Glen Powell

Early life and education

Glen Thomas Powell Jr. was born on October 21, 1988, in Austin, Texas, to Glen Powell Sr., an executive coach and Cyndy, a homemaker; he has two sisters. His father is of Polish and Lipka Tatar ancestry and his original surname was “Chutsky”. Powell graduated from Westwood High School in Austin, Texas in 2007, where he played football and lacrosse. He attended the University of Texas at Austin (UT) for one year, calling it "the greatest year of [his] entire life", but dropped out and did not finish his degree. He initially expected to complete the requirements in spring 2024, then pushed to spring 2025, but since his schedule limited his time commitments, he put off his goal to spring 2027. As of November 2025, he was enrolled in UT's Radio-Television-Film program and is taking classes over Zoom.

Career

2003–2017: Early work and breakthrough

Powell's acting career began while working with Antonio Banderas and Sylvester Stallone in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over. In 2007, before his first year of college, Powell landed a role in The Great Debaters, directed by and starring Denzel Washington. Washington introduced him to agent Ed Limato, who encouraged Powell to move to Los Angeles. After moving to the city, Powell stayed with a friend of the family and he later described struggling during this period to get roles, including failed auditions for Friday Night Lights, Cowboys & Aliens, and The Longest Ride. However, he saw some success with small credits in television series, including Into the West, Jack & Bobby, CSI: Miami, NCIS, Without a Trace, Rizzoli & Isles and The Lying Game. He also had minor parts in The Dark Knight Rises and Stuck in Love. Powell stated that he auditioned multiple times for the role in The Dark Knight Rises and that Christopher Nolan taking a chance on him was a validation as "nothing was going on" in his life at the time.

Powell began receiving larger roles in feature films around 2014. He played a hacker in The Expendables 3, an action movie that starred several well-known stars and that reunited Powell with Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas. Powell later recounted asking Stallone for advice while filming on how to succeed in Hollywood. Powell next took minor roles in the comedies Sex Ed and Ride Along 2. During this period, he also had a main role in the first season of the television show Scream Queens and a recurring role in the second season. In March 2016, he co-starred as Finnegan in Everybody Wants Some!!, Richard Linklater's spiritual sequel to Dazed & Confused, which was filmed in Austin, Texas and released by Paramount. The film was noted for being one of the first movies to really showcase Powell, with Linklater stating: "I needed someone with some charisma who was going to be smart, who was also believable as a college athlete... (He appeared) like this Beat character—he was even reading The Subterraneans, I think." Later that year, Powell played astronaut John Glenn in the biographical drama Hidden Figures. In 2017, he had a minor role as Sergeant Dylan Chutsky in the Netflix film Sand Castle. He then starred in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018).

2018–present: ''Top Gun: Maverick'' and expansion

In 2018, Powell starred opposite Zoey Deutch in the romantic comedy Set It Up. The movie was released on Netflix. Powell reflected in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he started getting more calls from contacts in the film industry after the movie's release, and Jake Greenburg of The Guardian commented that it was the "first movie wise enough to let [Powell] take up real space". Later that year, Powell joined the cast of Top Gun: Maverick. He had initially auditioned for the role of Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, but the part went to Miles Teller. Powell's audition impressed producers, who offered him the role of Jake "Hangman" Seresin instead but Powell was reluctant to take the role because he viewed the character as underdeveloped. A call from Tom Cruise, the star of the film, convinced Powell to accept the part, with Cruise offering him greater control over the character. The film was delayed multiple times due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it turned into a "breakout role" for Powell upon its release in May 2022.

Powell next worked as a voice actor in the animated film Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, which premiered in March 2022 in his second collaboration with Linklater. He then played naval officer Tom Hudner in the biographical war film, Devotion. The film, which Powell executive produced, received positive reviews when released in November 2022, but it was a box-office bomb.

In 2023, He co-starred opposite Sydney Sweeney in the romantic comedy Anyone but You, which emerged as a sleeper hit, grossing $220 million worldwide. Around its release in December 2023, the film generated buzz because of speculation about a potential off-screen romance between Powell and Sweeney, although the two stars later admitted that the appearance of a real-life relationship was part of a marketing strategy. Powell remarked to The New York Times: "That's people wanting what's on the screen off the screen and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit". He later indicated that the press tour was designed as "its own sense of entertainment". The film's success propelled Powell's career to stardom with Scott Mendelson writing: "It’s a lower-budgeted, adult-skewing rom-com that relishes – rather than represses their star charisma and sex appeal ... It’s a star vehicle harkening back to when thespians, not IP or marquee characters, were franchises." In the immediate aftermath, Powell was offered and signed on for a slew of star-vehicles including Chad Powers, The Running Man, How To Make A Killing, and The Great Beyond; while also turning down projects like Jurassic World: Rebirth with Powell reasoning: "I’m not doing that movie because I read the script and I immediately was like, my presence in this movie doesn’t help it ... It’s about choosing where you’re going to make an audience happy and where you’re going to make yourself happy."

