Glen Powell experienced an unsettling interaction with a recently canceled celebrity during a Hollywood event, revealing the difficulties of navigating such moments in the entertainment industry. The actor described the tense encounter on the Therapuss podcast while discussing the challenges of facing fallen stars in public settings.
Powell recounted arriving at the party, where cameras and media were present, and spotting an actor whose career had recently been overshadowed by controversy. He said,
“I showed up to the party and there was somebody that had been on the ropes in terms of getting canceled,”
illustrating the immediate tension in the room. Despite his admiration for the person’s previous work, Powell was wary of the public backlash surrounding them.
The Encounter Turns Awkward as Tensions Rise
Initially, the encounter felt positive, with the celebrity greeting Powell and exchanging polite words. Powell shared,
“This person had made some of my favorite movies and I was like, ‘Oh, this is great.’ He came up and he said, ‘Nice to meet you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, dude. Such a big fan.’”
However, the mood shifted when a photographer approached to take a picture of the two.
At that moment, Powell hesitated, aware of the potential fallout. He explained,
“This person was recently canceled and it was not good,”
and admitted,
“I was a fan of their work but not a fan of their choices. So, I was kind of just being nice. But then, when they wanted to take a picture, I realized very quickly — I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is a good idea.’”
His reluctance was evident enough for the other celebrity to notice.
The Impact of Cancel Culture on Personal and Public Relations
Powell elaborated on the stigma that the canceled celebrity faced, describing their presence as “toxic” in public perception.
“Going out into the world, people are having a visceral reaction to this person in terms of the bad choice they’ve made,”
he explained. The actor likened this to the character Russ Holliday from his Hulu series Chad Powers, who seeks to redeem himself after a public disgrace.
Regarding cancel culture, Powell stated,
“Russ Holliday is a guy that just made a mistake, right? He’s not a bad guy. Some of these other people that get canceled…they should lie where they’re shot,”
emphasizing the difference between someone trying to improve and those unable to recover their reputation. He continued,
“But like with Russ, he made a mistake. He acted, you know, poorly about it and the world kind of didn’t forgive him and he couldn’t forgive himself.”
The actor expressed frustration with society’s unwillingness to move past errors, noting,
“And what I found to be really interesting is that in today’s day and age, there’s a lot of, like, the cancel culture is just sort of a thing in, like, how the world doesn’t really let you forget your mistakes.”
Inside Glen Powell’s New Hulu Series and His Career Goals
Besides sharing his personal experience, Powell also discussed Chad Powers, Hulu’s upcoming sports comedy he co-created with Michael Waldron. The series, based on an NFL Films viral sketch, follows themes of redemption and personal growth. Powell stars alongside Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair, and Steve Zahn, who plays coach Jake Hudson and has been likened to a “Coach Taylor” figure from Friday Night Lights.
Powell expressed his desire to participate in projects that genuinely entertain audiences, saying,
“One of the things that I always find to be so silly about this business is there’s those things that people make, where you have to kind of do that deep breath before you watch it and you’re like, oh, I’ve got to watch this, everyone says so. No, I want to be a part of the thing that people can’t wait to watch, and you feel better afterwards.”
What to Expect from Chad Powers and Its Upcoming Release
Hulu plans to premiere Chad Powers on Tuesday, September 30, with an initial two-episode launch. New episodes will be released every Tuesday until the season finale on October 28. The show’s narrative of fall and redemption underscores the ongoing conversation about public figures and their paths to recovery from personal setbacks.
Glen Powell’s candid account of his awkward meeting and the themes in Chad Powers offer a glimpse into how cancel culture influences relationships in Hollywood and beyond. As the series unfolds, it will explore the complexities of forgiveness, mistakes, and second chances in the public eye.
