors of violence has made her nomination extra meaningful, and why trans representation is so important.