Glen Powell opened up about struggling for years as an aspiring actor earlier than discovering fame.
Over the previous couple of years, the 36-year-old actor has cemented his standing as one in every of Hollywood’s most bankable stars following a string of hit films. Nevertheless, Powell’s profession success was hard-won.
Throughout a current interview with Vainness Honest, he candidly mirrored on going through a protracted, uphill battle whereas he was striving to make it within the leisure business.
“As a struggling actor, there’s no harder place to live than being in Hollywood with nothing going on,” Powell admitted.
Glen Powell mirrored on his years-long battle to make it in Hollywood. (Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)
He continued, “The currency of that town is how relevant you are and what your last job is. It makes you oppressively self-aware.”
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“Where people can get caught in a rut is where they just want to continue spinning the roulette wheel without any thought of why. They just stay at the table for no reason other than to stay at the table.”
The Austin, Texas native made his movie debut in 2003’s “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over,” Powell was in his senior 12 months of highschool when he landed a task in Denzel Washington’s 2007 film “The Great Debaters.”
After being impressed by Powell’s expertise, Washington launched the actor to his agent Ed Limato. In Might, Powell instructed The Hollywood Reporter that he was in his freshman 12 months on the College of Texas at Austin when Limato referred to as and requested if he was attending “The Great Debaters” premiere in LA.
Powell recalled that he met with Washington and Limato, who satisfied him to maneuver to Hollywood.
The actor opened up about experiencing “long stretches of famine.” (Dave Benett/WireImage)
After leaving Austin for LA, Powell spent years attempting to land roles, enduring lengthy durations between appearing gigs. Whereas talking with Vainness Honest, Powell recalled how he was in a position to persuade himself not to surrender on his goals throughout troublesome occasions.
“Even at the darkest moments in that town, when I really didn’t have anything happening, you sort of have to lie to yourself, at least a little bit, and act like this is that chapter of the story where things just aren’t going right,” Powell mentioned.
“You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of those people that you admire, the people that you’re chasing, that had those long stretches of famine as well,” he added. “I’m very grateful about getting a chance to understand a lot about writing. I had to occupy different types of jobs that allowed me to understand how to finance things, and produce things. I started understanding a facet of this business that’s really serving me right now.”
Powell, who just lately produced and starred within the motion comedy “Hit Man,” instructed Vainness Honest that he discovered to be proactive throughout his early years within the enterprise.
“I’d hit random people up and I’d try to drum up money for other people’s shorts to turn them into features, or I’d try to hunt down stuff and pitch people to get a small role in things,” he mentioned. “In LA, you are really just hustling to just try to be a part of the experiment at all. People are like, ‘Oh man, auditioning must be tough.’ And I’m like, ‘No, auditioning is a luxury.’
“Discovering an agent, discovering anyone to speak to you at a rattling occasion, having sufficient cash to pay for headshots, these are the issues that nobody talks about,” Powell continued. “Attempting to pay for appearing class, and attempting to get higher.”
“Auditioning feels such as you’re on the occasion. You’ve gotten previous the velvet rope. You might not have the ability to afford a drink on the occasion, however you’re in it, you possibly can style it. However so usually in Hollywood, more often than not you’re exterior that velvet rope. More often than not the bouncer shouldn’t be even permitting you anyplace within the neighborhood.”
Powell said he would hide a 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 himself by taking on small roles in movies and making guest appearances in TV shows. However, he told Vanity Fair that changes in the industry have presented even greater challenges for up-and-coming actors.
“The enterprise now not helps struggling actors the best way it did once I was type of developing,” he said. “I’d do an episode of ‘NCIS,’ and that might preserve me afloat for a 12 months.”
However, Powell explained that he was only able to stay afloat during that time by living frugally.
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“My overhead’s not excessive,” he said. “You’re not dwelling a lavish way of life. You’re hiding a flask in your boot should you exit for a drink. You’re not essentially in a position to afford something vital in that city, however you’ll be able to keep there. These little jobs, like getting a industrial, preserve life within the system.”
The actor’s circumstances began to improve in 2014 when he landed the role of hacker Thorn in the star-studded action blockbuster “The Expendables 3.” Powell became a main cast member in the TV show “Scream Queens’s” first season and returned on a recurring basis in the second season.
In 2016, Powell starred as part of the ensemble cast in Richard Linklater’s movie “All people Desires Some!!” Linklater and Powell reunited for “Hit Man,” which was directed by the Oscar-nominated filmmaker.
Powell made his breakthrough when he starred alongside Tom Cruise in “High Gun: Maverick.” (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
He won his first role as a leading man in the 2018 Netflix romantic comedy “Set It Up” opposite Zoey Deutch. Powell went on to play Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin in the highly-anticipated “High Gun” sequel “High Gun: Maverick,” starring Tom Cruise.
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Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, “High Gun: Maverick” wasn’t released until two years after production wrapped. During that time, Powell told The Hollywood Reporter that he almost went broke.
Released in May 2022, “High Gun: Maverick” became a mega-hit at the box office. Powell reached a new height in his career with the surprise success of his next project, the 2023 Netflix romantic comedy “Anybody However You,” in which he starred opposite Sydney Sweeney.
Powell co-starred with Sydney Sweeney in the hit romantic comedy “Anybody However You.” (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Powell most recently starred in the hit disaster movie”Twisters,” which raked in $371 million at the global box office.
While speaking with Vanity Fair, Powell reflected on staying true to himself while navigating fame.
“I’ve failed for lots longer than I’ve succeeded,” he said. “I’ve actually gotten an opportunity to see different individuals do it. And what I spotted is, I believe the lure is attempting to suit into the mould of one thing like that the place it’s inauthentic.”
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