Glen Powell is showing Us how it’s done as his filmography continues to grow with success after success.
Top Gun: Maverick. Anyone But You. Hit Man. And now, Twisters. “I promise I’m gonna disappear really soon,” Glen Powell jokes during an exclusive interview with Us Weekly about his recent string of mass-appeal projects. (Please, no!)
Blessed with inviting green eyes, a jacked bod and charm to spare, the 35-year-old Texan has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after leading men. Send the thank-you to his parents.
“The greatest gift they gave me is letting me chase the passions I wanted to chase,” he says of Glen Sr. and Cyndy. “If I was sitting in the outfield picking dandelions [and thinking], ‘Yeah, I’m not really sure I’m meant for [baseball],’ they let me give it up. I’m just really grateful to my parents for not trying to deter me from a job that has such a low success rate!”
Not these days — not the way Powell performs. Twisters (in theaters July 17) is destined to be a megahit just like its 1996 predecessor, Twister. Here, Powell talks taking on tornadoes — and taking Hollywood by storm.
What inspired you to sign on for this Mother Nature run amok film?
One of the joys of this job is to return to worlds that got you into this business in the first place. Twister is such a visceral experience, but it’s [also] about these people and this real community: They’re just cowboys chasing the wind. There’s a sense of freedom, curiosity and fascination that permeates that movie. I left the original wanting to be on that ride. When this came around, [Top Gun: Maverick director] Joseph Kosinski was one of the early writers on the script, and he told me about a role I could potentially be right for. I felt so honored. It would’ve been a real bummer to see anybody wear Tyler’s cowboy hat other than me.
Your character, Tyler Owens, is a storm chaser so popular, he has his face on T-shirts and his own catchphrase (“If you feel it … chase it!”). What can you tell Us about his attraction to new-on-the-scene Kate Carter, the character played by Daisy Edgar-Jones?
Curiosity is the common theme of every storm chaser. Kate is going through her own internal storm, and Tyler looks at her like, “Something’s not right here, [but] I can’t put my finger on it.” He first [sees] her as a city girl, this outsider, and comes to realize what he’s drawn to is this common sense of community and home. We’re always drawn toward [someone] who makes us feel like home. Tyler’s role is to remind Kate of this thing she used to love — that storm chasing, the weather and looking up at the sky with reverence and awe and curiosity is the greatest gift in life.
Your parents often make cameos in your work. Where are they in Twisters?
They’re behind me in the rodeo [scene]. They got quite a few frames in this movie [laughs] — some good screen time. They’re in cowboy hats and boots, the whole getup. They’re from Texas, so they should look comfortable in that look, but they nailed it.
Glen Powell in ‘TWISTERS’ YouTube/Universal Pictures
You’ve taken on role after role recently. How did you develop such a strong work ethic?
It sounds silly, but when you have a great passion, it’s not really work. I’ve loved movies my whole life. Since I was a kid, I had a video camera around my neck. I always asked my parents to stay in the movie theater all day during the summer. I love summers because I love summer blockbusters. [Movies are] my love language. I feel like I’m getting a chance to do the thing I’ve always wanted to do.
What’s next for you?
I just want to keep doing this job, and I hope they keep letting me. That’s why I wake up and take this job seriously. I [was] an unemployed actor for a really, really long time, so I know what it’s like to dream of [being a working actor] and not be able to do it. As long as I can stay in the game, I’ll be happy.
Read more in this week’s relaunch issue of the brand-new Us Weekly, featuring 12 additional pages, a redesigned look and new franchises you’ll love — on newsstands now.