In 2024, Powell produced and co-wrote the script of the romantic black comedy Hit Man with director Richard Linklater. Several critics praised Powell's performance in it as an undercover police contractor posing as a hitman. Alissa Wilkinson of The New York Times called it a "genuine star-clinching turn" for Powell, while Sophie Butcher of Empire wrote that he "announces himself as a movie star and a filmmaking force to be reckoned with". After premiering at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, Hit Man was released on Netflix in June 2024. His performance in Hit Man earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. In the following month, he starred in the disaster film Twisters, a standalone sequel to the 1996 film Twister, playing a YouTube storm chaser. IndieWire's David Ehrlich commended him for "churning pure charisma" in his part. The film was a critical and box office success.

In 2025, Powell starred as Russ Holiday in the comedy series Chad Powers, which he helped to create and produce. The show follows Holiday's attempt to stage a comeback in football by disguising himself with a fake identity. Stuart Heritage of The Guardian called Powell's role one of the "most magnetic and magical performances in memory", while Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter didn't care for the show but thought positively of Powell: "A major piece of this hypothetical renegade ethos is seeing how far Glen Powell’s abundant natural charm can be pushed in having him play two characters who are completely unlikable in different ways? Both Russ and Chad are inconsistently written, but Powell is fully committed to all of their inconsistencies. The thing he’s most consistent with is his general athleticism." The first season was successful, and was renewed for a second season. He then starred as the titular character in the remake of Stephen King's thriller novel The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright and released in November 2025. The film received mixed reviews and bombed at the box office.

Upcoming

In 2026, Powell will star in the black comedy thriller How to Make A Killing and J. J. Abrams' fantasy film The Great Beyond opposite Jenna Ortega.

In 2027, he will co-star opposite Cristin Milioti in an untitled Judd Apatow romantic-comedy film about a country-western star in free-fall. It will be filmed in the spring of 2026.

Personal life

Powell is a licensed pilot. His Top Gun: Maverick co-star Tom Cruise paid for him to attend flight school.

Powell has declared himself to be a superfan of the Texas Longhorns. In 2024, he relocated from Los Angeles back to his hometown of Austin, Texas.

