Glen Powell’s acting career continues to be impressive. His performance in The Running Man further cements his status as an action star, and his role in Chad Powers landed him a 2026 Golden Globe nomination. Now, with the talented actor becoming a household name, he shares his honest take on how it feels to be compared to his Top Gun: Maverick co-star, Tom Cruise. And, needless to say, he's not putting too much stock in that assumption.
Before Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell was doing smaller supporting roles in films like Everybody Wants Some and The Dark Knight Rises. He was also leading smaller, but beloved, movies like Set It Up. Then, after losing the role of "Rooster" to Miles Teller for the Top Gun sequel, Tom Cruise insisted he take on the part of “Hangman.” Now, Maverick is one of the movies that has helped skyrocket Powell's career. So if anything, you can thank Cruise for helping his co-star become the star he is now.
But are these two actors one and the same? With Powell being labeled as “the next Tom Cruise,” he got real with Deadline at the Golden Globes about how he feels about that comparison, and he makes a great point:
There is only one Tom Cruise, and anyone that tries to recreate those footsteps, that's a losing enterprise. But I will say, to have Tom as a friend, as a mentor, as a guy that's really in every single phase of this business, which can be pretty disorienting…. for the busiest guy in Hollywood, he's the most present guy who always shows up. And I'm very, very grateful to call him a friend.
As easy as it is to compare actors with other big names, it is true that there’s only one Tom Cruise. Just like there’s only one Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Bruce Willis, or Keanu Reeves. They’re one of a kind. Sure, there are times Powell sounds like the Risky Business actor, like when he previously talked about how to handle stuntwork. And even Powell’s approach about making movies for the fans sounds very Tom Cruise of him. But ultimately, the two bankable stars do things their own unique way.
The Twisters actor truly is lucky to have a friend and mentor in Tom Cruise. He immediately gave him sage words of advice about telling yourself, “you’re the underdog,” which helped make him quite a stand-out in the long-awaited sequel, with a similar energy Val Kilmer gave as “Iceman.”
The same was said when Cruise told Powell about “how to survive” doing a fast-paced action movie like The Running Man without breaking any bones. The Mission: Impossible star was even the Anyone But You actor’s first phone call about his approach to prosthetics for Chad Powers. It’s sweet to know that the Jerry Maguire actor is always there whenever Powell needs direction to continue giving memorable performances.
Fans may be quick to compare Glen Powell to Tom Cruise, but that doesn’t mean the Hit Man actor plans to replace Cruise in the Mission: Impossible films anytime soon. It appears that Powell wants to rightfully make a name for himself while still looking up to Cruise as a mentor and friend. This makes me all the more excited to see these two reunite someday.
You can watch the rising star in Top Gun: Maverick and The Running Man with a Paramount+ subscription.
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