Glen Powell recently recounted an uneasy moment he experienced during a Hollywood party while promoting his Hulu comedy series Chad Powers and Paramount’s upcoming action film The Running Man. The actor described an unexpected encounter with a controversial figure who had recently faced cancellation amid the ongoing challenges of cancel culture in the entertainment industry.
An Uncomfortable Meeting at a Hollywood Event
During an appearance on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast, Powell shared the details of the uncomfortable interaction. At a party crowded with cameras and press, he was approached by an actor known for making some of his favorite movies but who had become widely criticized. Powell greeted the star warmly, expressing admiration. However, when a photographer asked them to pose for a photo together, he quickly second-guessed the decision.
“I was at a party and there was somebody [there] that had basically been on the ropes in terms of sort of getting canceled,”
Powell explained.
“It was one of those Hollywood parties where there’s like cameras and press and all that stuff. 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.’ And then a photographer said, ‘Hey, can we take a picture of you guys.’”
— Glen Powell, Actor
Facing the Reality of “Cancel Culture” in Hollywood
Powell went on to describe how, despite liking the actor’s previous work, he was disturbed by the choices that led to their cancellation. Recognizing the potential backlash associated with being publicly linked to that person, Powell said he became hesitant about the photo. The reaction from the industry and the public toward that celebrity was so strong that Powell sensed a toxic aura.
“This person was recently canceled and it was not good,”
he said.
“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 with you, I realized very quickly — I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if this is a good idea.’ He clearly clocked that I was like, ‘Oh, this is probably not a good idea.’ And I realized that this guy, his face is toxic. Going out into the world, people are having a visceral reaction to this person in terms of the bad choice they’ve made.”
— Glen Powell, Actor
How Cancel Culture Shapes Public and Personal Responses
Reflecting on the incident, Powell connected it to broader conversations about cancel culture in Hollywood. He linked his experience to themes explored in Chad Powers, where his character, a quarterback, faces a public fall from grace and attempts to regain acceptance under a new identity.
“Russ Holiday is just a guy who made a mistake, he’s not a bad guy,”
Powell said about his character.
“Some of these other people who get canceled, they should lie where they’re shot… In today’s day and age, cancel culture is just a thing where the world doesn’t let you forget your mistakes. With phones, with TikTok, with Instagram, so many people make mistakes and the world doesn’t let you forget. And I found it to be interesting how people react to those moments. Do they double down, do they take accountability, do they believe in conspiracy theories? Just having a character learning to say ‘I’m sorry’ is a really beautiful thing.”
— Glen Powell, Actor
Upcoming Projects and Broader Impact on Hollywood Conversations
Powell’s commentary on cancel culture connects closely with the premise of Chad Powers, which premieres on Hulu on September 30. His reflections highlight the complexity of personal mistakes in the age of social media, where public memory is relentless. This candid discussion not only sheds light on Powell’s personal experiences but also invites audiences to reconsider how accountability and redemption are handled in the entertainment industry moving forward.
