It’s safe to say that Glen Powell falls in line with this generation’s leading men. With all of Powell's best movies the past summer, the critics and audiences have loved what the Texas native has been giving them. Before the Twisters actor became the leading man he is now, a reporter once asked a young Powell who he aspired to be in Hollywood. The answer came pretty easy for him- Denzel Washington.
It was declared “The Summer of Glen Powell” when the American actor had huge roles in big movies. He helped revive the rom-com genre with Anyone But You racking up more than $100 million, Netflix’s Hit Man was one of the streamer’s highest-rated originals, and Twisters had an exceptional opening weekend at the box office.
Before all of those big movies, Glen Powell started off with small supporting roles such as playing a Harvard debater in the Denzel Washington movie The Great Debaters. With his biggest role at the time being “Long-Fingered Boy” in Spy Kids 3-D, Sharp Magazine reported Washington’s publicist persuaded a reporter to interview the young Powell at the Los Angeles premiere of the biographical drama. After the Fast Food Nation actor was asked if he had any resolutions for the new year, he gave an on-point answer that set the tone of the whole interview:
I want to be Denzel Washington.
Even though Glen Powell didn’t have a lot of roles under his belt at the time he made that declaration, it proves he knew then who he aspired to be like and he picked a great choice. Denzel Washington’s first IMDB credit was in the made-for-TV movie Wilma as the Olympic track winner’s then-husband, Robert Eldridge. But, the TV show that launched the famous actor’s career was playing Dr. Phillip Chandler on the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere. Before you knew it, Washington blew people away with his best film performances in movies like Training Day, Remember the Titans, Malcolm X, and more. So, Powell’s acting muse started off in small roles just like him and ended up being one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Hours before the 2007 premiere of The Great Debaters, Denzel Washington helped Glen Powell take a chance on a Hollywood career by introducing him to big-named talent agent Ed Limato who convinced Powell to quit school and move to Los Angeles. But, the Top Gun: Maverick star was afraid at the time to take on this risk after he saw a lot of Texas hopefuls come back to their hometown with “the light in their eyes” diminished. Powell expressed his worries to Sharp Magazine about what he thought he’d realistically be up against:
I remember thinking, ‘I have a really good life in Texas. I have a great family and great friends. How much do I love this thing, and how much am I willing to bet on myself? I’m not a crazy person who went there being like, ‘I’m going to take on this town!’ I went in there being like, ‘I’m going to get hit in the face. A lot.’
Well, Glen Powell did have some “hit in the face” moments early on in his career. For example, a bouncer didn’t realize he was in The Expendables 3 after he was at Cannes’ VIP section to promote the movie which got “kind of physical.” There was also the time Powell royally messed up before fame when he threw a Hollywood party that got out of hand. But, that moment was a life lesson to the high-grossing actor about how careful you need to be in Hollywood if you want to make a name for yourself.
Fortunately, Glen Powell has experienced a lot of wins in his Hollywood career. Other than having a great summer, the rising star has plenty of upcoming roles in line for him. He’ll be starring in the revenge thriller Huntington as well as heading to TV with the Hulu series Chad Powers which he helped create, write, and executive produce. Powell is also “fired up” to star in the remake of Stephen King’s The Running Man about a reality show participant who needs to evade a series of hitmen to win money. It looks like the newly minted star’s success isn’t running out anytime soon.
Denzel Washington truly had a point when he bluntly told Glen Powell running into him in Hollywood “You owe me.” The Fences actor/director really did help lead the way for Powell to become the leading man material he is now by connecting him with his agent. It appears that the Hidden Figures actor got his wish to be like his Great Debaters co-star in topping the box office and becoming a household name just like his muse. Take a look at our 2024 movie releases so you don’t miss a beat on the two actors’ upcoming film projects.
