Q with Tom Power

Canadian actor Tonya Williams spent two decades playing Dr. Olivia Winters on “The Young and the Restless,” which made her one of the first Black actors to star on a soap opera. In 2001, she founded the Reelworld Film Festival, which champions diverse Canadian talent in the TV and film industry. Now, she’s been named an Officer of the Order of Canada. We revisit Tonya’s conversation with Tom Power about her groundbreaking career and how her soap opera character actually helped increase the number of Black women doctors in the U.S.

On the hit series “The Bear,” Liza Colón-Zayas plays a middle-aged line cook named Tina who’s challenged by her mentors to learn new skills as a sous-chef. In some ways, her character’s story mirrors her own journey as an actor. With Season 4 of “The Bear” out now, we revisit Liza’s conversation with Tom Power about the scarcity and struggle she had to overcome on her path to success, her experience in a strict religious group that forced her to surrender all her wages to them, and how her setbacks continue to shape her as an artist. If you like this conversation, you should also check out Tom’s interview with Matty Matheson.

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.

Phil Rosenthal is the creator, writer and executive producer of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. But after the show wrapped in 2005, it took nearly 10 years for him to get his next dream project off the ground. Now, Phil’s food and travel show “Somebody Feed Phil” is in its eighth season on Netflix. He joins Tom Power live on-stage at the Banff World Media Festival to talk about betting on himself, having the courage to stay positive, and why cynicism is a waste of time.

In R.T. Thorne's directorial debut, “40 Acres,” the Canadian filmmaker imagines a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce, society is in ruins and your family is under threat. It’s an intense movie about fighting for survival, but it also explores the complicated relationship between a mother and a son. R.T. joins Tom Power to share how his mother’s experiences as a Trinidadian immigrant in Canada shaped the mother-son relationship in the film, and how his background making music videos still informs his work today.