Xing The Gap, with Rick Miller: Recent Episodes
Rick Miller
An inter-generational podcast hosted by Canadian theatre creator Rick Miller, star of the BOOM Trilogy. In each episode, Miller (a GenX-er) speaks with 2 guests from 2 different generations to uncover gaps in how we see the world. Through conversation, competition, cooperation and (sometimes) karaoke, we build bridges of understanding, find a shared humanity, and save the world from itself. BOOM!
In this animal-focused episode, Rick's two guests are Jonathan Balcombe and Jo-Anne McArthur. Jonathan is a world-renowned biologist, ethologist, and author of popular science books on the inner lives of animals, including Pleasurable Kingdom, Second Nature, and What a Fish Knows - a New York Times best-seller. Jo-Anne is an award-winning photojournalist, speaker, and founder of WeAnimalsMedia. She’s visited over sixty countries to document our complex relationship with animals.
As a pack, they talk about
Ethology
Animal photojournalism
“Try and try again”
How you protect what you love
Animal sentience
Animal playfulness
Things getting better AND worse
Cultural influence on meat-eating
The effects of vegetarianism
Leading by example
The ick-factor of lab-grown meat
Factory farms as conflict zones
Ad-gag laws
And trivia for plant-eaters
... You do make friends with salad.
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
fb: @xingthegap
ig: @rickmilleractor
tw/x: @rickmilleractor
jonathanbalcombe.com
fb: JonathanBalcombeAuthor
tw/x: @jonathanpb1959
weanimalsmedia.org
Youtube: weanimalsmedia
fb: WeAnimals
ig: @WeAnimals
tw/x: @WeAnimals
It’s back-to-school time, as Rick's two guests are Linda Schuyler and Sara Waisglass. Linda is a Canadian television producer best known for co-creating the award-winning Degrassi franchise, which spans five series over 4 decades. She’s a member of the order of Canada and Order of Ontario, and has recently written a memoir entitled The Mother of All Degrassi. Sara is a Canadian actress who co-starred as Frankie Hollingsworth in Degrassi: The Next Generation, as Robyn in the film Mary Goes Round, and most recently as Maxine in the Netflix drama Ginny & Georgia.
In our study group, they cover:
The multi-generational impact of Degrassi
Age-appropriate casting
The space between the sensational and the trivial
Learning from mistakes and failure
Fearing the future
Living in the present
Acceptance and tolerance in young people today
Teachers that change your life
Latch-key kids
Helicopter parents
Voicing both sides of the story
And a quiz … show!
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
fb: @xingthegap
tw, ig: @rickmilleractor
ig: @sarawais
TikTok: @sara.wais
tw: @swaisglass
Sara on imdb
Linda on imdb
Linda's book at:
ecwpress
amazon
Degrassi:
ig: @degrassinextgeneration
ig: @degrassi_junior_high
Rick shares the mic with two of Canada’s most accomplished writer/performers, Sugith Varughese and Anusree Roy. Sugith, born in India and raised in Canada, is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and actor, who was one of the original writers of the classic Muppet TV Show Fraggle Rock. More recently, he's played recurring characters in Kim's Convenience on CBC, and Transplant on CTV and NBC. Anusree is a renowned Indo-Canadian actor and writer of plays, television, film and opera, who has worked on major TV shows on CTV/NBC/CBC/Global TV/Netflix/and Paramount+. She also teaches Playwriting at the University of Toronto, Mississauga.
As a trio, they discuss:
Auditioning for your own movie
DEIB: Diversity, Equity Inclusion, & Belonging
Progress or Performance?
Breaking in as a brown person
Inclusion in Theatre and Television
Artificial vs Earned sensibility
Elevating minority communities
High stakes failure
Autonomy and Authorship
Fraggle Rock as an Allegory for how to live together
Species Inter-dependency
The future of theatre
And an improvised story
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Threads: @SugithVarughese
BlueSky: @sugithvarughese.bsky.social
fb: @SugithVarughese
tw: @i_write_allday
ig: @writeranusreeroy
www.anusreeroy.com
www.kaliroyinc.com
Rick hosts a conversation with two extraordinary Canadian film makers, Atom Egoyan and Graham Foy. Atom is a Canadian icon, behind classic films such as Exotica, The Sweet Hereafter, Chloe, and more recently The Captive, Guest of Honour, and his upcoming film Seven Veils. Atom’s been nominated for every prestigous film prize out there, including the Palme D’Or at Cannes, the Golden Lion in Venice, and the Academy Awards in Hollywood. And today, he’s joined by Graham Foy, an up-and-coming young Canadian filmmaker, whose recent debut feature The Maiden has been earning him kudos and award nominations around the world.
Together, they dig into…
Remembering our teenage years
Shooting film vs. shooting digital
“Graininess” in film and theatre
Suspension of disbelief
Low and hi-tech magic
The evolution of music videos
Film scoring vs. music licensing
Musical Motifs in film
The challenges of directing opera
Focusing audiences on now, not next
Commitment in live performance
The importance of connection
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Atom's website: egofilmarts.com
The Maiden trailer
photo of Atom Egoyan by: Tina Rowden
Rick shares the mic with two of the world’s top neuroscientists, who also happen to be related. Dr. Robert Sekuler is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Brandeis University in Massachusetts, and a world-renowned researcher in the fields of perception and memory. His daughter, Dr. Allison Sekuler, teaches at the University of Toronto and McMaster University, and is Sandra A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at Rotman Research Institute, the President and Chief Scientist at CABHI and the Baycrest Academy for Research and Education at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Oh, and she’s a professional drummer, too.
As a trio, they riff on…
Blind spots: physical, cognitive and metaphorical
Getting the gist of things
Epistemic humility
Indigenous knowing, being and doing
Mindfulness
Knowing what distracts you
Real and imagined time pressure
Learning new languages
Human vs. Artifical intelligence
Drumming: the mother of all ageing interventions
and a game show…
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RickMiller.ca
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tw: @asek47
tw: @robsek
in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsekuler/
in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-sekuler-b4299a4/
In this episode, we use money as a catalyst for intergenerational conversation.
Rick's two guests are Bruce Sellery and Naanak Sodhi. Bruce is a renowned Canadian financial consultant, business journalist, TV host and professional speaker. He’s also the founder of Moolala, which inspires people to get a better handle on their money.
Naanak is a mechanical engineer, screen composer and music producer, who works with Google in Toronto, and who writes music for Bell Media.
Together, they speak about...
The intersection of tech, culture and business
How young people view money
Aligning Value with Values
The problem of affordability
The disconnect of expectations
The energy of immigrants
Working smart vs working hard
The wisdom of experience
The capacity for resilience
Developing your passion
Finding your people
Reconciling self and other
And a game show!
XingTheGap.com
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
fb: @xingthegap
tw, ig: @rickmilleractor
moolala.ca, brucesellery.com
tw: @BruceSellery
sodhivine.com
tw: @Sohdivine
In this episode, Rick speaks with Mary Furlong and Zoe Byington of Mary Furlong & Associates. Mary is an entrepreneur, educator, author, and leading authority in the longevity marketplace. For 30 years, she’s guided major corporations, startups and non-for-profits, as they navigate trends in aging and technology. Zoe is a recent graduate at Georgetown University Aging & Health Master's Program, and is now a social gerontologist working closely with Mary to enhance the lives of our aging society.
Together, they tackle…
Bi-coastal living
Intergeneration living
Ageism going both ways
The business opportunies of Baby Boomers
Including young voices in investing
Money as a gift
Technology as a tool
Entrepreneurs and innovation
The importance of stories
Evolving ecosystems
The 5Ls of Leadership
And, as always, a game show!
XingTheGap.com
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw, ig: @rickmilleractor
maryfurlong.com
LinkedIn: MaryFurlong
LinkedIn: ZoeByington
fb: CEOMaryFurlong
tw: MaryFurlong
In this episode, Rick speaks to writer Ashton Applewhite and Dr. Pooja Viswanathan. Ashton is a Brooklyn-based speaker, activist, and author of several best-selling books, including This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism. She’s also also a leading spokesperson for the movement to raise awareness of ageism, and to dismantle it. Pooja is the Toronto-based Co-Founder and CEO of Braze Mobility, a leading developer of smart wheelchair technology in the age-tech space. Oh, and she a PhD in robotics. Together, they talk about…
Being a generalist
How ageing isn’t icky
Mobility as a human right
How binaries are bad
Failing better
Ageism, ableism and sexism
High stakes intersectionality
Involving community in design
The problem with generational labels
Working grandmothers
And a game show, with Jane Fonda
XingTheGap.com
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw, ig: @rickmilleractor
thischairrocks.com
oldschool.info
tw, ig: @thischairrocks
fb: ThisChairRocks
brazemobility.com
tw, ig: @brazemobility
It's Season 2 of XingTheGap! In this 1st episode, Rick speaks to Sabaa Quao and Yara Matta. Sabaa is a career entrepreneur, business strategist, and Chief Creative Officer of Cossette. He's also the founder of Wealthie, an investment and financial literacy platform for young people, which is where Yara as a designer. She is a Lebanese-born, Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist and community organizer. Yara moved to Canada in 2015 to attend the University of Toronto and graduated in 2020 with a BA in New Media and Studio.
Together, we tackle…
Financial Literacy for Families
The Magic of Compound Interest
Talking - or NOT Talking - about Money
GenX Entrepreneurship
Building Resilience to Weather Storms
Creativity as an Operating System
Focusing Deeply vs. Multi-Tasking
Getting Stuck
Constant Branding
Finding Reliable Sources of Information
Epistemology, or How do you Know what you Know?
Learning from Each Other
and a Game Show
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw, ig: @rickmilleractor
tw: @xsabaa
Wealthie.works
ig: wealthie.works
tw: @Wealthyworks
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Rebecca, Rick and Sian-Pierre, click here. Enjoy!This is a Mother’s Day episode, and Rick's gift to you is a conversation with Sian-Pierre Regis and his mom Rebecca Danigelis, the team behind the internationally acclaimed documentary film Duty Free. It has now been seen by over a billion people around the world, and has changed the conversation around ageism. Sian-Pierre is an award-winning journalist, cultural critic, and contributor for CNN, HLN, MTV and CBS. Rebecca, when the film was made, was a 75-year-old housekeeping supervisor at a hotel when she was fired - unfairly - and the film follows their amazing intergenerational journey. Together, they talk about
Corporate restructuring
Suffering in silence
Being gaslit by your employer
Confronting ageism
The POJA Bill: Protect Older Job Applicants
Collective action to make change
Living intergenerationally
Bucket Lists
And jumping out of planes
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
dutyfreefilm.com
ig: @rebrexit
ig: @dutyfreefilm
tw: @sianpierre
fb: @dutyfreefilm
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Dan, Rick and Sierra, click here. Enjoy!In this episode, Xing the Gap crosses the US border to speak with a couple of extraordinary Americans, Dan Millman and his daughter, Sierra Prasada. Dan’s a giant in the field of personal development. His first book, “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, was adapted into a film starring Nick Nolte, and has changed countless lives, including mine. Sierra's also an accomplished writer and voice actor, who produces audiobooks with her life partner Serafim, and collaborates on books with her dad, like “The Creative Compass: Writing Your Way from Inspiration to Publication”. As an inter-gen trio, we talk about
The creative journey,
Collaborating through difference,
A Peaceful Heart, and a Warrior Spirit,
The theatre of life,
The many characters within us,
Cultivating a flexible mind,
Finding our own path,
The influence of Joseph Campbell,
The Buddha’s final words,
And life-changing trivia.
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RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
peacefulwarrior.com
@pwdan
@hisierrafim
sierraprasada.com
hisierrafim.com
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch David, Rick and Juveria, click here. Enjoy!Drop in your nickel, folks, because the doctors are IN. Today, Rick speaks with two prominent psychiatrists, Dr. David Goldbloom and Dr. Juveria Zaheer, who both have ties to Canada’s East Coast, but now live and work in Toronto. David’s the Senior Medical Advisor at CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), an arts lover, educator, author, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He also sits on so many boards, it would get boring to list them all here. His colleague Juveria, a geriatric Millennial (her words), works as a Clinician Scientist and Education Administrator at CAMH, and is an Assistant Professor at U of T’s Department of Psychiatry. Together, they riff on
The Oregon Trail generation
“People” innovations in mental health
Understanding the universe of others
The promise and peril of AI
Social media avoidance and addiction
Nature, nurture and neuroplasticity
Protecting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
And forgetting to put your pants on.
David: “In less than 1 second, that entirely social construct of embarrassment translates into an intense psychological and physiological experience."
Five cents, please.
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@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@juveriazaheer
@CAMHnews
@UofTPsych
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Colin, Deb & Rick, click here. Enjoy!Improv fans, you’re in for a treat, as Rick speaks to Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath. Colin’s about a big an improv star as you can get, with over 2 decades on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, both the UK and US versions. But he’s not “Just for Laughs"... Colin’s also done Shakespearean tragedy, and played a serial killer on Murdoch Mysteries. He’s joined by his life partner Debra McGrath, an award-winning writer, producer and comedian, who co-starred with Colin in the CBC series Getting Along Famously. And as you’ll see, they do get along famously as we talk about being "OK Boomered", making Mulroney: the Opera , master plasterers, life’s twists and turns, laughing through tough times, helping their trans daughter choose a new name, free speech vs. hate speech, punching below your weight, hope in the younger generations, change in older generations, an improv game, and a game show.
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@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@colinmochrie
colinmochrie.com
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Karen, Stephanie, Rick and Griffin, click here. Enjoy!Rick speaks with fellow podcasters Stephanie Wolfe, Karen Johnson-Diamond, and Griffin Cork, the voices behind "The Breakfast Dish", "Scamtime", and "Bridging the Gap Between Generations Who Assume Things About Each Other”, which Rick guested on in 2021. Stephanie and Karen are renowned Albertan actors and improvisers. Steph’s a founding member of the Canadian Comedy Award Winning Live Improvised Soap Opera, Die-Nasty. Karen’s the co-founder of Dirty Laundry, another awesome Albertan improv company. Griffin is Karen’s son, and a fine actor and producer in his own right. As a quad, they cover the art/chaos of podcasting, assuming things about others and being wrong, how teenagers will save the world, how facebook and TikTok split generations, finding meaning in bullshit jobs, how GenX invented the internet, from “Yes But” to “Yes And”, seeing change as opportunity, and why learning people’s pronouns is - to quote Griffin - “less effort than helping them move".
