Podcast appearances and mentions of talia schlanger

Award-winning actor Tantoo Cardinal (Dances with Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon) is returning to the stage in a new theatre production called Witch. It follows a woman named Elizabeth who's ostracized by her community after being branded a witch. But when the devil comes to town looking for souls, it's Elizabeth who refuses to be bought while others give in right away. Tantoo sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the play, its theme of resilience, and the connection she feels to her character.

Marina Zenovich is a two-time Emmy Award-winning documentarian who's built a career taking on some of pop culture's most complex and controversial figures. From Roman Polanski to Lance Armstrong to Robin Williams to Richard Pryor, her specialty is getting past tricky, evasive subjects to uncover something real. Marina joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about her latest CNN documentary, I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not, and how she cuts through celebrity myth to find the human underneath.

For years, Tanya Tagaq has dazzled the Canadian music scene with a blend of sounds that span throat singing, trip-hop, dance, rock and classical music. But back in 2018, she surprised us with a different type of project: a novel called Split Tooth. Now, Tanya is reimagining parts of that novel in a new stage show called Split Tooth: Saputjiji. Not only that, she's mashing it up with a new album set to be released in March. Ahead of the world premiere of Split Tooth: Saputjiji in Vancouver, Tanya joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the production, and what she gets from being on stage and performing.

For nearly 60 years, the Canadian singer, composer and transgender activist Beverly Glenn-Copeland has been on a journey of music, art, community and spirituality. From his iconic work on the CBC Television show Mr. Dressup to his seminal 1986 synth-folk album Keyboard Fantasies, Glenn is now regarded as a Canadian icon — and his wife and creative collaborator, Elizabeth, has been there for much of his journey. Now, Glenn is releasing a new album called Laughter In Summer. Glenn and Elizabeth sit down with guest host Talia Schlanger in the Q studio to talk about creativity and spirituality, Glenn's 2023 diagnosis of Major Cognitive Disorder, and why they see this new album as a love letter to one another.

Today, we're remembering Canadian comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, who died last week at 71. Over the years, we've been fortunate to have had her on the show many times. First, you'll hear guest host Talia Schlanger's 2024 interview with Catherine, when the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice came out. Then, you'll hear Tom Power's 2016 conversation with the Schitt's Creek star about how coming from a big family helped shape her comedy.

Phoenix and Mercedes Arn-Horn are the twin siblings behind the Juno-nominated shoegaze duo Softcult. While Softcult has been celebrated all over North America, opening for bands like Muse and Incubus, they're only just releasing their debut album today. It's called When A Flower Doesn't Grow and it's a record that's been years in the making. Phoenix and Mercedes join guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss life outside the major label model, why they decided to call out the abuse they faced in their life and in the music industry, and how they see their role in supporting abused and marginalized people.

As a founding member of the legendary sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, Bruce McCulloch is widely considered to be one of this country's most celebrated comedic performers. Though his career has evolved over the years to working more behind the camera as a director, he's currently preparing to take the stage once again with a new one-man theatre show. It's called Dark Purple Slice and it uses music, stand-up and storytelling to journey into the darker side of life. Ahead of the show, Bruce drops by the Q studio to tell guest host Talia Schlanger where the title came from, why it's important to laugh about the darkness, and why he says dark humour is the most human thing you can embrace.

Tania Willard is an artist who wants you to think beyond the white cube — beyond the sterile white walls and polished floors of the typical art gallery space. Last year, she won the Sobey Art Award, one of Canada's most prestigious contemporary art prizes, and her work is currently on display at the National Gallery of Canada. In this conversation with guest host Talia Schlanger, the artist and curator from Neskonlith First Nation in B.C. reflects on her childhood, ancestry, and the everyday acts that shape Indigenous resurgence — from basket-making to raising her sons on the land.

James Acaster is one of Britain's top comedy exports right now. But for many years, he had a problem that just wouldn't go away — his audience. James would get so frustrated and enraged by some of the people who came to see him, he almost quit comedy (plot spoiler: he didn't). In the middle of his North American tour, James drops by our studio to tell guest host Talia Schlanger why he used to get so angry with his audience, and the journey he took when he realised maybe they weren't the problem.

