July 16, 2012
Josh Lucas
Josh Lucas had an early life that was so dramatic, it might just explain this whole 'acting' thing he got into as an adult. His parents were both activists: Pro-peace and anti-Nukes. As a kid, Josh watched his dad chain himself to a railroad track, trying to stop a train from transporting plutonium - how's that for an early lesson on standing up for your beliefs? In films like 'J Edgar,' 'A Beautiful Mind' and 'Sweet Home Alabama,' he's showed off his versatility, but he's also gone out of his way to make smaller independent films he believes in. These days, you can catch him as a lawyer on the TV series 'The Firm,' and in a new movie called 'Hide Away.' Josh also produced the film, about a man who turns to sailing as a means of therapy. Plus, there's big news on the personal front: two weeks ago, Josh got married, and he's about to become a first-time dad.
July 16, 2012
Mary Harron
If you can tell a lot about a film maker from their choice of material, then what do we know about Mary Harron? Her debut feature, 'I Shot Andy Warhol,' told the true story of an unhinged feminist who pumped three bullets into Warhol, nearly killing him. Next came 'American Psycho,' staring a pre-Batman Christian Bale as a Wall Street serial killer. The film ignited a fury of anti-violence outrage and feminist protest, but to Mary it was always meant to be a social satire; A comment on the image-obsessed consumer culture. She then told the story of the '50s pin-up queen Bettie Page. Set against a larger backdrop of censorship and artistic freedom. So Mary's a bit of a provocateur, but that's not at all surprising. In the 70's she worked as a music journalist, covering the emerging punk scene in New York. Would you really expect PG movies from a woman who hung out with the likes of Warhol and the Ramones? Didn't think so. Mary's latest is a modern-gothic thriller called 'The Moth Diaries.' It premiered at TIFF last year, and despite its blood and gore Mary calls it a portrait of adolescence ... with vampires.
July 17, 2012
Jim Treliving
When Jim Treliving told his father he planned on switching careers, going from RCMP officer to restaurateur, his old man told him flat-out: "You're crazy." Maybe so, but hey - you can't argue with results. After Jim packed in his job as a Mountie, he opened a Boston Pizza franchise in Penticton, BC. One store turned into two, two turned into four, and pretty soon, he was making serious dough (see what we did there?) In the early '80s, Jim and his business partner bought the company. These days, Boston Pizza boasts more than 300 locations in both Canada and the US. So, how does Jim balance his ambition, with his principles? Is it possible to be an ethical millionaire? Recently, Jim has been appearing on the CBC show, 'The Big Decision': Jim and fellow Dragon Arlene Dickinson look at struggling businesses, and decide whether or not to invest. Plus, there's the 'Dragons' Den' season finale, which airs on April 4: a look back at the very best and worst moments from the past six seasons.
July 17, 2012
Sarah McLachlan
If you were to ask almost any Canadian woman of a certain age, she'll tell you that Sarah McLachlan's award-winning album, 'Fumbling Towards Ecstasy' changed her life. Vancouver-based singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan was able to capture in song exactly what a generation of young women couldn't express - or even find on the airwaves back then: angst, yearning, ferocity. Sarah was their voice and her fans couldn't get enough of her exquisite songs and intelligent, emotive lyrics. Over a dozen recordings later, this pioneering feminist icon has sold over 40 million records worldwide, won 3 Grammys Awards, has taken home 8 Juno Awards, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. Sarah's cultural legacy is more than her music: she helped usher in a new era of women musicians in the 1990s when she founded the pioneering 'Lilith Fair', the hugely successful music event with an all-female lineup. Over the years she's also been active in many charities including the ASPCA and the Rick Hansen Foundation. In an effort to bring free music education to at-risk youth, she opened the Sarah McLachlan School of Music in 2001. In 2011 Simon Fraser University conferred Sarah McLachlan the degree of Doctor of Fine Arts, honoris causa for raising millions of dollars for causes including women's charities, AIDS sufferers and inner-city kids.