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@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
Bridging The Gap podcast
@dienastyimprov
@fraud.broads ( Scamtime )
@dirtylaundryyyc
@karenjohnsondiamond
@GriffinCork
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Steve, Rick and Malaika, click here. Enjoy!In this XTG episode, Rick interviews Steve Anthony and Malaika Astorga. For Canadian GenXers, Steve Anthony is a household name, as one of the early stars of MuchMusic. Steve then cut his locks, and spent the next decade hosting CP24 Breakfast, helping it become the #1 Morning TV show in Canada. He’s joined by Malaika Astorga, a Latinx B. Comm graduate from Concordia, and co-founder of Also Cool — an online arts and music platform, plus podcast. She’s also a strategist for an L.A based media company, and a social media consultant for a ton of artists. As 3 generations, they riff on Mexican-Canadians in Quebec, VJs at the dawn of the internet, the Montreal-Toronto gap, how music tethers generations, how Algorithms create niches, how social media changes businesses, dealing with declining relevance, taking TikTok seriously, and trying to stump a pop culture icon in a game show.
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RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@steveanthonyonline
steveanthony.com
@_flleur @flloral_art
@alsocoolmag
malaikaastorga.com
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Bruce, Rick and Roxane, click here. Enjoy!
XTG is about building bridges, and Rick speaks to 2 building experts (like, literal buildings). Bruce Kuwabara is a founding partner of KPMB Architects, Chair of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He’s joined by Roxane Bejjany, an up-and-coming KPMB architect, who brings a Millennial perspective on work, life, and everything in between. Through the lens of architecture (which is what Rick studied in school) they talk about plurality in Canada, the concept of openness, the meaning of buildings, how hard it is to make great architecture, office towers that breathe, designing for mental health, mentoring from boomers, learning from GenZ, and thinking long-term. All that, and the usual game show silliness.
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ig: @RickMillerActor
ig: @kpmbarch
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Asha, Rick and Ravi, click here. Enjoy!Rick speaks with Ravi Jain and his mom Asha, stars of the international hit show Brimful of Asha. Ravi is the co-artistic director and founder of Why Not Theatre, a trailblazing company that celebrates cultural diversity and gives access to a younger generation of Canadian artists. The mother-son pair, with an assist from dad Ramesh and baby Rohan, share stories about arranged marriage, raising kids in immigrant communities, hipsters, gentrification, inter-generational cohabitation, ... and getting by a blank check from the Rolling Stones. Sweet Dreams… are made of this.
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ig: @RickMillerActor
ig: @seeravirun, @whynottheatreto
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Bruria, Rick and James, click here. Enjoy!
In this special cooking episode, Rick speaks to Bruria Cooperman - “the Rebel Bubbie" - and chef James Mayer, a Millennial who starred on Master Chef Canada. Bruria is an artist, storyteller, and author of “For THIS I Survived? Children of Survivors Beyond the Trauma”. By day, James works for the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and by night, he’s a classically trained, private chef for friends and family. We talk about family dinners, tradition vs. innovation in cooking, Hellman's vs. Miracle Whip, stomping gefilte fish, remembering Woodstock, cooking with pearls, and other pearls of wisdom. Plus a game show, and Japanese fusion Matzah Balls. Bon appetit!
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@RickMillerActor
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fb: @BruriaLCooperman
ig: @chefjamie
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Mary, Rick and Jamie, click here. Enjoy!Rick's two guests are Mary Walsh and Jamie Pitt, who bring us inter-generational perspectives from Newfoundland. Mary is one of Canada’s most recognized comedians, a founding member of CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and a prolific writer, producer and performer. Jamie was a student of Mary’s, then her executive assistant, and is now a successful casting director, editor and educator. We talk about Newfoundlanders doing things their own way, gender and intersectionality, underrepresentation of older women in culture, looking under the hood of who we are, hurtful words, and heartfelt conversations with family.
Plus a Canadian legend gets her butt whooped in a game show.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
ig: @officialmarywalsh
As a bonus to season 1 of Xing The Gap, we're releasing video versions of your favourite episodes. Now you get to see AND hear some of the extraordinary Canadians we spoke to this season, plus live drawings by Rick Miller, and multimedia by Kidoons. To watch Fiona, Rick and Meher, click here. Enjoy!
Today's guest are Fiona Reid and Meher Pavri, two incredible Canadian performing artists. Fiona’s a legend of stage and screen, member of the Order of Canada, and a mother of two. Meher's a multidisciplinary Millennial who does it all: opera, musicals, theatre, film and TV. The conversation covers generational misunderstandings, technological transformations, evolving views on policing, institutions and authority, letting go of old ideas, being frightened of social media, acknowledging algorithms, stretching phone cords, and admiring your parents even though they don’t know what LOL means. That, plus a game show!
