Summary
Like any actor who started working at a young age,Glen Powellhas had many small parts in unexpected movies and TV shows. BeforePowell gave his best movie performances,he did bit parts on network TV shows and elevated cameos in blockbusters,just like any other actor looking to break into the business. It didn’t take long for Powell to begin getting typecast as the boyfriend or the handsome guy at a party, but he’s transcended this pigeonholing ever since. If his diverse portfolio tells audiences and filmmakers anything, it’s that he’s capable of adapting to any role.
His other recent films,Anyone But YouandHit Man, prove that Powell isn’t just an action star or a romantic leading man; he’s a little bit of everything.
Thanks to Powell and the excellent creative team behind it, theTwistersmovie was a box-office successsimilar to classic summer blockbusters of the decades past. This achievement comes on the heels of Powell being part ofTop Gun: Maverickin 2022, which broke one billion dollars at the worldwide box office. His other recent films,Anyone But YouandHit Man, prove that Powell isn’t just an action star or a romantic leading man; he’s a little bit of everything. There’s no doubt thataudiences will see a lot more of Powell in the coming years.
Every Upcoming Glen Powell Movies After Twisters
Glen Powell has proven himself in movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, so what’s next for the actor?
The Great Debaters
Cast
The Great Debaters is a biographical drama film based on the true story of the Wiley College debate team. Set in the 1930s, the film follows the team’s journey to the national championships, led by coach Melvin B. Tolson, played by Denzel Washington, who also directed the film.
Directed by and starring Denzel Washington,the filmThe Great Debatersloosely adapts the true story of the Wiley College debate team.The movie takes place in the 1930s and sees the team members who attend the historically Black college hone their skills and rise through the ranks of collegiate debating. They face intense discrimination from the white teams they compete against, but eventually make it to the final round and compete against Harvard in the national debate championship.
Powell gives his all to the role and transforms himself into an entitled college student of the past.
It’s there that Powell appears as one of the Harvard debaters who competes against the Wiley team. It’s interesting to see Powell in a period piece, as many of his recent projects take place in the contemporary era. Additionally,it’s an unlikable role, as the audience is actively rooting against Harvardand the systems of white supremacy that have been harming the protagonists throughout the film. However, Powell gives his all to the role and transforms himself into an entitled college student of the past.
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is a police procedural drama that aired for 10 seasons from 2002-2012 on CBS. The first spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, the series features a group of detectives working for the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Crime Scene Investigations. David Caruso, Emily Procter, and Adam Rodriguez star on the show.
CSI: Miamiwas the first spinoff in theCSIuniverse afterCSI: Crime Scene Investigationbecame a breakout hit in the crime procedural genre. It’s extremely common for shows likeCSI,Law & Order, and other long-running procedural dramas to have episodes that feature an actor who would go on to achieve great fame. The same is true forPowell, who guest stars inCSI: Miamiseason 7, episode 12, “Head Case.“He plays Logan Crawford, the only surviving member of a family that was murdered.
“Head Case” isn’t the most terrifying or mind-bending episode ofCSI: Miami, as the killer is motivated by money, and Logan is only a witness to the crime by happenstance. Logan is in the military, which links to Powell’s later performance inTop Gun: Maverick.He’s a recurring witness that the CSI team calls in for questioninga few times. However, beyond his time at the precinct, Powell doesn’t do much in the episode.
Into the West
This historical miniseries examines the intertwining lives of two families—one white American and one Native American—against the backdrop of American expansion from 1825 to 1890. The series depicts significant events that influenced the cultural landscape and the complex interactions between differing worlds during this era.
It chronicles how the expansion to the West changed the shape of the land and the budding country.
Stephen Spielberg is behind the 2005 Western miniseriesInto the West,which predates the popularity ofYellowstoneand its resurgence of stories of the American West in the 1800s. The story follows a family of Indigenous Americans and a white settler family throughout the early to late 1800s. It chronicles how the expansion to the West changed the shape of the land and the budding country. Throughout the six episodes of the series, an enormous ensemble cast is featured, with many smaller roles for actors.
Powell is in the episode “Hell on Wheels” as Jackson Wheeler,one of the sons of the Wheeler family who helps his father create railroad towns and move further West. Much of the episode is dedicated to the creation of rail lines across the country and the labor that was put into this innovation. Powell’s Jackson is a less important member of the family and serves as a background character more than anything. However, it’s roles like Powell’s that help flesh out the world to make it feel real and lived in.
NCIS
NCIS is a television series that follows a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Premiering in 2003, the show explores various cases involving Navy and Marine Corps personnel, ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines.
Powell has Navy roots in bothTop Gun: MaverickandNCIS,as he played Marine Sergeant Evan Westcott in a two-part episode on the Naval crime show. This was a step up for Powell, as it was a multi-episode arc, which is rare for guest stars on procedurals likeNCIS. However,inNCISseason 10, episodes 6 and 7, “Shell Shock,” Powell stands outas a support system for the main guest stars of the episode.
It’s interesting to see how many times Powell has been cast as a military officialin crime dramas, as this character is similar to the role he played inCSI: Miami. Evan Westcott is brought into the episode because his brother is being investigated. Powell has the difficult job of keeping a level head and standing by his brother in the face of the evidence. The way he plays off his co-stars andNCISveterans is an indicator of the good things to come for Powell.
Scream Queens
A dark satirical comedy-horror series, Scream Queens follows a college sorority group at Wallace University where an unsolved murder case is resurrected following a string of new murders. When the school’s mascot, the Red Devil, begins murdering sorority members, the girls fight against the potential closure of their home while trying to stay alive.
