Glen Powell Discloses Earnings from His Early Film Roles
Glen Powell reflects on his days as a young actor in Los Angeles, struggling to make ends meet.
“You don’t earn much, even if you land some roles,” he shared during a talk with Jake Shane in the September 24 episode of Shane’s “Therapuss” podcast.
“Living in L.A. often means scraping together every penny for essentials,” he noted. “Everything counts. You evaluate a rotisserie chicken in terms of how long it can sustain you… I would go out to dinner but wouldn’t order anything because I couldn’t share the bill.”
For Powell, 36, this situation began to improve after he starred as Thorn in the 2014 film Expendables 3. He described this as the moment the “burden” of financial instability started to lift.
“I received the bare minimum pay, but since I was there for several months, I earned enough,” Powell remembered. “It was the best money I had ever made—around $70,000. I recall thinking, ‘I don’t have to worry about how much a cup of coffee costs anymore.’”
Since then, Powell’s career has flourished. His role alongside Sydney Sweeney in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You reportedly earned him $5 million, according to Variety, alongside appearances in major films like Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters.
In an exclusive chat with Us Weekly ahead of the summer 2024 release of Twisters, Powell reflected on how the sequel to the 1996 blockbuster reignited his passion for acting.
2024 has undoubtedly been Glen Powell’s year. While he has been in Hollywood for a while, nothing elevates an actor’s heartthrob status like appearing in a white T-shirt in the rain or shotgunning a beer on stage with Luke Combs (thanks to the summer blockbuster Twisters).
“One of the wonderful aspects of this role is revisiting the worlds that inspired you to pursue this career. Twisters offers a thrilling experience centered around characters and a genuine community: cowboys pursuing the wind,” he elaborated. “There’s a sense of freedom, curiosity, and intrigue that flows through the film. I walked away from the original wanting to experience that thrill. When this opportunity arose, I felt honored, especially after hearing that [Top Gun: Maverick director] Joseph Kosinski was one of the early writers and saw me fitting for the role. It would have been disappointing to see someone else don Tyler’s cowboy hat.”
Despite the continuous stream of opportunities, he expressed his undiminished enthusiasm for living his dream.
“It may sound trivial, but when you’re passionate about something, it hardly feels like work,” he stated. “I’ve loved movies my entire life. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve carried a video camera around and begged my parents to let me stay in movie theaters all day during summer breaks. I adore summers because of the blockbuster films. [Movies are] my love language. It feels like I’m finally doing what I’ve always wanted.”
“I just want to keep working in this industry, and I hope they’ll continue to let me,” he concluded. “That’s what drives me every day. I spent a long time as an unemployed actor and know what it’s like to dream of acting without the means to pursue it. As long as I can stay in the game, I’ll find satisfaction.”
