I Wonder Why Glen Powell Doesn’t Want To Talk Politics

Not that you or I were particularly curious about the ins and outs (or lefts and rights) of Glen Powell’s political leanings, but tough shit! He’s not about to reveal them anytime soon. In an interview with Esquire published Wednesday, the terrifying, horrifying, PR-trainwrecking subject of “politics” got a devoted passage, and the approved quotes paint a very “both sides” and “no sides” picture of one of Hollywood’s leading men.

The subject came up when Esquire’s Madison Vain discussed Powell’s upbringing and how his father, Glen Sr., took his wife Cyndy’s last name (Powell) after they wed. