House Of Crouse

On this episode of the Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Bryan Trottier. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, two with the Penguins and one as an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche. His new memoir, ‘All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice,’ is a poignant and inspiring memoir of the people and challenges that shaped his life and career. In this interview we talk about growing up in a town of 500 people and how he celebrated his first Stanley Cup win. Then, we’ll meet Eric McCormack. You know Eric McCormack as Will Truman in the NBC sitcom “Will & Grace,” or maybe as Grant MacLaren in Netflix's “Travelers” or Dr. Daniel Pierce in the TNT crime drama “Perception.” In the new coming-of-age movie, “Drinkwater,” he plays Hank, a small-town dad who didn’t live up to his potential. With its subplot about a Wayne Gretzky rookie card some physic

On this episode of the Richard Crouse Podcast we meet Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ian Urbina, host of “The Outlaw Ocean.” The project began years ago as a series in The New York Times, where he was a staff writer. Between the articles, a book on the subject and now the podcast, the journey took more than four years, spanning 40 cities and every continent, and over 12,000 nautical miles across five oceans and 20 other seas. In the podcast Urbina explores a gritty and lawless realm, populated by traffickers and smugglers, pirates and mercenaries, wreck thieves and repo men, vigilante conservationists, seabound abortion providers, clandestine oil dumpers, shackled slaves and cast-adrift stowaways. “The Outlaw Ocean” is brought to you by CBC Podcasts and the L.A. Times. Learn more about The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization that produces investigative stories about human rights, at theoutlawocean.com. Then, we’ll meet Scott Goodson, the author of “Activate Brand Purpose: How To

On this edition of the Richard Crouse Show Podcast we meet award-winning journalist and editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator, Paul Berton. His new book “Shopomania: Our Obsession with Possession,” is a thought-provoking and provocative challenge to consumerism. It is a sassy and satirical look at today’s consumer culture that asks, Do we really need all our stuff? We’ll also meet Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund. His film “Triangle of Sadness” received an eight-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, and won the top prize, the Palme d'Or. It is a very dark satire, an over-the-top tale of hypocrisy, greed, and ambition that is about as subtle as a punch to the face, but it is memorable and for lovers of adventurous film, a must see. Then, Metis author Willie Poll stops by to talk about her er new book for kids, “Together We Drum, Our Hearts Beat As One.” It’s a simple story of a little Indigenous girl who comes up against a monster called "Hate.”

On this special Halloween edition of the Richard Crouse Show we meet Ainslie Hogarth, author of “Motherthing,” darkly comedic novel about a woman who must take drastic measures to save her husband and herself from the vengeful ghost of her mother-in-law. Then, David Cronenberg stops by. The director of “Eastern Promises,” “A History of Violence,” “The Fly” and “Videodrome,” among many others, talks about “Crimes of the Future,” an all-star story of eroticized human evolution starring Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux and we’ll find out whether he likes the nickname for his fans! We go to the vault to find an interview I did with Daniel Radcliffe the night after I hosted the Canadian premier of his first post Harry Potter movie, a brooding gothic horror film called “The Woman in Black.” In the film Daniel plays a recently widowed layer who is grieving the loss of his wife when he is sent to a remote village on business. Once there he discovers his client's house is haunted by the spirit of a

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Douglas Stuart. His first novel, "Shuggie Bain," won a shelfful of major awards, including the Booker Prize, in 2020. It told the story of an alcoholic single mother and her children living in a Glasgow tenement in the 1990s. His new novel, "Young Mungo" centers on a romance between two teenage boys - one Protestant, one Catholic. It is a gripping and revealing story about the meaning of masculinity, the push and pull of family, the violence faced by so many queer people, and the dangers of loving someone too much. In this interview we talk about growing up in Glasgow, how writing became his second career and why he named his main character after the patron saint of Glasgow. Then, we’ll meet Tegan and Sara, the Grammy and Academy Award nominated, identical twin sisters behind the earworm “Everything is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie” and many ither hits. But we’re not talking about music today. We’re here to chat about their latest project, a new television pm Amazo

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Matt Cahill. He has a private practice and is a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and is a writer whose debut novel, “The Society of Experience,” was picked as a must-read by Harper's Bazaar magazine. His short stories have been widely published and his essay “On Madness Within Imagination” was selected for Best Canadian Essays 2017. His new book, “Radioland,” is a mesmerizing literary thriller, where music, fame and magic wind together in an eerie mystery. Then, Robert Harris, bestselling author of “Fatherland,” “The Ghostwriter,” “Munich” and “Conclave.” His new novel, “Act of Oblivion,” is an historical novel that brilliantly imagines one of the greatest manhunts in history: the search for two Englishmen involved in the killing of King Charles I and the relentless foe on their trail. Then, word legend gets kicked around a lot, but in this case it really fits. Stan Lee made an indelible mark on popular culture by co-creating some of

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet actor and JUNO nominated, jazz singer and songwriter Alex Bird. The subject line of the email from his publicist really caught my eye. “Move over Bublé,” it read, “JUNO-nominated artist Alex Bird has released Canada's FIRST Thanksgiving song.” That’s right, Thanksgiving finally has its own anthem courtesy of Alex Bird. In this interview we talk about the inspiration behind “The Sweetest Moments” and why Canada deserved a Thanksgiving song of its very own. We’ll also meet Mark Critch, star of the hit CBC sitcom “Son of a Critch” and “This Hour Has 22 Minutes,” which celebrates its 30th season this year. We talk about his time spent on the political satire, and some of his antics, like photo-bombing Justin Trudeau, interviewing Great Big Sea's Alan Doyle (while impersonating Alan Doyle), offering Pamela Anderson a million dollars to stop acting, and crashing a White House briefing. Then, since publishing his first novel in 1968 John Irving has been a literary forc

On this episode of the Richard Crouse Show we get to know Bonnie Stern. If you are a foodie, or even if you aren’t, you already know Bonnie. She has studied and taught cooking around the world, hosted three national cooking shows, and for 17 years, wrote a weekly column for the National Post. Her latest cookbook, “Don't Worry, Just Cook,” co-written with her daughter Anna Rupert, aims to take the intimidation factor that some people feel every time they step into the kitchen. Filled with delicious, widely appealing, and timeless recipes, the book is perfect, not only for home cooks but anyone who loves food. Then we meet actor and writer Jim Piddock. For four decades he has appeared on Broadway and on the big and small screen in movies like “Independence Day,” “Lethal Weapon 2,” “A Mighty Wind,” “Austin Powers in Goldmember” and shows like “Modern Family,” “Mom,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Lost,” Monk,” “Friends”… the list goes on. Jim looks back at his career in a funny and frank new memoir called “Caught Wit

This week on the Richard Crouse Show we meet director Brett Morgen and producer Debra Eisenstadt of the film “Moonage Daydream,” an impressionistic look at the life and work of iconic artist David Bowie, now playing in theatres. Bowie led one of the most eclectic show business careers of the last sixty years. He was a seeker, an artist whose work flirted with everything from mime and music to acting and art. He was never less than a free thinker who valued artistic joy over fame. Morgen’s film emphasizes the restless spirit that defined David Bowie, but don’t buy a ticket expecting a cradle-to-grave “Behind the Music” style expose. This is an experience, a collage of sound and vision, that over the two-and-a-quarter-hour running time creates a portrait that doesn’t attempt to define the artist as much as it does to illuminate his ever-changing philosophical mindset. To achieve this Morgen mixes never-before-seen footage and performances, forty remastered songs spanning the singer’s entire career and, as na

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Nuela Charles. This year the SOCAN Foundation announced Nuela as a winner of the second annual Her Music Awards. She has amassed over 4 million career streams to date and over 738,309 total YouTube worldwide views and now, her self-titled album is available on all streaming platforms. Over the last few years, Nuela has brought her distinct voice to various stages, having performed at Reeperbahn Festival in Germany, London, UK, and has shared the stage as direct support for some of Canada’s musical icons including Sam Roberts Band, Jann Arden and Stars. Then, we’ll meet Barbie Latza Nadeau. She has worked as the Rome bureau chief for Newsweek Magazine and currently holds that position for The Daily Beast. She is an on-air contributor for CNN and a writer for Scientific American. She is also a true crime novelist, with a new book, The Godmother, about the rise of women in the mafia. Publishers Weekly calls it “A must for true crime fans,” and it is a great read.

