Glen Powell is 37-years-old, a young man by most people’s standards, but already rather old by Hollywood standards. This is compounded by the fact the actor has only been a notable name for a few short years now, and grinded it out for well over a decade before landing his breakthrough role in Top Gun: Maverick (though some may credit Netflix’s Step it Up).
It was not an easy road to the top. Though Glen Powell’s alleged net worth is in the several million dollar range at this point, at varying points, he was simply the guy who got pushed around in the background of a scene in The Dark Knight Rises. He also nearly passed on Top Gun: Maverick until Tom Cruise convinced him to join after losing the role he really wanted to Miles Teller.
He’s been open about failing in Hollywood over and over again early on, and learning along the way. What he’s said about the process and getting to where he is now.
Auditioning In Hollywood Is A "Luxury."
A couple of years ago, Powell was asked how hard auditioning over and over again is in Hollywood and he told Vanity Fair it’s a “luxury.” The real hard part is grinding it out to even get invited to the table:
Finding an agent, finding anybody to talk to you at a damn party, having enough money to pay for headshots, these are the things that no one talks about. Trying to pay for acting class, and trying to get better. Auditioning feels like you’re at the party. You’ve gotten past the velvet rope. You may not be able to afford a drink at the party, but you’re in it, you can taste it. But so often in Hollywood, most of the time you are outside that velvet rope. Most of the time the bouncer is not even allowing you anywhere in the vicinity.
Going to bars and clubs may not sound like hard work, but lots of doors were shut on Powell early on. Yet, he kept showing up, and auditioning for a lot of gigs he didn't actually get, including Friday Night Lights and Glee.
When Things Are Going Poorly, “Lie To Yourself.”
Powell would land small roles, then feel like he was in a barren desert for a while. Then, he’d see another tiny tidbit of success, and then it would rinse and repeat. He also told VF it got to a point where he was trying to help limited budget projects get off the ground so he could appear in them. What kept him going though? He simply lied to himself…
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. 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.
Powell moved to LA in 2008, and landed a few roles that nabbed him attention, but not enough to string together a consistent career for some time. Still, hooking up with Richard Linklater for Everybody Wants Some! in 2014 was a notable turn, as did filming Netfix's Set It Up in 2017.
He Did Get Some Encouragement From Denzel Washington Early On.
Glen Powell had early successes in the Spy Kids franchise, and also appeared with Hollywood great Denzel Washington really early on during the making of the 2007 movie The Great Debaters. It was Denzel who encouraged the young actor to keep going, and gave him a piece of advice that stuck with him…
Denzel was the guy that said, ‘Hey, I think you should really give this a shot.'
Top Gun: Maverick wouldn't begin production for another 11 years after the movie's release, and wouldn't hit the movie schedule until 2022.
Powell Made Some Mistakes Personally, Too.
One of the most memorable stories Glen Powell ever told had to do with lodging he'd managed to secure thanks to a family friend. The living situation was in a pool house in the posh Beverly Hills neighborhood, and instead of being grateful for the situation, he decided to leverage it by throwing a party that he thought would hopefully improve his career.
Nobody gives a fuck about you in Hollywood if you can’t offer them something. I made a mistake and offered the house. … She laid into me that night and rightfully so.
He was kicked out by the family afterward, a move he later said felt like "the worst hangover ever." But, he learned from it.
He’s Not Even Close To Ready To Slow Down, Yet.
These days, he knows he won’t be on the top forever in Hollywood. His plan? He’s making as many movies as he can for as long as he can, and really does not want to “press the brake.” In fact, he told CinemaBlend he feels like he is finally “getting started.”
No, I’m not [tired]. I’m honestly having the time of my life. I don’t need a break. You know what’s fun is that… I mean, I’ve been wanting to do this job for, like, literally my entire life. So, it’s like, I don’t know why I would press the brake when I feel like I’m just starting to get going. But, I’m having fun.
The hard work has paid off. Glen Powell’s got several upcoming projects in the pipeline, these days. You can catch him in How To Make A Killing, in theaters now, or see him in The Great Beyond, The Natural Order, or the currently still untitled music comedy from Judd Apatow he has coming up. Doubtless, there will be plenty more to come from the actor as he approaches the big 4-0 in Tinseltown.
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