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
ig: @MeherPavri
In this episode - the last of Season 1 - Rick has put together a "best-of" trivia edit: 5 minutes each from 7 of your favourite episodes. It’s just silly fun, but these days, it’s more important than ever to laugh - especially at ourselves. So enjoy this special episode, featuring
- Mary Walsh & Jamie Pitt
- Bruce Kuwabara & Roxane Bejjany
- Daniel MacIvor & Zach Running Coyote
- Karen Johnson-Diamond, Stephanie Wolfe & Griffin Cork
- Robert Lepage & Lyndz Dantiste
- Colin Mochrie & Debra McGrath
- Jeremy Dutcher & John Leroux
Stay tuned for video edits of season 1 episodes, and a brand new XTG season of intergenerational conversations in the Fall of 2022.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
It’s Mother’s Day today, and Rick's gift to you is a conversation with Sian-Pierre Regis and his mom Rebecca Danigelis. They’re the team behind the internationally acclaimed documentary film Duty Free, which has now been seen by over a billion people around the world, and has changed the conversation around ageism. Sian-Pierre is an award-winning journalist, cultural critic, and contributor for CNN, HLN, MTV and CBS. Rebecca, when the film was made, was a 75-year-old housekeeping supervisor at a hotel when she was fired - unfairly - and the film follows their amazing intergenerational journey. Together, they talk about
Corporate restructuring
Suffering in silence
Being gaslit by your employer
Confronting ageism
The POJA Bill: Protect Older Job Applicants
Collective action to make change
Living intergenerationally
Bucket Lists
And jumping out of planes
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
dutyfreefilm.com
ig: @rebrexit
ig: @sianpierre
ig: @dutyfreefilm
tw: @sianpierre
fb: @dutyfreefilm
Rick speaks to one of his favourite writers, Adam Gopnik. Adam's recent book A Thousand Small Sanities: The Moral Adventures of Liberalism is written as a letter to his daughter Olivia, who joins us for this intergenerational conversation. Adam’s been a staff writer for The New Yorker for 35 years, and has won multiple National Magazine Awards for his essays and criticism. Olivia is studying history at Harvard, and has often figured prominently in her father’s writing, from Bumping Into Mr. Ravioli all the way to today. They talk about
The shock of Trump’s election
Growing up in Montreal, NY and Paris
The Relevance of Liberalism
Privilege vs. Good Fortune
Sharing your Good Fortune
Macro Events, Micro Consequences
Identity Politics on College Campuses
Rock and Roll in the 60s
Empathy in Theatre
Jewish Identity
The Institution of Baseball
And a Game Show
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RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
adamgopnik.com
tw: adamgopnik
ig: oliviagparker
tw: gopnikparker
In this episode, Rick speaks with Dr. Kenneth Montague and Emilie Croning. Kenneth is a Toronto art collector and the founder of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a non-profit organization that supports African and Diasporic artists. He’s also a dentist, but more on that dual-life later. Emilie’s a curator, artist and art historian of Jamaican and Lebanese descent, who digs into the intersections of feminist theories, post-colonialism, and criticism. She’s not a dentist, but she does work with Kenneth on Wedge Curatorial Projects and manages his private Wedge Collection. As a Boomer-GenX-Millennial trio, they dig into
Straddling the US-Canada border
Choosing dentistry over music
James Van Der Zee’s photography
Appreciating vs. Appropriating
Pushing for Black art collectors
Lifting As You Rise
Co-opting the Canadian Flag
The cycles of Rights Movements
The transformative power of Art
And the slap heard round the world.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
wedgecuratorialprojects.org
link to Kenneth's book "As We Rise"
ig: @drkmontague
emiliecroning.com
ig: @emcroning
Rick speaks with 2 multi-talented, multi-disciplinary guests from the Maritimes, Jeremy Dutcher and John Leroux. Jeremy is a Polaris Prize and Juno Award-winning performer, composer, activist, and member of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick. He's an outspoken advocate for Indigenous and LGBTQ+ issues, and his first album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa bridges all kinds of gaps. John Leroux, a GenXer, also hails from New Brunswick, and is not only the Curator at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton, but an architect, PhD art historian, Rick's very good friend, and (Johnny’s words) a “very poor runner”.
It's a super-lively chat that covers
How art connects us
Two-spirited (identities)
Including everyone in the circle
Being yourself onstage
Losing languages
Curating inclusion
Courageous conversations
Jesus Christ Superstar
And where to put your Juno.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
ig: @xingthegap
tw: @rickmilleractor
jeremydutcher.com
ig: @jdutchermusic
tw: @jdutchermusic
beaverbrookartgallery.org
ig: @curatorleroux
tw: @JohnnyLeroux1
“If music be the food of love, play on.” (Twelfth Night, W. Shakespeare)
Play on, music fans, because you’re in for a feast, as this episode features two musical giants of their generations, Alexina Louie & Michael Bridge. Alexina is one of Canadaʼs most celebrated composers, and her works for orchestra, opera and film draw influences from her Chinese heritage to the classical canon, from pop culture to musical theatre. She’s an Officer of the Order of Canada, and an inspiration to an entire generation of young musicians like… Michael Bridge. Michael’s a musical maverick, and a virtuoso superstar on the accordion. He tours the world, teaching and performing, and breaking all expectations of what’s possible from a musical instrument. Together with Rick, they riff on
Vancouver’s Chinatown
Piano lessons
Free-bass accordion
The ethereal art of music
How it builds empathy
“Desert Island” Bach
Composition vs. interpretation
Wearing many creative hats
Finding your own voice
Operas about Toothpaste, Burnt Toast and Brian Mulroney
And an improvised tribute to Alexina.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
tw: @rickmilleractor
ig: @xingthegap
alexinalouie.ca
michaelbridge.ca
Esprit Orchestra
watch Mulroney: The Opera
Rick speaks with Lu Hanessian and Nick Kepron, a multi-talented mother and son. Lu is an award-winning journalist, author, former NBC network anchor and Discovery Health Channel host, who has hosted more than a dozen TV shows over 25 years. She's a mind-brain resilience researcher and adjunct professor of peace and justice studies. Her articles and essays have been published in The New York Times, Mindful, Mothering, and USA Today, and she hosts a new podcast, The Foreseeable Now. Her son Nick, 23, is a musician, painter, composer, arranger, producer, educator and instrument builder - and as you’ll hear, one helluva drummer. From their home near Washington DC, they talk about
visions for new systems
reclaiming history
reading two stories, and inventing a 3rd
the space for choice
synesthesia
are Tuesday yellow or blue?
