Why Blair Underwood leads with his humanity

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. 

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan didn’t just make some of her generation’s greatest songs, she started a movement. In this special episode, Sarah sits down with Tom Power in front of a live audience to reflect on the challenges and joys of creating Lilith Fair — the groundbreaking, all-female music festival that changed the face of the music industry. The iconic festival is now the focus of a new documentary, “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery,” which just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Sarah also performs two songs, including a new release off her latest album, “Better Broken.”

Throughout his 40-year acting career, Blair Underwood (L.A. Law, Longlegs) has always made it a priority to lead with his humanity. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, he came up against the stereotypical roles Black actors faced at that time, and his breakout role on “L.A. Law” stirred up some strong reactions in South Africa, where he was both loved and hated. Now, Blair stars in the Canadian re-make of the 1986 cult classic “Youngblood,” in which he plays a hockey dad who pushes his son to act tough on and off the ice. Blair sits down with Tom Power to talk about the new film and why he’s drawn to unexpected stories. Plus, he tells us about the time he met Prince.

Barbie Ferreira got her start as a model before landing her big break starring on the gritty teen drama “Euphoria.” Since leaving the show, she’s decided to pursue more creatively fulfilling work in indie film. Her latest project, “Mile End Kicks,” just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Chandler Levack, and it follows a young music journalist who’s coming up in Montreal. Barbie joins Tom Power to talk about how she learned a Canadian accent for the film, taking risks in her career and how “Euphoria” changed her life. 

The film “The Ballad of Wallis Island” tells the story of Charles, an eccentric lottery winner who uses his money to hold a private concert on the remote Welsh island where he lives. The band he hires is his favourite group of all time: the fictional folk rock duo McGwyer Mortimer. The only problem is they haven’t spoken in years — and the concert is just for Charles. British poet and comedian Tim Key stars as Charles and co-wrote the movie, which is based on a short film he made in 2007. Earlier this year, he joined Tom Power to talk about the project and why it took 18 years to turn his short into a feature. Plus, he reveals how he persuaded Hollywood A-lister Carey Mulligan to get on board.

In his new film “Normal,” actor and writer Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, Mr. Show) plays a small town sheriff who discovers a big secret. At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, he sat down with Tom Power to tell us how the feeling of embarrassment has actually fueled some of the best decisions in his life and career. Bob talks about chasing the things that scared him most, from early improv, to writing groundbreaking sketch comedy, to becoming an Emmy-nominated dramatic actor to his biggest risk yet: becoming an action star in his 60s.

When the Canadian singer-songwriter Basia Bulat was a kid, she felt embarrassed by the Polish disco music her dad listened to. But now that she’s a parent herself, she’s found a new appreciation for her parents’ taste in music. It even inspired a tune on her latest album, “Basia's Palace.” Earlier this year, Basia joined Tom Power to talk about the album, the Polish music that soundtracked her childhood, and how she also drew inspiration from video games.

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.

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.