Alex Lifeson's comment about Rush being "basically done" garnered most of the attention in his recent Globe and Mail interview, but he also spoke about the many side projects he's currently involved with, including a small role he has in Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenburg's new CBC comedy-drama Crawford:

... It's fun to put yourself in an uncomfortable situation. If you have a little bit of confidence and you just get out of your own way, these things can happen. The same thing happened when I got asked to do a small role in a TV show, Crawford, a new comedy on CBC from Mike Clattenburg, who created Trailer Park Boys. I thought I couldn't do it - that it was something for real actors. But I ended up doing a few episodes. It definitely was not in my comfort zone. But if you throw a challenge at yourself and dive into it, it can be really gratifying.

The Toronto Star posted an article earlier today where they interview actress Jill Hennessy who plays a lead role in the series. The network has given the show the tag line "Weird Is the New Normal", and Hennessy reveals several more details about the show, including Lifeson's role. Hennessy portrays the matriarch of a dysfunctional family who is an "award-winning cereal executive" for a product called Sugar Maple Pops, Cynthia's husband Owen is a former police chief played by American actor John Carroll Lynch who is unable to use his voice and communicates with his smartphone, and Don is a struggling musician played by Kyle Mac who has been dropped by his label and is a "raccoon whisperer". Lifeson plays the part of Taylor, who is Hennessy's boss at the cereal company:

... "He's phenomenal," says Hennessy, a RUSH fan. (Hennessy herself has released two albums: her last, I Do, in 2015.) Given the musical connections, the Star says it's surprising that Clattenburg hasn't got Lifeson and Hennessy busking in a Toronto subway in a giant ironic wink to the audience. "That would so work!" says Hennessy. "My character didn't finish high school, she was in a band. And one of her future fans was her boss (Lifeson) at the cereal company. So yes, I think somebody should talk to Mike about that scene. Could you maybe put in a word for me?"

The show will be available for streaming in Canada this coming Friday, February 2nd at cbc.ca and on the CBC TV app. You can learn more about the show via the CBC website and catch the trailer below or at this location (Lifeson does not appear in the trailer).