5 Glen Powell Movies You May Have Forgotten He Was In

I met Glen Powell in the waiting room of a now-defunct production company. We became friends instantly. The guy has so much charisma; you just want ot be around him and watch him on screen.

It's been a pleasure watching his career grow, but I think not enough people give him credit for how hard he's worked to get where he is, as a marquee leading man across hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters.

Today, I want to go over five movies you may have forgotten he was in that you might want to revisit.

Let's dive in.

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1. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)

Glen Powell on his debut role in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over #glenpowell #esquire www.youtube.com

• Director: Robert Rodriguez
• Writer: Robert Rodriguez
• Cast: Daryl Sabara, Alexa PenaVega, Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek, Antonio Banderas, Glen Powell

At just 14 years old, Powell made his feature debut in Robert Rodriguez’s third installment of the Spy Kids franchise. No one knew it then, but they had a star on their hands.

He plays a guy named "Long-Fingered Boy," and I feel like he crushed the role. In his scene, he tries to test Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) before getting knocked out instantly.

2. Fast Food Nation (2006)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Richard Linklater
• Writer: Richard Linklater, Eric Schlosser
• Cast: Greg Kinnear, Wilmer Valderrama, Ethan Hawke, Paul Dano, Ashley Johnson, Bruce Willis, Glen Powell

You thought Powell starring in Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! and co-writing Hit Man was their first work together? Think again!

Powell landed a brief role as a teenager named Steve in Linklater’s ensemble adaptation of Fast Food Nation. There was an obvious spark, and it's kinda amazing to now see where that relationship has taken them.

3. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Christopher Nolan
• Writer: Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan
• Cast: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Glen Powell

Playing the famed role of "Trader #1," Powell shows there are no small parts. The guy is very fun to watch as he makes the fatal mistake of confronting Bane (Tom Hardy) during the mid-day trading floor heist.

Bane grabs Powell by the neck and smashes his head into a computer terminal.

Yeah, Glen dies on screen, but his career was just getting started.

4. Stuck in Love (2012)

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• Director: Josh Boone
• Writer: Josh Boone
• Cast: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff, Logan Lerman, Kristen Bell, Glen Powell

Acting is hard work. And I think anyone reading this needs to respect the grind that a working actor does to get noticed and to pay the rent.

In Josh Boone’s indie romantic drama about a family of writers, Powell appears as "Good Looking Frat Guy". That's a great billing for someone looking to break in as a handsome star.

5. The Expendables 3 (2014)

- YouTube www.youtube.com

• Director: Patrick Hughes
• Writer: Sylvester Stallone, Creighton Rothenberger, Katrin Benedikt
• Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Glen Powell

Long before joining the fighter pilot ranks of Top Gun: Maverick, Powell joined the cast as Thorn, a combat veteran, hacker, and rock climber. You saw the potential in Powell, who held his ground in scenes opposite Stallone, Harrison Ford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was a glimpse of an action star going big.

Summing It All Up

Powell's career is a lesson in sticking to your guns and taking the parts that come your way. He shines in these roles because he took them seriously and used them as a proving ground to climb the Hollywood ladder. They show hard work pays off. And for that, I am happy to see he's become a massive star today.