There's little reason to recall the 2012 romantic comedy Stuck in Love, an indie film that, despite featuring well-known actors like Jennifer Connelly and Greg Kinnear, earned under a million dollars globally. There's even less reason to recall Glen Powell's role in it, unless you were specifically looking for his square jaw and sandy hair. At just 23 years old, the Texas actor had a minor part in the ensemble, listed in the credits simply as “Good-Looking Frat Guy.
” For a while, it appeared that casting might define Powell’s career. With his blond hair, green eyes, tall and fit physique, and an all-American handsomeness that wasn’t overly striking, he seemed to be at risk of being relegated to background roles forever. He excelled in roles ranging from a cocky college jock in Richard Linklater’s 2016 comedy Everybody Wants Some!! to portraying midcentury astronaut John Glenn in Hidden Figures, embodying a classic image of clean-cut American masculinity.
While no one in the industry resembles Timothée Chalamet or Jason Momoa exactly, Glen Powell has a generic movie-star look, combining features reminiscent of Ryan Gosling, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt, and Tom Cruise. That’s not as negative as it might seem: Powell exudes a classic, almost quintessential Hollywood star quality, making it surprising that it has taken him this long to reach the A-list. However, he has indeed made that leap.
In just a few films, notably his supporting role alongside Cruise in Top Gun:.