Glen Powell who has now become a household name, reflected on his harsh struggling days in Hollywood. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Twisters actor admitted that he witnessed the darkest moments during his initial days as an actor.
‘As a struggling actor, there’s no harder place to live than being in Hollywood with nothing going on,’ he told the outlet.
He explained that the currency of this job profile is around a person’s relevancy and last job which makes one extremely self-aware. The Anything But You actor revealed that at times he got through uncertain times by lying to himself. ‘Even at the darkest moments in that town, when I really didn’t have anything happening, you sort of have to lie to yourself,’ he said.
Powell often adjusted to the delusion that the bad period was a chapter in his life where things weren’t going right. ‘You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of those people that you admire, the people that you’re chasing, that had those long stretches of famine as well,’ he added.
Powell emphasized that many people don’t understand that it’s difficult to even get an audition in the industry, let alone land a role. “People are like, ‘Oh man, auditioning must be tough.’ And I’m like, ‘No, auditioning is a luxury,’ ” he said. Powell further revealed that a lot of preparation is required before even stepping into acting like sufficient money to afford headshots and an agent.
He noted how people would struggle to find people to talk to even at a ‘damn’ Hollywood party. However, he admitted that audition is the best part of the process. ‘Auditioning feels like you’re at the party. You’ve gotten past the velvet rope. You may not be able to afford a drink at the party, but you’re in it, you can taste it,’ Powell explained.
However, because of the cutthroat nature of the business, many people remain outside of the velvet rope and sometimes don’t even reach anywhere in the vicinity. Powell landed his breakout role as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. Since then he’s delivered hits after hits and become a renowned personality in the industry.