July 18, 2012
Gregor Robertson
Gregor Robertson is just your average sort of mayor. You know, he spends his time on politics...his career choices have been pretty straightforward. Typical things. Let's see: he's been a cowboy, a sailor, a farmer, a businessman, and now a politician who's definitely focused on healthy living. Gregor's vision was formed back in his days as a farmer in New Zealand. His wife Amy was pregnant with their first child when Gregor got soaked with chemical herbicide at the industrial farm he worked at. He knew instantly this type of farming was wrong. So, Gregor and his growing family moved back to B.C. where he started an organic farm and, eventually, a juice business called Happy Planet. From there he moved to politics and has been mayor of Vancouver since 2008. He's managed to live enough of a life for at least five people, we'll ask him what's next.
July 18, 2012
Lance Reddick
It's possible we could have known Lance Reddick for his Theory of Gravitational Pull rather than his tenacious, fascinating characters like Cedric Daniels from 'The Wire', or Johnny Basil from 'OZ'. Lance went to college for a year to study physics before dropping out to pursue his real passion... which, crazily enough, wasn't acting. Lance shifted his focus to music. He was trained in classical piano as a kid, and spent a number of years as a struggling pop artist, working all kind of odd jobs to support his young family. Looking for a way to support his pop career, he began picking up acting roles here and there in local theatre productions. And slowly, acting began to eclipse everything else. On a whim, Lance applied to theatre school at Yale, and they took him in. Today, Lance has delved into sci-fi on the FOX series 'Fringe', where he's currently playing Homeland Security agent Phillip Broyles. On the show, Broyles has several different parallel universe versions of himself - a concept that, judging by his beginnings, Lance knows lots about.
July 19, 2012
Sandra Oh
Sandra Oh's mother warned her: If you get into acting, you're gonna get tangled up in drugs and prostitution. Her parents were Korean immigrants, settled in Ottawa, very religious -- a business guy and a biochemist (you know, total slackers), and when Sandra started falling in love with performing arts as a kid they got prettttttty nervous. Even though Sandra's kicked some serious ass in the States (remember when she beat up Thomas Haden Church with her motorcycle helmet in the movie 'Sideways'?) working in Canada is important to her. She recently took on the role of Dr. Judy Song in CBC's 'Michael: Tuesdays & Thursdays.' She feels Canada gives her a certain freedom that she hasn't always experienced as an Asian actress in Hollywood. For years, Sandra found she was a tough sell for American movies, and she'd only get offered bit parts like "The Sassy Best Friend" TV's been a different story, of course: 'Grey's Anatomy''s now getting its eighth season off the ground. Dr. Cristina Yang's been a stand-out character on the series since it started back in '05, bringing heart and humanity to a tough but troubled doctor.
July 19, 2012
Paul Franklin
As is the case with everyone, there are a handful of important years that define Paul Franklin's life. 1999 was the year he found his calling, with the Canadian Forces. In 2000 he welcomed his son, Simon, into the world. He completed his first marathon in 2005. But according to Paul, the best year of his life was 2006; that was the year a suicide bomb ripped through his vehicle in Afghanistan - killing Canadian diplomat Glyn Berry, and seriously injuring two fellow soldiers. Paul nearly died that year. He lost both of his legs, but found a new purpose: to improve the lives of Canadian military and civilian amputees. When Paul returned from combat in 2006, Canadian vets were routinely sent to the U.S. for rehabilitation. At the time, Canada didn't have the programs or facilities that veterans and amputees needed. Now six years later, largely due to Paul's commitment to the cause, Edmonton is home to a state-of-the-art rehab hospital. In 2009, Paul left the Armed Forces to work as a veterans' advocate full time. He says the veterans community in Canada has come a long way in the last decade, but there's still much work to be done.
July 20, 2012
Best of The Week and Nick Gilder and Mother Mother
Fridays on the show, we play our best interviews of the week, featuring Sarah McLachlan, Jim Treliving, and Sandra Oh, plus a musical performance from Nick Gilder and Mother Mother. It'll be a combination of Vancouver's classic roots with the young cutting edge music scene of today, courtesy of Mother Mother. The five-piece indie rock band will be performing their own rendition of the 1975 hit 'Roxy Roller' with the Sweeney Todd frontman himself. Nick went on to become a Juno-award winning singer-songwriter in his own right and wrote for many artists including Bette Midler, Joe Cocker and Pat Benatar. Mother Mother hails from Quadra Island and are currently finishing up their fourth album that is expected to drop this fall. Their exclusive blend of old and new should not be missed.
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