With a box office success in Nobody but you and two new films released this summer, Glen Powell is a rising star, he says Hitman director Richard Linklater. For the actor’s parents, however, he is getting too big for his britches.
On Wednesday, the Top Gun: Maverick the star, 35, and his cast and crew arrived at the premiere of their new film in Austin, Texas, and were in agreement. with both Hitman It is Twisted on the barrel, Powell’s summer and year look to be one for the books.
“It’s Glen night, it feels like Glen summer,” Linklater, 63, told ET’s Cassie DiLaura on Wednesday. “It could be Glen’s year.”
Powell’s mother and father, Cyndy and Glen Powell Sr., weren’t about to let it all go to their son’s head when they showed up at his hometown premiere to knock him down a few pegs in a playful way.
As the actor posed for photos, his parents stood behind him with signs mocking internet critics who say Hollywood is trying to push the Scream Queen actor in the spectators’ throats.
“Stop trying to make Glen Powell happen,” Cyndy’s cardboard message read as her husband declared, “It will never happen.”
ET caught Powell’s reaction to the hilarious PDA (public display of animosity) and said that while it may seem concerning to those who don’t know their clan, it is common — and accepted — for the Powells.
“Well, my family – always my mom and dad – have been known to troll me a little bit,” said the Set it up star shared, adding that it was inspired by mean tweets. “I don’t read tweets, but my parents read tweets – so if you’re talking shit, know that my parents are reading those tweets.”
“They thought it would be a funny idea, so I loved it,” he added. “Even though they troll me, they support me in every way.”
Support this time comes as Powell prepares to launch Hitman, in which he stars as Gary Johnson, a tech genius who becomes an undercover cop tasked with posing as hitmen to arrest the people who hire him. Things go well until he falls in love with a woman (Adria Arjona) who wants him to kill her husband – and that husband ends up dead.
Powell co-wrote the script with Linklater. The film is based on a true story and a 2001 film. Texas monthly magazine article of the same name, by Skip Hollandsworth.
On Wednesday, Linklater had nothing but praise to offer his star and co-writer, saying his praise couldn’t be more deserved. The film premiered at TIFF to rave reviews and was acquired by Netflix for US$20 million.
“He worked so hard, no one deserves it more, you know? He is a very special talent and we are all very proud of him”, said the Infancy said the director.
Linklater, who also worked with Powell in 2016 Everybody wants some!! continuous, “He’s had a great career, but he has an even greater career ahead of him.”
Powell told ET that in addition to being proud of the project, he is immensely grateful to be surrounded by his hometown and those who watched him grow up — many of whom showed up to support him at the premiere.
“The fact that I have this honor here in this building with my friends and family — I have my kindergarten teacher here, I have my fifth grade teacher here, my soccer coach, my creative writing teacher,” he said. “It’s like I have a team of people around me who have been part of this journey, so it’s really very complete.”
Hitman will be in select theaters on May 24th and will stream on Netflix on June 7th.
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