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we meet Peter Hitchcock, director of ‘A Song For Us,’ a new film about a British folk singer who reconnects with her long-lost lover. The world of folk music is a subject Peter knows well. As a younger man he ran beatnik folk clubs in England and hired Paul Simon for a mere £20 when the future superstar was unknown in the UK. He also has a rich background in film, from working as an extra at age ten to working with Wes Craven and so much more. Then, Ayan Tani and Émeraude Domingos Mbuku, co-directors of “Reel Black: Our Film Stories,” an exploration of Black Canadian filmmaking, you can see in person and on line at the 17th Annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival, stop by. Find out more details at caribbeantalesfestival.com Later in the show we’ll hear from some people you’ve been listening to you entire lives. The American TV Guide ranked Sharon, Lois and Bram the number two children’s entertainers of all time, just behind Fred Rogers. Sharon Hampson, the late

This week on the Richard Crouse Show we meet director and actor Valerie Buhagiar. Her film “Carmen,” now in theatres and coming to VOD on September 30, is a new coming of age story set on the island of Malta, that sees the title character, played by “Kalifornication” star Natascha McElhone, rediscover her own life and desires after her brother, the village priest, passes away. It is an empathetic and optimistic movie about a second chance at living life to the fullest. We’ll also meet actor Dylan Smith. You know him from his performances in films like 300, Total Recall, Murder on the Orient Express and many others. He will next be seen in Prime Video’s largest title to date, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” The series serves as a prequel to the events we all know from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and focuses on the forging of the Rings of Power and the One Ring in the Second Age. It begins it Prime Video run on September 2. Then, I’ll tell you about “Elvis,” the film about th

On this episode of the Richard Crouse Show we meet father and daughter Neil Osborne and singer/songwriter Kandle. Neil is the lead singer of 54-40, and has a remarkable catalogue of hit songs, including "Baby Ran," "I Go Blind," "Ocean Pearl" and the award-winning "Since When." Kandle is a musician, singer and songwriter with a solo career, and has collaborated with her father in the past, but they’ve now officially formed their own band: a modern-day psychedelic blues rock duo called A Family Curse. The A Family Curse collaboration actually began a few years ago when Neil and songwriter Danny Michel, recorded some instrumental jams together. But due to their busy schedules, the songs were left to collect dust until Neil sent them to Kandle. She added fresh new melody and lyrics and from there, Kandle and Neil decided to form the band and make an entire album. Then, Kelly McCormack stops by. You know her as combative hockey player Betty-Anne on the hit show Letterkenny, but she is back in a new show now st

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show, Zac Hanson, drummer of the multi-platinum band Hanson, visits on a quick stop between gigs to talk about tjeir new album "RGB," how he juggles having five kids with life on the road, Hop Jam, Hanson’s annual beer and music festival and why he thinks Hanson has always been a bit of an anomaly. Then we’ll meet Award winning and bestselling Canadian author Lilian Nattel. Her new book “Only Sisters” follows the lives of two sisters: Joan, the reliable one who stayed behind to care for their widowed mother, and the globe-trotting Vivien. When Vivien dies while working in a remote village, Joan is pushed to impersonate her online, leaving Joan tangled between right and wrong and adventure and tragedy.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show, the Classic Rock Special! It’s August, and for many people the soundtrack to the late summer is classic rock, so I thought I’d take a trip through the vault and give some of my favorite interviews with classic rockers another spin. We’ll meet Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and bassist Tom Petersson who talk about the early days of the band and finding success in Japan. Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and co-founding member of KISS stops by to talk about working with his former band, his new music and why he doesn’t approve of all of the KISS merchandise that features his image. Liberty DeVitto, author of the memoir Liberty: “Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness” talks about the thirty years he spent playing drums for Billy Joel. We talk about how they met and get some inside scoop. For instance, did you know Only the Good Die Young was written as a reggae song? Finally, we meet John Lennon’s personal photographer Bob Gruen. The legendary photographer ope