Canadian theatre legend Louise Pitre is back on stage in Canada in the Tony Award-winning musical Kimberly Akimbo. It tells the story of a teenage girl who has a rare genetic condition that ages her four times as fast as her classmates. Recognized as Canada's first lady of musical theatre, Louise has led productions of Les Misérables, Piaf, Sweeney Todd, and she originated the part of Donna in Mamma Mia! on Broadway, but she says Kimberly might be the most perfect part for her right now. She sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us why as she reflects on her acclaimed stage career.

Mona Fastvold is the director of the buzzy new movie musical The Testament of Ann Lee, which is based on the true story of Ann Lee, the charismatic religious leader who brought the Shaker sect from England to the American colonies in the 18th century. The Testament of Ann Lee is getting rave reviews for Amanda Seyfried's performance as Ann, and critics are saying the film is redefining what a musical can be. Mona joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the process of making this film, how it upends expectations, and how she got this very “unsexy” movie made.

Wesli is a Montreal-based Haitian singer, guitarist and producer who recently released his seventh studio album, Makaya. On this album, Haitian music takes centre stage while elements from other musical traditions are blended in to create a truly global and uniquely uplifting sound. Wesli joins guest host Talia Schlanger over Zoom to set up a song from the album, titled Ayayay.

Jennette McCurdy has followed up her bestselling memoir, I'm Glad My Mom Died, with a harrowing debut novel called Half His Age. Written in the voice of a 17-year-old Alaskan girl named Waldo, it tells the story of her dark relationship with her high school writing teacher, a married man in his 30s. Jennette joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how anger from a past relationship informed this novel, and why she hopes Waldo's story will help readers find compassion and forgiveness for their past selves.

Alexander “Sandy” Carson is a Canadian filmmaker whose new movie, Alberta Number One, takes a look at more than 60 single-topic museums, monuments and roadside attractions that dot the province of Alberta. This includes places such as the Museum of Miniatures and the Gopher Hole Museum. Alexander joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us why these roadside curios captured his imagination, and what they can reveal to us about who we are.

Saskatoon's Katie Tupper has just released her debut album, Greyhound, which reflects on her life, where she comes from, her relationships, and the unhealthy cycles she realized she was caught in. Katie sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us what she learned while making the record and how the Prairies have shaped her sound.

George Takei is one of America's most beloved actors and activists, known best for playing Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise. Last year, he released his second graphic memoir, It Rhymes with Takei, which unpacks his experience living as a closeted gay man for most of his life. Around the time the book was released, he joined guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us why he didn't come out until he was 68, and how his involvement with LGBTQ+ advocacy work has shaped who he is today.

Fashion designer Spencer Badu is known for making structured, genderless garments that have been worn by the likes of A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar. Equally drawing from his family roots in Ghana and his childhood in and around Toronto, Spencer has managed to make a name for himself at fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris — but it's his home country of Canada that grounds him. Now, he's serving as a judge on Project Runway Canada, which recently returned after more than 15 years off the air. Spencer sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his early creative dreams and inspirations, and what wisdom he can impart on Canada's next generation of talented designers.

In her new film, Measures for a Funeral, director Sofia Bohdanowicz blends fiction with documentary to tell the forgotten true story of Canadian violin prodigy Kathleen Parlow, often billed as “The Lady of the Golden Bow” or “The Canadian Violinist.” The film explores how easily we lose cultural icons to history. Sofia sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about Kathleen's life, legacy and the once-lost opus that was composed for her.

Actor and musician siblings Nat Wolff (Paper Towns, The Fault in Our Stars) and Alex Wolff (Hereditary, Old) have been living and breathing music nearly their entire lives. As kids, they wrote and performed their own songs on their hit Nickelodeon show The Naked Brothers Band before eventually forming their aptly named pop rock duo Nat & Alex Wolff. Now, the brothers are back with their third studio album. Nat and Alex join guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about their unusual childhoods and experiences with early fame, how they've evolved as collaborators while keeping a strong brotherly bond, and why now was the right time to start writing music again.

