Glen Powell may have had his early struggles jumpstarting his Hollywood career, but these days, his status in Hollywood continues to skyrocket. Just this year, the A-lister’s 2026 movie releases include the A24 flick How to Make a Killing, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the upcoming sci-fi film The Great Beyond. Now, he's looking back on the earlier days of his career and recalling advice he got that helped him a lot. Specifically, he got to tell Harrison Ford about a great Hollywood lesson he learned from him while at Cannes.
Before Glen Powell became a sought-after leading man, he played a smaller part in the cast of The Expendables 3, which also starred Harrison Ford. While promoting that movie, Powell, Ford and their co-stars got to go to Cannes in tanks. Now, years later, the Chad Powers actor recalled this story to the Indiana Jones star during a roundtable with THR. He also noted the lesson he learned from this experience, saying:
I remember showing up, and you have some of the biggest action stars in the world in this movie and a lot of the guys had these big bodyguards. They’re jacked, they got the earpiece, and they look just like they had something to protect. And [Ford] walked right from the plane into Cannes and no one bothered you. I watched it happen and I was like, ‘Wow, if you don’t act like it’s a thing, it won’t be a thing.’ You figured out how to do it. It was awesome.
Yeah, that’s how it’s done! Harrison Ford’s method of blending in is spot on. If you walk into a big event like anyone else, compared to a grand entrance, most people will just go about their day as usual. I love the Shrinking star's reaction to Powell's story, too, as he jokingly said that people at Cannes thought he was the young actor. Imagine that!
Harrison Ford isn’t the only veteran actor that Glen Powell learned from. He got advice from Tom Cruise during Top Gun: Maverick about how envisioning himself as the “underdog” of a story can bring out a memorable performance. The Twisters actor also received helpful advice from Denzel Washington about not comparing himself to other actors.
Even Matthew McConaughey gave him guidance to move back to Texas to be with his family and not be stuck in the “fake world” of Hollywood. With each piece of advice given to him, it’s no wonder Powell has been continuing to take the entertainment industry by storm.
While being an easily recognizable figure in Hollywood can be challenging, Harrison Ford taught Glen Powell how to walk the walk at Cannes without anyone noticing. As A-list celebs have to endure the attention of paparazzi, fans, and critics, take it from the Star Wars actor that walking into an event like anyone else can help you feel like a normal person before the spotlight sets in again.