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show we’ll meet Dylan Smith. The son of filmmakers, Smith had an eye on a career in hockey until he was sidelined by an injury and discovered theatre. He is now an accomplished stage and film actor who has performed on Broadway, appeared in films like in films like “300,” “Total Recall,” “Murder on the Orient Express” and many others. He will next be seen in Prime Video’s largest title to date, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” The series serves as a prequel to the events we all know from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and focuses on the forging of the Rings of Power and the One Ring in the Second Age. It begins it Prime Video run on September 2. Then, you know jenny Slate as the voice of Tammy Larsen on the critically acclaimed animated sitcom “Bob's Burgers,” as Mona-Lisa on the series “Parks and Recreation,” as well as films like “Obvious Child” which won her the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress in a Comedy, “The Secret Life of Pets” fil

On this week’s Richard Crouse Show Martin Freeman stops by. You know the Emmy, a BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award winning actor from playing Tim Canterbury in the original British series of “The Office.” He was Dr. John Watson in the British crime drama series “Sherlock” opposite Benedict Cumberbatch, Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit” film trilogy and will soon be seen in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” reprising the role of Everett K. Ross. Today we’ll talk about his newest project, the critically acclaimed police series “The Responder,” now playing on Brit Box. Then, we meet Emmy-award winning documentary filmmakers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine who have created a fascinating look at iconic Canadian singer and poet Leonard Cohen called “HALLELUJAH: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song” that uses one of his most famous songs as a starting point. We’ll find out why one of Cohen’s most famous songs was rejected by his record company and more. Later in the show we’ll meet Gregory Sestero, star of a new found fo

This week on the Richard Crouse Show we meet Chris Strikes and Joella Crichton. Their movie “Becoming a Queen,” which is now on VOD, is a documentary about Joella Crichton, Canada’s most decorated Caribbean Carnival Queen. The film, directed by Chris Strikes, covers Joella’s attempt to win a historic tenth title in her last ever competition. The movie explores expressions of cultural identity, Caribbean artistry and a community’s struggle against a lack of understanding of Carnival in the larger society. We’ll also meet author KL Armstrong. She has written over 40 books, including the bestselling young adult series the Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising, the YA book Aftermath, the middle-grade novel A Royal Guide to Monster Slaying and the adult thriller Alone in the Wild. On television the SyFy series Bitten was based on her book the Women of the Otherworld. Her new novel is “The Life She Had,” a thriller about two women with secrets they want to keep buried, but when a body is discovered nearby, they mu

On this episode of the Richard Crouse Show we meet Maestro Fresh Wes. He’s the "Godfather of Canadian hip hop," a record producer, an actor, and author who adds competition show host to his resume with “Race Against the Tide.” He plays host to 10 of the world's best sand sculpting duos and throws down a challenge each week on the show: create show-stopping sculpture at New Brunswick's iconic and beautiful Bay of Fundy, before the world's largest tides flow in and wash their sculptures away. Watch the show on Sundays on CBC and CBC Gem at 8:30 p.m. We’ll also meet Ken Hall. If you are a fan of The Umbrella Academy, the Netflix series about a a dysfunctional family of adopted sibling superheroes who reunite to solve the mystery of their father's death and the threat of an imminent apocalypse, you’ll know Ken Hall. He’s played two roles on the show, Pogo, the talking chimpanzee and analytics specialist Herb. We’ll talk about working on the series and how he went from social work to the business of being funny.

This week on the Richard Crouse Show we meet Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch. You know Chris Pratt as the star of the "Jurassic World" franchise and as Star-Lord in Marvel Studios' "Guardians of the Galaxy." Taylor Kitsch is a Canadian actor, known for his work as Tim Riggins in the NBC television series "Friday Night Lights," and starring in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," "Battleship," "Lone Survivor" and for playing David Koresh in the miniseries "Waco." They are teamed to talk about their new series on Amazon Prime, "The Terminal List." The series follows James Reece, played by Pratt after his entire platoon of Navy SEALs is ambushed while on a covert mission. Reece returns home to his family with conflicting memories of the event and questions about his culpability. As new evidence comes to light, Reece discovers dark forces working against him, endangering not only his life but the lives of those he loves. Kitsch is Ben Edwards, Reese’s best friend and fellow Navy Seal. We’ll also meet Chloe Traicos. You kn