Back in the 1980s, Edmonton birthed one of the most influential Canadian punk bands of all time: SNFU. For most of its existence, twin brothers Marc and Brent Belke wrote and played all the guitar for the band. With a new exhibit on now at the Punk Rock Museum in Las Vegas, they join guest host Talia Schlanger to reflect on the highs and lows of SNFU, their memories of the band's late frontman Mr. Chi Pig, and the big cultural explosion when punk suddenly went from counter-culture to mainstream.

Sally Wainwright, the acclaimed British TV creator behind shows like Happy Valley and Last Tango in Halifax, is back with a new series called Riot Women. It's about a group of women who cope with aging and the chaos of menopause by starting a punk band. Sally joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show, why she challenged herself to learn the drums while working on it, and how she finds it harder to write as she gets older.

Imagine taking your favourite family memories and spinning them into a full-length movie. That's exactly what the Toronto filmmaker Seth Scriver has done with Endless Cookie, an animated documentary he created over nine years with his half-brother Peter. Though Seth and Peter lead radically different lives — separated by age, culture and geography — they say making a movie brought them closer together. Last summer, they joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about it.

Stan Douglas, one of Canada's most internationally renowned artists, is widely known for “remixing history” — restaging and reframing social and political events through films, videos and photographs. In support of his new exhibition, Tales of Empire, Stan joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his ongoing fascination with the past and how art can help imagine alternatives to the status quo.

Canadian film legend Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) has made more than 30 films and documentaries over his career — almost entirely in Inuktitut. His latest film, Uiksaringitara (Wrong Husband), is an epic historical drama set 4,000 years ago in what we now call Nunavut, where supernatural forces threaten the promised marriage of lovers Kaujak and Sapa. Zacharias joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the traditional Inuit stories that inspired the film, what he says John Wayne movies have in common with Inuit storytelling, and why he's hoping audiences a century from now will still be studying his acclaimed body of work.

Canadian stand-up comedian Phil Hanley has lived with severe dyslexia for so long he can't see life any other way. But what once held him back as a child has now become his greatest superpower, as he's been able to find the humour in his diagnosis to great success. That's something he writes about in his new memoir, Spellbound: My Life as a Dyslexic Wordsmith. Phil sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his fascinating life (including a brief modelling career in the '90s) and how comedy gave him the confidence to overcome his shame.

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is able to make the most difficult life experiences seem funny. In her latest stand-up special, Father, she takes a look at her complex childhood growing up undocumented in the U.S. (she was technically kidnapped by her own grandma, though she doesn't see it that way). Last July, Atsuko joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about turning those early experiences into comedy, and how she dives into her past with empathy and humour.

After the success of “Uncut Gems,” director Josh Safdie is back with “Marty Supreme” — his first film without his creative partner and brother, Benny. The film is already generating significant buzz, particularly for Timothée Chalamet's performance as a charismatic but arrogant table tennis prodigy. Josh joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the film and what made Timothée perfect for the role. Plus, he reflects on the loneliness he felt while making “Uncut Gems,” what it really means to pursue your dreams, and whether the sacrifice is worth it. If you like this interview, check out Tom Power's conversation with Benny Safdie about his film “The Smashing Machine.”

Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) is back with a new show, “Pluribus,” which he describes as a post-apocalyptic zombie tale with a twist. But in this story, an alien virus transforms all of humankind into one peaceful, happy hive mind — except for 13 people in the world who are somehow immune. Vince joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the show, what draws him to post-apocalyptic stories, and why he thinks we need to move on from anti-heroes and start telling more stories about good guys.

For three decades, director James Cameron (Titanic, The Terminator) has dedicated much of his creative life to the “Avatar” franchise. Now, he's back with the third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” James sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his fascination with both nature and technology, writing characters he wants to understand, and how he may explore using generative AI in future projects.

Musicians Shad and Talia Schlanger join Matt Galloway for their picks of the best Albums of 2025.

