Glenn Powell shares how he overcame years of struggle before Hollywood success: ‘Having to lie to myself’

Glenn Powell talks about struggling for years as an aspiring actor before finding fame.

Over the past few years, the 36-year-old actor has cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after stars with a string of hit films. However, Powell’s career success was hard-won.

During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, he candidly reflected on the long, uphill battle he faced while trying to make it in the entertainment industry.

“As a struggling actor, there’s no harder place to be than in Hollywood,” Powell admits.

He continued, “The currency of this city is how relevant you are and what your last job is. It makes you oppressively self-aware.”

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star Glenn Powell addresses affair rumors with co-star Sydney Sweeney

“Where people can get into a rut is where they want to keep spinning the roulette wheel without thinking why. They stay at the table for no other reason than to be at the table.”

The Austin, Texas native made his film debut in 2003’s “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” Powell was in his senior year of high school when he landed the role. Denzel Washington 2007 film “The Great Debaters.”

Impressed by Powell’s talent, Washington introduced the actor to his agent, Ed Limato. In May, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that he was in his freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin when Limato called and asked if he was attending the premiere of “The Great Debaters” in LA.

Powell recalled that he met Washington and Limato, who convinced him to go to Hollywood.

After leaving Austin for LA, Powell spent several years trying to land roles, enduring long stretches between acting gigs. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Powell recalled how he was able to convince himself not to give up on his dreams during tough times.

“Even in the darkest moments in this city, when nothing was really happening to me, you have to lie to yourself, at least a little bit, and acting like that is the chapter in the story where things “It’s just not going right,” Powell said.

“You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of the people you admire, the people you’re chasing, who had long periods of famine,” he added. “I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to understand so much about writing. I’ve had to hold a variety of jobs that have allowed me to understand how to finance things and develop things. Started to understand an aspect that is really serving me now.”

Powell, who most recently produced and starred in the action comedy “Hitman,” told Vanity Fair that he learned to be proactive during his early years in the business.

“I’ll kill random people and I’ll try to raise money to turn other people’s shorts into features, or I’ll try to find things and try to get people to play small roles in things. I will,” he said. . “In L.A., you’re really just trying to be a part of the experience. People are like, ‘Oh man, it must be hard to audition.’ And I’m like, ‘No, auditions are a luxury.’

“Finding an agent, finding someone to talk to you, having enough money to pay for headshots, those are the things that no one talks about,” Powell continued. kept “Trying to pay for acting class, and trying to get better.”

“Auditioning feels like you’re at a party. You’ve walked through a velvet rope. You can’t have a drink at a party, but you’re in it, you can taste it. But often in Hollywood. , most of the time you’re outside of that velvet rope, most of the time the bouncer won’t let you go anywhere in the vicinity.”

For several years, Powell supported himself by playing small roles in films and guest appearances on TV shows. However, he told Vanity Fair that the changes in the industry have presented even bigger challenges for up-and-coming actors.

“The business no longer supports struggling actors the way it did when I was coming up,” he said. “I’ll do an episode of ‘NCIS,’ and it’ll keep me alive for a year.”

However, Powell explained that he was only able to survive frugally during this time.

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“My head is not high,” he said. “You’re not living a lavish lifestyle. If you go out drinking, you’re hiding a flask in your boot. You can’t necessarily afford anything worthwhile in this town, but you can live there. Small jobs, like getting commercials, keep life in the system.”

Things started to improve for the actor in 2014 when he played the hacker Thrawn in the star-studded action blockbuster “The Expendables 3”. Powell became a main cast member in the first season of the TV show “Scream Queens” and returned repeatedly in the second season.

In 2016, Powell starred in the Richard Linklater film “Everybody Wants Some!!” I worked as a part of the cast. Linklater and Powell reunited for “Hitman,” directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

He won his first role as a leading man opposite Zoey Deutch in the 2018 Netflix romantic comedy “Set It Up”. Powell played Lt. Jack ‘Hangman’ Cereson in the highly anticipated “Top Gun” sequel “Top Gun: Maverick” starring Tom Cruise.

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Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Top Gun: Maverick” was not released until two years after production wrapped. Meanwhile, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that they almost broke up.

Released in May 2022, “Top Gun: Maverick” became a mega hit at the box office. Powell reached new heights in his career with the surprise success of his next project, the 2023 Netflix romantic comedy “Anyone But You,” in which he starred opposite Sidney Sweeney.

Powell recently starred in the hit disaster film “Twisters,” which grossed $371 million at the global box office.

Speaking with Vanity Fair, Powell reflected on staying true to herself while navigating fame.

“I have failed longer than I have succeeded,” he said. “I’ve really had the opportunity to see other people do it. And what I felt, I think the trap is trying to fit into a mold of something where it’s inauthentic.”

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