meeting Rufus Reid, Neil Peart, and Jimmy Cobb
living up to our ideals
integrating resilience
the foreseeable now
the paradox of time
and heavy metal drummers.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
tw: @rickmilleractor
ig: @xingthegap
luhanessian.com
tw: @LuHanessian
ig: @theforeseeablenowpodcast
fb: @theforeseeablenowpodcast
nickkepronart.com
ig: @nickkepron
In this episode, Xing the Gap crosses the US border to speak with a couple of extraordinary Americans, Dan Millman and his daughter, Sierra Prasada. Dan’s a giant in the field of personal development. His first book, “Way of the Peaceful Warrior”, was adapted into a film starring Nick Nolte, and has changed countless lives, including mine. Sierra's also an accomplished writer and voice actor, who produces audiobooks with her life partner Serafim, and collaborates on books with her dad, like “The Creative Compass: Writing Your Way from Inspiration to Publication”. As an inter-gen trio, we talk about
The creative journey,
Collaborating through difference,
A Peaceful Heart, and a Warrior Spirit,
The theatre of life,
The many characters within us,
Cultivating a flexible mind,
Finding our own path,
The influence of Joseph Campbell,
The Buddha’s final words,
And life-changing trivia.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@peacefulwarrior.com
@pwdan
@hisierrafim
sierraprasada.com
hisierrafim.com
Drop in your nickel, folks, because the doctors are IN. Today, Rick speaks with two prominent psychiatrists, Dr. David Goldbloom and Dr. Juveria Zaheer, who both have ties to Canada’s East Coast, but now live and work in Toronto. David’s the Senior Medical Advisor at CAMH (the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), an arts lover, educator, author, and Officer of the Order of Canada. He also sits on so many boards, it would get boring to list them all here. His colleague Juveria, a geriatric Millennial (her words), works as a Clinician Scientist and Education Administrator at CAMH, and is an Assistant Professor at U of T’s Department of Psychiatry. Together, they riff on
The Oregon Trail generation
“People” innovations in mental health
Understanding the universe of others
The promise and peril of AI
Social media avoidance and addiction
Nature, nurture and neuroplasticity
Protecting the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
And forgetting to put your pants on.
David: “In less than 1 second, that entirely social construct of embarrassment translates into an intense psychological and physiological experience."
Five cents, please.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@juveriazaheer
@CAMHnews
@UofTPsych
Improv fans, you’re in for a treat, as Rick speaks to Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath. Colin’s about a big an improv star as you can get, with over 2 decades on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, both the UK and US versions. But he’s not “Just for Laughs"... Colin’s also done Shakespearean tragedy, and played a serial killer on Murdoch Mysteries. He’s joined by his life partner Debra McGrath, an award-winning writer, producer and comedian, who co-starred with Colin in the CBC series Getting Along Famously. And as you’ll see, they do get along famously as we talk about being "OK Boomered", making Mulroney: the Opera , master plasterers, life’s twists and turns, laughing through tough times, helping their trans daughter choose a new name, free speech vs. hate speech, punching below your weight, hope in the younger generations, change in older generations, an improv game, and a game show.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@colinmochrie
colinmochrie.com
Rick welcomes two prominent Montrealers who have made - and are continuing to make - a huge difference in his hometown. Andy Nulman is an entrepreneur, educator, author and speaker who’s always ahead of the curve, and happy to tell you so. He helped build the Just for Laughs festival into the world’s most prestigious comedy event, and he oozes with “Creativity, Courage and Guts” - that’s also the title of the MBA course he teaches at McGill. His pal Martine St-Victor is a powerhouse in her own right. She is General Manager at the Montréal office of Edelman, and is a frequent contributor to CBC, Radio-Canada, RDI, La Presse and The Gazette - in both official languages, bien sûr. Together, we talk about meeting in elevators, looking like Al Pacino, bridging "Les Deux Solitudes", Jewish and Haitian moms, how difference is an advantage, how politics can kill that advantage, changing your purpose to suit the problem, and fanboying over The Boss.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@andynulman (TW + IG)
@martinemontreal (TW + IG)
@edelman
edelman.com
groupemilagro.com
XTG extends a big Bienvenue to 2 Quebec artists, Robert Lepage and Lyndz Dantiste. If you’re into theatre, film, circus or opera, chances are you’ve heard of Robert Lepage, artistic director of Le Diamant, Ex Machina, and one of the world’s most celebrated living director/writer/performers. His groundbreaking vision and technical wizardry are what inspired Rick to do what he does and he's fortunate to have worked with him on many productions earlier in his career. Robert is joined by Lyndz Dantiste, an up-and-coming young actor and dancer, onstage and onscreen, who is also the co-founder and co-artistic director of Théâtre de la Sentinelle in Montreal. Together, they talk about "La Sentinelle" ("Ghost Light" in English), staging the classics in Creole, different identities in different languages, BIPOC representation onstage, the absence of memory, learning from older generations & giving younger generations a chance, Jean-Paul Riopelle & Joni Mitchell, tapping into the universal, killing the father, transforming the “Self”, engaging the “Other”, and dancing with Sylvie Guillem.