Filmography

Film

Television

Audio

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. (March 13, 2024). "Hollywood's New A-List: Timothée Chalamet Gets Salary Boost After Box Office Hits". Variety.
2. Newland, Christina. (July 18, 2024). "Glen Powell to Zendaya: Are genuine movie stars being born again?".
3. Blackwood, Emily. (2023-12-28). "All About Glen Powell's Parents, Cyndy Powell and Glen Powell Sr.".
4. Barnes, Brooks. (June 7, 2024). "Glen Powell Is Absolutely Willing to Play the Hollywood Game". The New York Times.
5. (May 22, 2022). "'Top Gun: Maverick' Actor Glen Powell is Descended from the Warriors of Genghis Khan".
6. (March 3, 2014). "Glen Powell of The Expendables 3". Nylon Media.
7. Odam, Matthew. (2017-02-17). "Westwood High School grad at UT alumnus starring in 'Expendables 3'".
8. Addison, Brandi D.. (July 18, 2024). "Actor Glen Powell to return to the University of Texas at Austin to complete his degree".
9. Larson, Lauren. (November 2025). "Glen Powell Plays the Long Game". [[Texas Monthly]].
10. Neer, Lindsy. (April 27, 2023). "Glen Powell returns to Austin to give keynote at UT Moody College commencement".
11. Hogan, Kate. (2024-05-02). "Remember Glen Powell's Part in 'Spy Kids 3-D'? He Calls Filming 'One of the Best Days' of His Life".
12. (August 12, 2013). "The Expendables 3 Adds Newcomer Glen Powell".
13. Holloway, Diane. (October 12, 2007). "Austin teens compete on 'Endurance: Fiji'". Austin360.com.
14. Barnes, Michael. (December 24, 2007). "Glen Powell Jr. picks up debate tips from Denzel Washington". Austin360.com.
15. Rose, Lacey. (2024-05-22). "Glen Powell Finally Conquered Hollywood. So Why Is He Leaving?".
16. Hartman, Eva. (2024-05-28). "Glen Powell initially turned down his 'Top Gun' role — so Tom Cruise rewrote it for him".
17. "Game Changers 2015: Glen Powell".
18. Breznican, Anthony. (2024-11-13). "Glen Powell's Secret: "I Try to Think Audience First, Rather Than Me First"".
19. Gross, Joe. (August 14, 2014). "Austin-raised actor Glen Powell talks 'The Expendables 3'".
20. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. (2016-03-18). "Glen Powell Doesn't Even Know His 'Scream Queens' Season 2 Storyline".
21. (November 18, 2015). "Richard Linklater's 'Everybody Wants Some' to Open SXSW".
22. [https://www.gq.com/story/glen-powell-on-what-makes-a-modern-leading-man Glen Powell: ‘I Just Find That It’s Cool and Tough to Be Open and Vulnerable’]
23. Ehrbar, Ned. (2017-02-28). "Oscars 2017: "Hidden Figures" star Glen Powell salutes Bill Paxton on the red carpet - CBS News".
24. N'Duka, Amanda. (2015-10-14). "Glen Powell Enlists In 'Sand Castle'; Diane Guerrero Joins 'The Godmother'".
25. Windsor, Harry. (2018-04-12). "'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society': Film Review".
26. Kroll, Justin. (March 30, 2017). "Zoey Deutch to Star With Glen Powell in Netflix's Romantic Comedy 'Set It Up'". variety.com.
27. Greenberg, Jake. (2018-07-02). "How sleeper hit Set It Up suggests a bright future for Netflix originals". The Guardian.
28. Kit, Borys. (2018-08-01). "Glen Powell to Join Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun' Sequel After All (Exclusive)".
29. Klein, Brennan. (2022-04-08). "Top Gun 2 Star Shares Sweet Tom Cruise Story About His First Audition".
30. Suglia, Casey. (2022-04-02). "The Cast of 'Apollo 10 1/2' Might Seem Familiar".
31. Scott, Ryan. (2022-11-28). "Strange World, The Fabelmans And Devotion All Bombed Big Time At The Box Office".
32. (January 10, 2024). "Sony Lands Surprise Box Office Hit With 'Anyone But You'".
33. McArdle, Tommy. (2024-04-24). "Glen Powell Admits He and Sydney Sweeney Leaned Into Romance Rumors to Market Anyone But You: 'It Worked'".
34. Spencer, Ashley. (2024-04-23). "Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell on How 'Anyone but You' Beat the Rom-Com Odds". The New York Times.
35. [https://scottmendelson.substack.com/p/anyone-but-you-offers-the-solution 'Anyone But You' Offers The Solution For Hollywood's Movie Star Problem]
36. (May 22, 2024). "Glen Powell Finally Conquered Hollywood. So Why Is He Leaving?".
37. Austin, We Are. (2024-05-16). "Big night for Austin's own Glen Powell with "Hitman" premiere and Texas Film Hall of Fame".
38. Fink, Richard. (2024-06-02). "Why Glen Powell Chose Hit Man as His Writing Debut".
39. Wilkinson, Alissa. (2024-05-23). "'Hit Man' Review: It's a Hit, Man". The New York Times.
40. Butcher, Sophie. (2024-05-22). "Hit Man Review".
41. Rich, Katey. (2024-01-22). "Glen Powell's Hit Man Gets a Release Date — And, Hallelujah, It's Going to Theaters".
42. Richardson, Kalia. (2024-04-18). "Glen Powell Becomes a Master of Disguise in Latest 'Hit Man' Trailer".
43. (December 9, 2024). "2025 Golden Globes nominations revealed: See the full list of nominees".
