Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Introduce Neil Peart Documentary at TIFF Premiere

Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson took the stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, to introduce the world premiere of “Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple,” a documentary centered on their late Rush bandmate. The screening was part of the Toronto International Film Festival, and onstage the two musicians were accompanied by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who appears in the film.

• The documentary is directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, who also made the 2010 Rush film “Beyond the Lighted Stage.”
• It runs 96 minutes and includes new performances of Rush songs featuring drummers Chad Smith, Stewart Copeland (The Police), Danny Carey (Tool) and Gavin Harrison (King Crimson, Porcupine Tree) sitting in behind the kit Peart once occupied.
• A further public TIFF screening is set for September 19, following the premiere and a September 17 showing.
• “No One’s Disciple” airs on CBC and streams on CBC Gem on September 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. as an entry in “The Passionate Eye.”

What Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Said About Neil Peart

Addressing the crowd before the screening, Geddy Lee framed the film as a chance for audiences to see a side of Peart beyond his familiar public image. “Tonight you’re gonna see a very interesting look at this guy that you think you know… you’re gonna see the depth of his musical legacy,” Lee said. “So I’m very grateful that this moment has arrived where this stuff can be shared. So, thank you for coming.”

Alex Lifeson followed with his own reflection on the film’s portrait of their late drummer. “I’ll just echo what Ged said. He encapsulated everything about the film, what an amazing person [Neil] was,” Lifeson said. “There’s a whole side of him that a lot of you don’t really know. He was very, very funny. He was a sweet friend, and he was extremely loyal.”

Speaking with The Canadian Press on the red carpet, Lifeson said Peart would likely have felt uneasy about the attention a documentary brings but would ultimately appreciate the sentiment behind it. “He didn’t like to have a lot of attention,” Lifeson said, adding that Peart “would be very respectful and feel very warm about all the reaction and comments made by all his friends.”

In the same red carpet conversation, Lee described the bond he shared with Peart across their decades in the band. “He was one third of this band. We worked together, we sweated together, we failed together, we triumphed together,” Lee said. “So, he brought a huge amount of intelligence, talent, a good nature and humor to our band.”

Inside ‘Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple’

Beyond the interviews with Lee and Lifeson, the film traces Peart’s difficult early years as a struggling musician before his rise to prominence with Rush. It also examines the darkest personal chapter of his life, a period of grief in the late 1990s following the deaths of his daughter and his wife, which shaped both the man and the artist he became.

Despite that heavier material, the overall tone of the documentary has been described as celebratory rather than somber, built around the technical brilliance and personality that earned Peart the nickname “The Professor.”

Rush’s ‘Fifty Something’ Tour Continues Without Peart

Lifeson also discussed Rush’s ongoing “Fifty Something” tour, which began June 7, 2026, at Kia Forum in Los Angeles and marks the band’s first outing with drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold rounding out Lee and Lifeson’s lineup. He said the current shows include a segment dedicated to Peart’s memory. “We have a couple of moments of the show where we have a tribute for [Neil]. We think about him all the time. Geddy speaks about him throughout the whole show, so he’s always with us,” Lifeson said. “But it’s a different thing now. We’re moving forward and we have a different arrangement. And it’s all in celebration of his life and everything that he’s given us.”

Neil Peart’s Death and Diagnosis

Peart passed away at age 67 on January 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, California, following a three-year fight against glioblastoma, a highly aggressive brain cancer. Lee has said Peart wanted his diagnosis kept private and was initially told he had 18 months to live.

More Info

• Watch: GEDDY LEE And ALEX LIFESON Speak At World Premiere Of NEIL PEART Documentary No Ones Disciple At Toronto International Film Festival | Blabbermouth
• Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson pay tribute to Neil Peart at documentary premiere. "There’s a whole side of him that a lot of you don’t really know" | Louder / Classic Rock
• RUSHs Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Speak at Neil Peart Documentary Premiere: What an Amazing Person | Consequence
• Rush bandmates Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson at TIFF for ‘Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple’ | torontotoday.ca
• Neil Peart documentary premieres at TIFF | ca.news.yahoo.com
• Neil Peart documentary, crime films premiere at TIFF for Day 7 | thecanadianpressnews.ca
• 10 Reasons You NEED To See “Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple” | thatericalper.com