Grammy and Oscar-winning composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl, Tár) is behind some of the most interesting film and TV scores in recent years. But now, Hildur is back with a new solo album, “Where to From,” which is her first in more than a decade. Hildur joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the unique inspirations for this record, plus, she shares the stories behind some of her most successful film scores.

The Canadian shoegaze band Living Hour just released their new album, “Internal Drone Infinity.” Many of the songs on the album are steeped in the life and landscape of Winnipeg — the band's hometown. Lead singer Sam Sarty talks to guest host Talia Schlanger about how the band captured both the sounds of Winnipeg and the sounds of yearning on their new record. Plus, she sets up the song “Texting.”

In the groundbreaking play “The Comeuppance” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, old wounds rise to the surface when a group of friends reunite 20 years after their high school graduation. The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright wanted to shine a light on the elder millennial demographic — the kids that came of age alongside Columbine and the Sept. 11 attacks. Now, a new Canadian production of “The Comeuppance” is opening at Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre. Branden joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the play and how it looks back on the events that shaped a generation.

Rachel Bobbitt is a Nova Scotian singer-songwriter who currently lives in Toronto, makes music in Los Angeles, and tours all around with bands like Men I Trust and Blonde Redhead — but her debut album is a homecoming of sorts. It's called "Swimming Towards the Sand” and it takes a sweeping and introspective look at the emotional landscape of the place where she grew up. Rachel joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the album and her journey as a vocalist. Plus, she sets up a song off her new record.

American singer-songwriter Joan Shelley is back with a new album, titled “Real Warmth.” She joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about recording it in Toronto (in the dead of winter during a blizzard, no less) with producer Ben Whiteley. Plus, she sets up a track called “New Anthem.”

Actor and writer Zosia Mamet is best known for playing the role of Shoshanna Shapiro on the hit HBO series “Girls.” But there's a lot more to Zosia's story that you may not know. In her new book of personal essays, “Does This Make Me Funny?” she writes about being bullied as a child, her experience with an eating disorder, and the ups and downs of life in the entertainment industry. Zosia joins guest host Talia Schlanger to share some stories and read from her book.

Are we all addicted to the internet? Digital technology feels like something we can't live without, but with all the physical and mental health issues it's creating, it's also starting to feel like something we can't live with. A new production of the musical “Octet” is looking at this dilemma. One of its stars, the Dora Award-winning stage and musical theatre actor Hailey Gillis, sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how the musical uses the human voice to explore our internet addictions, and why she thinks the play is a detox for our brains.

Makram Ayache's play “The Green Line” blends together two queer storylines in Lebanon — one taking place in 2018, and the other in 1978 during the Lebanon Civil War. Makram wrote the play as a way to explore what it means to be a queer Lebanese Canadian. A new production will be staged in Toronto later this month at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Ahead of that, Makram sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about “The Green Line,” how it was informed by his own travels to Lebanon and what he learned about grief from his younger self.

For decades, Stephen King fans have been clamouring for a movie adaptation of his dystopian horror novel “The Long Walk.” Now, 46 years after it was first published, the iconic story will finally hit the big screen. Director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games, I Am Legend) joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the film, the surprising difficulty of making a movie where all the characters will walk and die, and how his old career as an acclaimed music video director shapes his work today.

Growing up in a packed house on Vancouver's east side with her mother and four sisters, Jen Sookfong Lee became fascinated with female relationships — specifically, the stories and secrets passed down between mothers and daughters. In her new novel, “The Hunger We Pass Down,” Jen turns this fascination into a ghost story that asks the question: can you ever outrun your family history? She joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about it.

Childhood cancer can be a really difficult topic to sit with, but it's something a lot of kids and families face. The new TV series “The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia” is putting that story front and centre. The show is about a young Filipino Canadian named Jenny whose life gets thrown upside down when she's diagnosed with leukemia. Catherine Hernandez is the showrunner. She's also an award-winning author and screenwriter. Her debut novel, “Scarborough,” was turned into a film that won eight Canadian Screen Awards, including best picture and best adapted screenplay. Catherine joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about the series, why it was important for her to tell a story about childhood cancer, and how it affects different families and communities.

