Before Glen Powell became a bonafide leading man, he appeared in plenty of supporting roles in films like The Great Debaters, Sex Ed and Hidden Figures. Then, he took on the role of “Hangman” in the record-breaking Top Gun: Maverick, which completely changed the trajectory of his acting career for the better. While the Texas native needed time to contemplate whether to take on the role of the F/A-18E pilot, helpful advice from Tom Cruise helped bring him around to remind him he’s “the underdog.”
Originally, Glen Powell auditioned for the role of “Rooster,” the son of Maverick's late friend “Goose,” which he lost to Miles Teller. While Powell may not have gotten second billing to Tom Cruise, the Mission: Impossible star insisted that not only the Everybody Wants Some!!! actor play “Hangman,” but for his role to be expanded. While speaking on Today, the Scream Queens actor recalled how he waffled whether or not to play “Hangman” until Cruise approached him about it:
Tom gave me this great advice when I was sort of waffling on if I was going to do Top Gun at all. He was really relentless. He really invited me into the process and that's how Tom works. It's a team sport. It's a living, breathing organism where you're all kind of contributing ideas. But yeah, that movie really changed my life in so many ways. But really I think it was a signal of a new chapter in my life and ownership over that new chapter.
It absolutely marked a new chapter in Glen Powell’s acting career. Since Powell was lucky enough to have a role in the post-pandemic movie that brought people back into theaters, he's made plenty of other moves. He’s also responsible for saving the rom-com genre, as Anyone But You became a surprise box office hit that surpassed $100 million. Just as the Fast Food Nation actor’s luck kept soaring, he earned the lead role in Richard Linklater's Hit Man, which has become one of Netflix’s highest-rated originals. It’s a good thing Tom Cruise, in a way, helped steer the actor in the right direction career-wise.
Believe it or not, when the Texas native first read the script and learned about “Hangman,” he actually had “hate” for the pilot role. The actor felt like the cocky character wouldn’t work for the movie. I'd like to think everything worked out for the best, though. When speaking about the current professional position he now founds himself in, the star said the following:
You have to sort of tell yourself you're the underdog in this story and eventually it's gonna lead to a big game, you know? ... I think that's where I'm really taking in this moment right now, I've always sort of kept my head down and just kept at it. Now, I'm getting to sit down with people like you and really talk about this stuff in a way that's yeah, it's been really amazing and surreal.
Having an “underdog” mindset would mean going into an unpredictable situation, even if it feels like the odds are stacked against you. Fortunately, the fan-favorite star's part in Top Gun: Maverick ended up being well received. Not to mention that fact that it truly felt like he was channeling Top Gun’s “Iceman” for this generation.
Up next, the A-lister is set to headline the summer blockbuster sequel Twisters and the revenge thriller Huntington. He also has the Hulu comedy series Chad Powers on the docket. Amid all of his success, many are declaring this to be “The Summer of Glen Powell.” Even Tom Cruise recognized his co-star after he was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame, noting his “Texas-sized talent.” I'm really hopeful the two will reunite for a third Top Gun movie or share the screen again in some other capacity.
It's truly amazing how things work out, and I'm so glad they panned out in Glen Powell's favor. I'm not entirely sure much of the public will actually view him as an underdog, given the success he's found. However, I'd imagine that no matter how successful he gets, he'll continue to keep that same spirit and mindset when approaching his work.
Watch Glen Powell as “Hangman” in Top Gun: Maverick using a Paramount+ subscription. You can also stream Hit Man with a Netflix subscription now and, later this summer, check out Twisters when it opens in theaters on July 19 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