It’s a shame that more people haven’twatched Powell inScream Queens, as Ryan Murphy’s short-lived and underrated horror TV series was chilling and hilarious. Chad Radwell,his character inScream Queens, demonstrates both Powell’s self-awareness and the types of projects he enjoystaking on. Chad is a caricature of the stereotypical white fraternity bro found on college campuses across America, andScream Queensputs a satirical and biting spin on this facet of masculinity.
ThoughScream Queensonly ran for two seasons, it remains a cult classic and is great to revisit for fans of Powell and horror-buffs.
Seeing Powell flex his comedic muscles is always enjoyable,and even as he’s been cast in purely action-fueled or romantic roles, Powell retains his sense of humor. ThoughScream Queensonly ran for two seasons, it remains a cult classic and is great to revisit for fans of Powell and horror-buffs. Watching Chad’s character subvert audience expectations surrounding his archetype and seeing Powell lean into the outlandish aspects of his role is fun until the very end.
Rizzoli & Isles
Rizzoli & Isles follows Boston detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles as they solve various complex crimes. Starring Angie Harmon as Rizzoli and Sasha Alexander as Isles, the series delves into their professional partnership and personal lives.
Rizzoli & Islesimmediately stood out among the competition. This was because not only was it an interesting twist on the classic crime procedural, butit also centered on two women as the protagonists.This is a big deal in the crime drama world, as the stories of men are typically centered in detective and crime-solving narratives. However, they have plenty of male co-stars and guest stars, including a young Powell. Though he has little screen time since he plays the murder victim, it’s a typical role for an actor early in their career.
Powell got his foot in the door early inRizzoli & Islesseason 2, episode 10, “Remember Me,” an episode that was important in the longer arc about the serial killer Charles Hoyt.Powell’s character, Graham Randall, is an inmate in the same prison as Hoyt,and Hoyt makes a deal with Rizzoli to help her catch the killer. It’s a dangerous game, and it’s clear that Hoyt has much more in store for Rizzoli than she realizes.
As Good Looking Frat Guy, Powell’s role inStuck in Lovewas a precursor to Chad inScream Queens.
The classic coming-of-age dramedyStuck in Lovefeatures a star-studded cast, andPowell stands his ground in his scene with Lily Collins.Though her character, Samantha, is a force of nature and tells Powell exactly what she wants from him, he plays this intimidation and interest with an air of quiet confidence. As Good Looking Frat Guy, Powell’s role inStuck in Lovewas a precursor to Chad inScream Queens. The archetype that he poked fun at in the TV show is what he embodies in the film.
Stuck in Loveis about falling in love during every phase of life and focuses on the fact that there’s always growing up to do, no matter how old you are. The performances are easily the best part ofStuck in Love, as the story sticks closely to the formula of a typically independent rom-com. However,this allowed Powell to dip his toe into a genre that would come to define much of his early success.In rom-coms likeSet It UpandAnyone But You, he got to step into the role of leading man.
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous
Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous follows six teenagers attending an adventure camp on Isla Nublar. As dinosaurs escape and create chaos, the group must unite to endure the perilous environment. Released in 2020, this animated series is set within the Jurassic World universe, expanding its thrilling narrative.
Not only does Powell shine in his live-action roles, but he’s been a force of nature in his vocal performance as well. While his popularity is making his voice more distinctive, the Powell audiences know and love slips away to become Dave, a counselor at the titular camp. Since he isn’t one of the children at the camp,Dave doesn’t get to have as much fun or get into hijinx, but he’s one of the more lighthearted adults at camp.Though it isn’t the largest role, Powell still makes the most of it.
While most older viewers likely haven’t seenJurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, it’s a solid iteration of theJurassic Worldfranchise, and Dave is a fun character to watch. The success of the animated series and its spinoff shows how much more is left to mine from theJurassic Worlduniverse. However,for Powell, there’s no shortage of opportunities in voice-acting,as he’s played Kwyatt inRick and Mortyand Trent inAll Hail King Julian.
The Dark Knight Rises
The Dark Knight Rises follows Batman as he returns to Gotham City eight years after the death of Harvey Dent. Now pursued by law enforcement, he faces new challenges from Selina Kyle and Bane, a formidable terrorist leader who threatens the city’s safety, compelling Batman to defend a city that sees him as a foe.
Though Powell’s small cameo in the film can’t truly be considered a performance, it does hint at his later action chops.
Of all the movies in Christopher Nolan’sThe Dark Knighttrilogy,The Dark Knight Risesis typically considered the weakest, as it lacks the driving conflict of the first two. There’s no question thatThe Dark Knightis the best of the series thanks to Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker,butThe Dark Knight Risesdoes have its fair share of great performances and Easter eggs. Though Powell’s small cameo in the film can’t truly be considered a performance, it does hint at his later action chops.
He appears when Bane infiltrates the Gotham Stock Exchange and ousts Bruce Wayne from Wayne Enterprises, and Powell is one of the traders he threatens. Though it’s not a particularly heroic role, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would stand up to Bane in that situation.Looking at the trajectory of Powell’s career, it’s more likely that he would take on the role of Batman todayrather than a market trader only featured in a single scene.
The thirdSpy Kidsmovie,Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, relies heavily on CGI and leans into the popularity of the style of video games in the early 2000s. However, for fans of the franchise, this doesn’t date the film; it only makes it more nostalgic. Now thatPowell has been launched into stardom, it only makes his cameo as Long-fingered Boy even more exciting and endearing.At thirteen, it was one of the actor’s biggest roles at the time,and the joy of the movie continues to inspire him.
Not every actor can look back on their early acting experience with as much enjoyment asGlen Powell, and for contemporary fans of the actor, it’s a great excuse to revisit a childhood favorite. Though the third installment wasn’t as much of a hit as the previous films, that doesn’t take away from the fact thatit’s an early favorite for many kids who were being introduced to cinema in the early 2000s.
