Glen Powell recently made an appearance on Jake Shane’s “Therapuss” podcast, where he recounted an awkward encounter at a glitzy Hollywood party. The incident unfolded when he was approached by a photographer to take a photo with an actor who had recently been "canceled." Powell, who is currently busy promoting his Hulu comedy series “Chad Powers” and Paramount’s upcoming action flick “The Running Man,” chose not to reveal the celebrity's name.
“I found myself at this party, and there was this individual there who had basically been teetering on the brink of being 'canceled,'” Powell explained. “It was one of those high-profile Hollywood gatherings, replete with cameras, press, and all the trappings. This person had starred in some of my all-time favorite films, so I was thrilled. When they came up and said, ‘Nice to meet you,’ I replied, ‘Oh, dude, I'm such a huge fan.’ Then, a photographer chimed in, asking, ‘Hey, can we snap a picture of you two together?’”
“This person had recently been embroiled in controversy, and it wasn't looking good,” Powell continued. “While I admired their work, I couldn't condone their choices. So, I was just being cordial. But when the suggestion to take a photo together arose, I quickly realized—I thought, ‘Oh, I'm not sure this is such a great idea.’ He clearly picked up on my hesitation, like, ‘Oh, this probably isn't the best move.’ And that's when it hit me: this guy's face had become toxic. Venturing out into the world, people were having visceral reactions to him because of the bad decision he had made.”
Powell's story led him to delve deeper into the topic of cancel culture in Hollywood. He even drew parallels to his role in “Chad Powers,” where he portrays a quarterback who faces cancellation but ultimately finds redemption by assuming a new identity on a different team.
“Russ Holiday is just a regular guy who made a mistake; he's not a bad person,” Powell remarked about his character. “But some of these other folks who get canceled, well, they should own up to where they went wrong... In today's climate, cancel culture is simply a phenomenon where the world refuses to let you forget your transgressions. With smartphones, TikTok, Instagram, and countless other platforms, mistakes are magnified, and the world won't let you off the hook. I find it fascinating how people respond to these moments. Do they double down on their mistakes, take accountability, or believe in conspiracy theories? Having a character who learns to say ‘I’m sorry’ is truly a powerful and beautiful narrative.”