Actor Théodore Pellerin is a familiar face in Quebec, with critically acclaimed performances in films like “Chien de garde” and “Juste la fin du monde.” Now, he's taken on his first major role in an American movie with the intense psychological thriller “Lurker.” It's about a fan who plots and manipulates his way into the inner circle of a rising artist on the verge of stardom. Théodore sits down with guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his portrayal of an obsessive fan, how he prepared for the role, and how he shed his dark character after the film wrapped.

After more than a decade away from the spotlight, Melanie Fiona is back with a new EP, “Say Yes.” It's the Canadian singer's first major release since 2012, when she won two Grammys for her work on CeeLo Green's song “Fool for You.” Melanie tells guest host Talia Schlanger how intense burnout led to a spiritual awakening, how losing her voice taught her to speak up for herself, and why she's saying yes to singing again.

This week, Bookends is revisiting the Mirrors series. It's a CBC Books special featuring winners of the 2024 Governor General's Literary Awards.The English-language books that won last year's awards demonstrate how stories help us reflect on our lives and see the world in new ways. In this special series, CBC Books asked the winners to further explore the power of reflection in original works. The new works are centred around the theme of mirrors and challenge how we see ourselves, explore alternative identities and blur the lines between reality and fantasy. This episode is hosted by Talia Schlanger. It features Canadian authors Li Charmaine Anne, Caleigh Crow, Katia Grubisic, Niigaanwewidam Sinclair, Todd Stewart and Chimwemwe Undi. You can learn more about the winners at cbcbooks.ca.

Toronto-born comedian Steph Tolev has been described as "gross,” "dirty” and "painfully real.” She's built an entire career on raunchy jokes about everything from bad dates to bathroom humour. Now, she's releasing her first Netflix special, "Filth Queen.” Steph joins guest host Talia Schlanger to tell us how she developed her niche, why she had to leave Canada to get her big break, and why she wants women to feel comfortable farting in front of people.

When Evan Redsky sat down to write a song about his culture, he thought about three things: the movie “Interstellar,” the movie “Contact” with Jodie Foster, and the Ojibwe word that essentially means "see you later" (because there is no word for goodbye in Ojibwe). In this chat with guest host Talia Schlanger, Evan tells us how these elements make up his new single, “Cosmic Carousel.”

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka is able to make the most difficult life experiences seem funny. In her new stand-up special, “Father,” she takes a look at her complex childhood growing up undocumented in the U.S. (she was technically kidnapped by her own grandma, though she doesn't see it that way). Atsuko joins guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about turning those early experiences into comedy, and how she dives into her past with empathy and humour.

George Takei is one of America's most beloved actors and activists, known best for playing Hikaru Sulu in the “Star Trek” franchise. In 2019, he released a graphic memoir, “They Called Us Enemy,” which detailed his childhood experience at internment camps during the Second World War. Now, he's released a follow-up book, “It Rhymes with Takei.” The new graphic memoir unpacks his experience living as a closeted gay man for most of his life. In this conversation with guest host Talia Schlanger, George opens up about fearing punishment for his differences, why he didn't come out until he was 68, and how his involvement with LGBTQ+ advocacy work has shaped who he is today.

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. A few months ago, he joined guest host Talia Schlanger to talk about his new album, “Preludes,” and why he doesn't want to be called a child prodigy.

According to bestselling horror author Stephen Graham Jones, good stories don't happen in heaven — they happen in hell. His latest novel, “The Buffalo Hunter Hunter,” is a chilling historical vampire story based on real events that happened to the Blackfeet Nation in the United States. Stephen joins guest host Talia Schlanger to discuss the metaphorical link between vampires and colonialism, and what it really means to be a vampire. Plus, he opens up about his frustrations with the media putting Indigenous stories in a “sacred space,” and the damage that does to storytelling. If you're looking for more from Stephen, check out Talia's conversation with him from last year.