When determining today’s most popular actors, everyone loves a good heartthrob, and nobody has captured the hearts of today’s audiences better than “Twisters” frontman Glen Powell.
Powell has skyrocketed into the spotlight this past year, starring in projects like the Netflix sensation “Hit Man” – which Powell co-wrote with legendary director Richard Linklater – and the 2023 romcom favorite “Anyone But You” he co-starred in alongside Sydney Sweeney.
His latest film, “Twisters” is the highly anticipated sister of the 1996 classic “Twister.” And it’s already rocking the box office. Powell plays the charming country-boy storm chaser Tyler, who appears frequently alongside star Daisy Edgar-Jones’s Kate.
Behind the sparkling blue eyes and dazzling smile, who is Powell really, and why is he suddenly everywhere?
The 35-year-old actor originally hails from Austin, Texas, perhaps explaining why he looks right at home with a cowboy hat on his head. His parents, Cyndy and Glen Powell Sr., and his two sisters, Lauren and Leslie, have made countless cameos on his Instagram, whether attending red carpets by his side or heckling him at talk show appearances.
The family man began acting in 2003, landing his first role as – wait for it – “Long-fingered Boy” in the third installment of the beloved “Spy Kids” franchise, “Spy Kids 3: Game Over.”
Though, if you thought Powell turned out to be the poster child for the one-dimensional pretty-boy stereotype, think again.
Despite landing small or odd roles at the beginning of his career, Powell’s resume is impressive.
He has booked everything from voice acting in cartoons to guest appearances in crime TV staples like “NCIS.” Some of his most popular projects are comedies like “Everybody Wants Some!!,” and romcoms like “Anyone But You,” where he plays the outwardly goofy hot guy type.
Powell has a unique ability to add emotional depth to these seemingly predictable and forgettable characters. His performances in the aforementioned films, and his supporting role as astronaut John Glenn in “Hidden Figures” and the cuttingly arrogant but redeeming Hangman in “Top Gun: Maverick,” earned him praise from fans and typically skeptical critics.
His newest gig as Tyler in “Twisters” continues this trend. Tyler is a rugged tornado chaser who on the surface appears to be a frat-bro-type YouTuber chasing virality, but there is much, much more to him than meets the eye.
Perhaps his most unique performance is his recent portrayal of Gary Johnson in “Hit Man.”
Gary, a philosophy professor by day turned police informant by night, plays the part of a hitman during stings to entice confessions from would-be criminals needing his “services.” Powell showed off a more serious, nerdy side of himself in this film, pleasantly surprising considering the project’s “comedy” classification.
Powell boasts a well-rounded and developed acting arsenal. But he wasn’t always able to book roles, struggling for years until landing “Harvard Debater #1” in Denzel Washington’s 2007 film “The Great Debaters.” Washington introduced Powell to his legendary agent, Ed Limato, whose passing in 2010 left Powell devastated and nowhere close to breaking onto the scene.
Without an agent or agency behind him, Powell went to work learning how to write to widen his skill set while persistently auditioning and re-auditioning for projects. This led him to well-known films, like “Hidden Figures,” “Everybody Wants Some!!,” “The Expendables 3” and “Set It Up.”
His tenacity has done more than just land him roles, it’s allowed him to breathe new life into projects; from bringing Zoey Deutch into “Set It Up” after Emilia Clarke’s exit from the film almost indefinitely stopped production, to helping rewrite Hangman for “Top Gun: Maverick” into a more dynamic character, Powell has translated his persistence from audition rooms to sets.
Being “a tall and handsome white dude” with mentors like Washington, Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey, Powell certainly isn’t an underdog. But numerous profiles and interviews with Powell hint at what could be driving his popularity, noting his movie star-like aura, his adeptness at accepting and molding roles, his work ethic and his genuine graciousness off camera.
Reporters also mark Powell as someone who knows his worth, insisting on theatrical releases for many of his recent projects, and someone unafraid of embracing the classic star-making genres like the rom-com, which studios have been, perhaps, stupidly, abandoning. It doesn’t hurt either that he has nothing short of a reverence for movies and the industry.
Now, Powell has officially moved back to Texas with his dog Brisket, allowing him to be with family and get back to finishing his bachelor’s degree in Spanish and American history from the University of Texas, Austin remotely in between shoots.
But don’t worry, he’ll be back on a screen near you shortly.
This article was edited by Alfie Pritchard, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Charlie Mennuti.
