It’s the year of Glen Powell.
The actor’s latest stunt comes courtesy of Netflix Hitman, which after a small theatrical run debuted at number one on the streamer’s list of English films, with 10.8 million views in its first three days. The dramatic thriller received rave reviews and critics seem to universally agree that Powell is a star. The 35-year-old actor has already proven he is profitable at the box office with 2022 Top Gun: Maverick and December Nobody but you, which it surpassed the US$200 million mark earlier this year. Twisted will certainly cement Powell as the leading man of the moment when it hits theaters next month.
So what’s Powell’s secret sauce? It’s been a while since there’s been a star who exudes this kind of charismatic, approachable energy. Yahoo Entertainment spoke with experts and industry insiders who explained why Powell’s rise in Hollywood is so overdue.
Powell’s charm is not manufactured
The Texas-born star’s good looks are obvious – but it takes more than that to become a leading man. It’s clear watching Powell on screen and off that the actor is a “natural” when it comes to charisma.
“Glen Powell has a certain natural charm and intelligence,” said the public relations expert Eric Schiffer tells Yahoo. “He’s America’s sweetheart – a human golden retriever with a great screen presence and extreme friendliness.”
But Powell’s charm is not a facade, according to a friend of the actor who preferred to remain anonymous for privacy reasons. And if it had been manufactured, Powell wouldn’t have gotten this far.
“The Glen you see is really the Glen you get,” the source told Yahoo. “He really is the funny, charming, boy-next-door guy. And yes, he’s really hot in person.”
Expert Praises Powell’s Excellent Material Choices
Producing consecutive hits is no easy achievement. Jason Squire, host in The Movie Business Podcast and professor emeritus at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, says the actor’s projects and the team he works with cannot be ignored in their success.
“What’s crucial in any artist’s life is how they choose their material, which is generated by the people around them – agents, managers,” he explains.
Squire highlights 2016 award-winning film Hidden figures as a turning point for the star.
“I didn’t know who he was [before]but you can’t forget it Hidden Figures,” he continues. “This is an example of someone who decided this was a way to break out. It’s a small part. There are some really smart and intuitive people with business taste behind the scenes [who] help guide your career.”
Let’s be clear: Powell is an integral member of your team.
“I think the gamification of business is fun,” he told New York Times. “To be a lasting success in Hollywood, you have to make people money… You have to ask, ‘Who is the audience for this?’ Are you giving people a reason to buy tickets?’ And if you don’t have a clear answer, move on, no matter how much you love the script or want to work with the director.”
Powell is putting more practice (literally) into his material. He co-wrote Hitman. He will produce and star in Hulu’s upcoming comedy series Chad’s powerswhich he also co-wrote and co-created.
That said, Powell also knows the power of no. He told the New York Times that he rejected the new installments of Jurassic Park It is Bourne Identity.
Yahoo reached out to Powell’s representative for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Yes – Powell is a really nice guy
It’s an open secret in Hollywood who the problem actors are. Some stars’ bad behavior makes it to the press, but most don’t. However, Powell’s friendly and respectful reputation precedes him, which may be a rarity these days.
Those who worked with Powell rave about him at Yahoo, and beyond everyone who wonders if his chemistry with him Nobody but you co-star Sydney Sweeney has already translated off-screen, he has avoided becoming tabloid fodder. In fact, the actors admitted that they fueled these rumors on purpose – and to their advantage.
Schiffer, president of Los Angeles-based Reputation Management Consultants, told Yahoo that Powell is getting everything right from a public relations standpoint. “Great brand and [he] knows how to engage authentically to build a loyal fan base. He’s positive, genuine, and kind, which is rare in Hollywood. Producers and talent will continue to want to work with him, and even greater opportunities lie ahead.”
Powell worked
Powell got his break in 2006 when he was cast as Denzel Washington. The great debaters. Washington’s agent at the time, the late powerhouse Ed Limato, signed Powell. The actor eventually dropped out of the University of Texas at Austin and moved to Los Angeles.
While Powell was auditioning, he was simultaneously interning for producer Lynda Obst (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Sleepless in Seattle). He read scripts and got up to speed on the business side of Hollywood. “He was adorable — an off-the-charts charmer,” Obst told the New York Times. “But that’s not what impressed me and that’s not why he’s succeeding.”
“Actors can use charm, but they can’t use intelligence,” she added. “Glen is smart and has learned how to develop scripts and film structure. This has made him independent and astute.”
“He’s the next Glen Powell”
Studios (and the press) love to pigeonhole an actor the next someone. While nice guy, Texan Matthew McConaughey seems like an obvious choice here, no one can agree on who exactly Powell is channeling.
Hitman director Richard Linklater, who cast McConaughey in his breakout role in Dazed and confused, understands the comparison between the two, but said it doesn’t fit the profile. “I know he shares the Texas thing, but Glen, his mind is very different from Matthew’s. That’s all I can say. I mean, they’re good-looking, hunky guys, for sure, but I don’t really think about This is too much,” said the filmmaker HQ.
Jamie Lee Curtis knew Powell would be a “huge, big movie star” when they worked together on the series Scream queens and compared the actor to another famous face. “He does physical comedy very well — he’s funny — but he also has depth. He’s maybe not ugly. I feel the same way about Glen as I do about Jake Gyllenhaal,” she told the New York Times.
Schiffer told Yahoo that he believes Powell’s career “is a mix of Bradley Cooper and Ryan Gosling with a balance of comedy and drama.”
There are a lot of talented young actors on the scene right now, potentially competing for similar roles (Timothée Chalamet, Tom Holland, and Austin Butler, to name a few). However, Schiffer believes Powell is forging his own path. “These actors seek out more dramatic and serious roles, but Powell is diverse in romantic comedies and comedies with a warmth that others don’t possess.”
The fact that Powell seems to possess aspects of the famous men mentioned above is a plus, for sure, but the fact that he can’t be compared to any star is a bonus.
“He’s the next Glen Powell,” is how one studio exec bluntly tells Yahoo.