44. Grebey, James. (2024-05-01). "Everything to Know About the Twisters Cast: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones & More".
45. Ehrlich, David. (2024-07-10). "''Twisters'' Review: Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones Deliver Classic Amblin Thrills in One of the Most Satisfying Movies of the Summer".
46. [https://collider.com/glen-powell-twisters-streaming-success-may/ Glen Powell’s 2024 Legacy Sequel Storms Its Way to More Streaming Success]
47. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/twisters-whips-up-record-box-office-opening-1235953762/ Box Office: ‘Twisters’ Whips Up Huge Storm With Record $80.5M Domestic Opening]
48. Otterson, Joe. (2024-08-22). "Glen Powell Transforms Into College Football Player in 'Chad Powers' First Look".
49. Heritage, Stuart. (September 30, 2025). "Chad Powers review – Glen Powell gives one of the most magnetic and magical performances in memory". The Guardian.
50. Fienberg, Daniel. (2025-09-26). "'Chad Powers' Review: Glen Powell's Hulu Football Comedy Is a Disappointingly Conventional Farce With a Late-Game Hail Mary".
51. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/chad-powers-glen-powell-renewed-season-2-hulu-1236441193/ Chad Powers’ Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu]
52. Kroll, Justin. (2024-04-11). "Glen Powell To Star In Edgar Wright’s ‘The Running Man’ Reimagining At Paramount – CinemaCon".
53. [https://www.slashfilm.com/2028958/why-glen-powell-the-running-man-flopped-box-office/ 5 Reasons Why Glen Powell's The Running Man Flopped At The Box Office]
54. [https://cosmicbook.news/running-man-bombs-box-office-collapses-opening-weekend Running Man Bombs Hard: Box Office Collapses On Opening Weekend]
55. [https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/11/11/edgar-wrights-the-running-man-panned-by-critics Edgar Wright's ‘The Running Man' Earns Mixed Reviews — 59 on Metacritic]
56. Gajewski, Ryan. (2025-11-19). "Glen Powell's A24 Thriller 'Huntington' Gets New Title, Early 2026 Release".
57. Gajewski, Ryan. (2025-11-25). "Glen Powell Goes to Extremes to Secure His Inheritance in A24's 'How to Make a Killing' Trailer".
58. Sarah. (2025-08-19). "Whatever are we in for with JJ Abrams' latest mystery box film, Ghostwriter, starring Glen Powell?".
59. [https://deadline.com/2026/01/cristin-milioti-glen-powell-judd-apatow-1236685363/ Cristin Milioti Joins Glen Powell In Judd Apatow’s New Comedy At Universal; Film To Bow In February 2027]
60. Murphy, Helen. (2020-03-11). "Tom Cruise Paid for Glen Powell to Get His Pilot's License After Working on Top Gun: Maverick".
61. Darney, Caroline. (2023-12-30). "Texas superfan Glen Powell talks Longhorns football, the CFP and being Matthew McConaughey's deputy".
62. DeLaura, Cat. (2024-05-23). "Glen Powell Has Moved Back to Austin From California".
63. Ntim, Zac. (2022-10-04). "Richard Linklater's 'Hitman' Starts Production In New Orleans; ShivHans Pictures and Monarch Media Board As Co-Financiers With AGC".
64. Spangler, Todd. (2021-10-13). "Glen Powell Starring in Audible's '10 Days' Basketball Drama Podcast From Executive Producer Steve Nash".
65. "10 Days {{!}} Basketball Drama Podcast by Aaron Tracy, Starring Glen Powell".
66. "The Best Man's Ghostwriter". [[IMDb]].
67. "The Best Man's Ghostwriter". [[Audible (service).
68. Guglielmi, Jodi. (February 27, 2017). "SAG Awards 2017: 'Hidden Figures' Wins Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture".
69. McNary, Dave. (December 1, 2016). "'Hidden Figures' Cast Set for Honor at Palm Springs Film Festival".
70. Whittaker, Richard. (January 11, 2023). "'Everything Everywhere All at Once' Wins Everything at the Austin Film Critics Association Awards".
71. "27th Annual Film Awards (2022)". [[Online Film & Television Association]].
72. Malec, Brett. (February 18, 2024). "2024 People's Choice Awards: Complete List of Nominees".
73. Neglia, Matt. (July 3, 2024). "The 2024 Hollywood Creative Alliance (HCA) Midseason Astra Award Winners".
74. (December 8, 2024). "'Wicked', 'Hacks' and 'The Bear' Dominate the 2024 Astra Film, TV and Creative Arts Awards". [[Hollywood Creative Alliance]].
75. (December 9, 2024). "Nominations Announced for 82nd Annual Golden Globes". [[Golden Globe Foundation]].
76. "2024 Satellite Awards Winners". [[International Press Academy]].
77. Lewis, Hilary. (January 15, 2025). "2025 Writers Guild Awards Nominations: 'Challengers,' 'My Old Ass,' 'A Complete Unknown,' 'Dune: Part Two' Among Films Nominated".
78. (January 2026). "CinemaCon 2025: Star of the Year Announced".
79. Lang, Brent. (2025-12-08). "Golden Globes 2026 Nominations: ‘One Battle After Another’ Tops Films With Nine Nods, ‘White Lotus’ Leads TV With Six".