Glen Powell has revealed that he struggled for years as an aspiring actor before finding fame.
Over the past few years, the 36-year-old actor has solidified his status as one of Hollywood's most bankable stars following a string of hit films. But Mr. Powell's career success was hard-won.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, he candidly reflected on the long and difficult battle he faced while trying to make it in the entertainment industry.
“There's no worse place for a struggling actor to live than in Hollywood with nothing happening,” Powell acknowledged.
Glen Powell reflected on his years of struggle to make it in Hollywood. (Monica Schipper/Film Magic)
He continued, “The currency of that town is how involved you are and what your last job was. It gives you an oppressive amount of self-awareness.”
'Top Gun: Maverick' star Glen Powell addresses rumors of affair with co-star Sidney Sweeney
“People get into a rut when they just want to keep spinning the roulette wheel for no reason. They just stay at the table for no reason other than wanting to stay at the table.”
Powell, a native of Austin, Texas, made her film debut in 2003's Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, and was a high school senior when she landed the role in the film. Denzel Washington's 2007 movie “The Great Debaters”.
Impressed by Powell's talent, Washington introduced him to agent Ed Limato. In May, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that Limato, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, called him and asked if he would attend the premiere of “The Great Debaters” in Los Angeles. He said it was at the time.
Mr. Powell recalled meeting Mr. Washington and Mr. Limato and being persuaded to move to Hollywood.
The actor spoke about experiencing “prolonged starvation.” (Dave Bennett/WireImage)
After leaving Austin and moving to Los Angeles, Powell spent years trying to land roles and endured long periods between acting jobs. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Powell recalled that during difficult times, he was able to tell himself not to give up on his dreams.
“Even in that town's darkest moments, when nothing really happened, you have to lie to yourself at least a little bit and act like this is how things are happening in that chapter of the story.” Powell said.
“You have to believe in the Hollywood legend that the people you look up to, the people you follow, went through a similar long famine,” he added. “I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to understand so much about writing. I had to take on different types of jobs so I could understand how to raise money and how to produce things. I started to understand the aspects of this business that have really helped me.”
Powell, who recently produced and starred in the action comedy “Hitman,” told Vanity Fair that he learned to be assertive early in the industry.
“They would pick up random people and try to raise money to turn other people's shorts into features, or they would try to find material and sell people to get small roles,” he said. said. . “In L.A., we try really hard to be part of the experiment a little bit. People are like, 'Oh, auditioning must be hard.' And I'm like, 'No, it's a luxury to audition.' That's what I think.
“Finding an agent, finding someone to talk to at a bad party, having enough money to get a mug shot, these are things no one talks about,” Powell continued. “I pay for acting classes and try to get better.”
“Auditions feel like you're at a party. You feel like you've climbed over a velvet rope. You might not be able to afford a drink at a party, but you're participating, so you get a taste. But it happens a lot in Hollywood.''Most of the time you're outside that velvet rope, and most of the time the bouncers won't let you near them. ”
Mr Powell said he hid the flask in his boot because he couldn't afford to pay for drinks when he went out. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
For many years, Powell supported herself by taking small roles in movies and guest appearances on television shows. But he told Vanity Fair that changes in the industry are posing even greater challenges for up-and-coming actors.
“The industry no longer supports actors who don't sell like they did when I was starting out,” he said. “One episode of NCIS will last you a year.”
However, Powell explained that during that time, he was only able to survive by living frugally.
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“Overhead is not high,” he said. “You don't live a luxurious life. When you go out drinking, you hide a flask in your trunk. You can't necessarily afford to buy important things in that town, but… You can stay there. Small jobs like shooting commercials keep the system alive.”
Things started to improve for the actor after he landed the role of Hacker Thorne in the star-studded action blockbuster The Expendables 3 in 2014. Powell was a main cast member in the first season of the television show Scream Queens, and returned in a recurring role in the second season.
In 2016, Powell appeared as part of the ensemble cast in Richard Linklater's film Everybody Wants Some!! Linklater and Powell reunited for Hitman, which was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Powell got her big break when she co-starred with Tom Cruise in “Top Gun: Maverick.'' (Jung Sung Joon/Getty Images, Paramount Pictures)
He made his first starring role opposite Zoey Deutch in the 2018 Netflix romantic comedy “Set It Up.” Powell played Lieutenant Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the long-awaited “Top Gun” sequel “Top Gun: Maverick,” starring Tom Cruise.
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Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Top Gun: Maverick was not released until two years after production ended. During that time, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that he was on the verge of bankruptcy.
“Top Gun: Maverick,'' released in May 2022, was a mega-hit at the box office. Powell reached new heights in her career with the unexpected success of her next project, the 2023 Netflix romantic comedy Anyone But You, in which she starred opposite Sidney Sweeney.
Powell co-starred with Sidney Sweeney in the hit romantic comedy “Anyone But You.” (Dia Dipaspil/Getty Images)
Powell recently starred in the blockbuster disaster film “Twisters,” which grossed $371 million at the global box office.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Powell reflected on staying true to herself while navigating fame.
“I've failed more times than I've succeeded,” he says. “I really started to see other people doing it, and what I realized was that this trap was trying to fit into a mold of something that wasn't real.”
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