(Robert) “Each leg is insured for 6 million dollars, so when she runs at you and you have to catch her in mid-air, that’s what you think about.”
Break a leg? Or not.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@lediamant_qc
@exmachina.ca
@lyndzdantiste
@sentinelletheatre
Rick speaks with fellow podcasters Stephanie Wolfe, Karen Johnson-Diamond, and Griffin Cork, the voices behind "The Breakfast Dish", "Scamtime", and "Bridging the Gap Between Generations Who Assume Things About Each Other”, which Rick guested on in 2021. Stephanie and Karen are renowned Albertan actors and improvisers. Steph’s a founding member of the Canadian Comedy Award Winning Live Improvised Soap Opera, Die-Nasty. Karen’s the co-founder of Dirty Laundry, another awesome Albertan improv company. Griffin is Karen’s son, and a fine actor and producer in his own right. As a quad, they cover the art/chaos of podcasting, assuming things about others and being wrong, how teenagers will save the world, how facebook and TikTok split generations, finding meaning in bullshit jobs, how GenX invented the internet, from “Yes But” to “Yes And”, seeing change as opportunity, and why learning people’s pronouns is - to quote Griffin - “less effort than helping them move".
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
Bridging The Gap podcast
@dienastyimprov
@fraud.broads ( Scamtime )
@dirtylaundryyyc
@karenjohnsondiamond
@GriffinCork
In this XTG episode, Rick interviews Steve Anthony and Malaika Astorga. For Canadian GenXers, Steve Anthony is a household name, as one of the early stars of MuchMusic. Steve then cut his locks, and spent the next decade hosting CP24 Breakfast, helping it become the #1 Morning TV show in Canada. He’s joined by Malaika Astorga, a Latinx B. Comm graduate from Concordia, and co-founder of Also Cool — an online arts and music platform, plus podcast. She’s also a strategist for an L.A based media company, and a social media consultant for a ton of artists. As 3 generations, they riff on Mexican-Canadians in Quebec, VJs at the dawn of the internet, the Montreal-Toronto gap, how music tethers generations, how Algorithms create niches, how social media changes businesses, dealing with declining relevance, taking TikTok seriously, and trying to stump a pop culture icon in a game show.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@steveanthonyonline
steveanthony.com
@_flleur @flloral_art
@alsocoolmag
malaikaastorga.com
It's inter-generational theatre time! Rick speaks with Daniel MacIvor and Zach Running Coyote. Daniel’s one of Canada’s most renowned writer/performers, winner of the 2008 Siminovitch Prize, and too many other awards to list here. If you’ve been through theatre school in Canada, you’ve probably studied one of his monologues. Zach’s a twenty-something, multi-talented writer/performer, only a couple of years out of acting school, who I bet the next generation of theatre students will be studying. As a trio, they dig into generational cuspers, the recognition of intersection, solo vs multi-actor performance, cross-generational writing, repeating past mistakes, failing better, Betty White vs. Satan, Why Twitter makes us want to leave social media, and the trainwreck of Reality TV. Plus the players play a game show!
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@rickmilleractor
@xingthegap
@daniel_mac_ivor
@tommi.b.coyote
XTG is about building bridges, and Rick speaks to 2 building experts (like, literal buildings). Bruce Kuwabara is a founding partner of KPMB Architects, Chair of the Canadian Centre for Architecture, and an Officer of the Order of Canada. He’s joined by Roxane Bejjany, an up-and-coming KPMB architect, who brings a Millennial perspective on work, life, and everything in between. Through the lens of architecture (which is what Rick studied in school) they talk about plurality in Canada, the concept of openness, the meaning of buildings, how hard it is to make great architecture, office towers that breathe, designing for mental health, mentoring from boomers, learning from GenZ, and thinking long-term. All that, and the usual game show silliness.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
@kpmbarch
Rick speaks with Ravi Jain and his mom Asha, stars of the international hit show Brimful of Asha. Ravi is the co-artistic director and founder of Why Not Theatre, a trailblazing company that celebrates cultural diversity and gives access to a younger generation of Canadian artists. The mother-son pair, with an assist from dad Ramesh and baby Rohan, share stories about arranged marriage, raising kids in immigrant communities, hipsters, gentrification, inter-generational cohabitation, ... and getting by a blank check from the Rolling Stones. Sweet Dreams… are made of this.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Rick answers questions about the podcast in a 17-minute bonus episode. It covers the rationale behind the "X" and "the Gap" in the title, and gives an intimate, behind-the-scenes peek into the philosophy and creative process that have fuelled Miller's 25-year career onstage, online and on camera. And (as always) there's a game show to test your inter-generational pop culture knowledge. Email rick@rickmiller.ca with the correct answers, and he'll send you a signed copy of his CD "Songs from BOOM X and Other Shows".
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
In this special cooking episode, Rick speaks to Bruria Cooperman - “the Rebel Bubbie" - and chef James Mayer, a Millennial who starred on Master Chef Canada. Bruria is an artist, storyteller, and author of “For THIS I Survived? Children of Survivors Beyond the Trauma”. By day, James works for the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, and by night, he’s a classically trained, private chef for friends and family. We talk about family dinners, tradition vs. innovation in cooking, Hellman's vs. Miracle Whip, stomping gefilte fish, remembering Woodstock, cooking with pearls, and other pearls of wisdom. Plus a game show, and Japanese fusion Matzah Balls. Bon appetit!
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Rick's two guests are Mary Walsh and Jamie Pitt, who bring us inter-generational perspectives from Newfoundland. Mary is one of Canada’s most recognized comedians, a founding member of CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and a prolific writer, producer and performer. Jamie was a student of Mary’s, then her executive assistant, and is now a successful casting director, editor and educator. We talk about Newfoundlanders doing things their own way, gender and intersectionality, underrepresentation of older women in culture, looking under the hood of who we are, hurtful words, and heartfelt conversations with family.
Plus a Canadian legend gets her butt whooped in a game show.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Today's guest are Fiona Reid and Meher Pavri, two incredible Canadian performing artists. Fiona’s a legend of stage and screen, member of the Order of Canada, and a mother of two. Meher's a multidisciplinary Millennial who does it all: opera, musicals, theatre, film and TV. The conversation covers generational misunderstandings, technological transformations, evolving views on policing, institutions and authority, letting go of old ideas, being frightened of social media, acknowledging algorithms, stretching phone cords, and admiring your parents even though they don’t know what LOL means. That, plus a game show!
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Host Rick Miller explains the rationale behind his new podcast "X-ing The Gap: Why generations need to share stories or we’re f*cked."
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Rick chats with Sébastien Heins and his Jamaican-born mother, Shella. Sébastien is the Associate Artistic Director of Toronto's renowned Outside The March theatre company, and he and Rick have collaborated on several projects. In this XTG episode, Sébastien and his mom share stories about Bohemian life in the 70s, getting pregnant in Paris, living as a mixed-race family, internalized bias, furniture as family history, hitchhiking, couch surfing, eggplant emojis, and sharing a joint with Bob Marley. No more Waiting in Vain.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Rick interviews fellow GenXer Dwayne Morgan and his GenZ daughter, Egypt. Dwayne is a celebrated spoken word artist, speaker and social entrepreneur from Scarborough, Ontario, who has spent his career promoting African Canadian and urban-influenced artists. His daughter Egypt is 13 years old, and possessed of more wisdom than many of us 4 times her age. The three of them cover our addiction to screens, the political impact of TikTok, transcending generations through music, baking with grandparents, shaping our own narrative, acting instead of hoping, and Always.Loving.Whitney.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
Rick speaks with Imogen Coe and Brea Scott, a mother-daughter pair who each straddle their own generational gaps. Imogen is a biochemist, the former dean of Science at Ryerson University, and an advocate for women in science, and inclusion. Brea is a Ryerson student, and even though she’s not in the same department as her mom, they share many common interests. Our conversation touches on the semiotics of social media, the art and science of creativity and storytelling, music in the brain, the breaking down of colonial institutions, and meeting Robert Plant. And of course, there’s the usual competition, cooperation and karaoke. Pretty Wicked stuff.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor
In this 1st XTG episode, host Rick Miller interviews early GenX-er Mark Kingwell, the renowned Canadian author, academic, and socio-political commentator. Mark is joined by his step-daughter Clara Puton, an extremely eloquent twenty-something who sheds light on the plight of Millennials. As a trio, they tackle the politics of the internet, the wisdom of youth, neo-Luddites, flip phones, turntables, snowflakes, cats, and Glenn Gould. There’s conversation, competition, cooperation, and -yes- karaoke. A Crazy podcast, for crazy times.
BuildBridgesNotWalls
XingTheGap.com
BoomTheShow.com
RickMiller.ca
@RickMillerActor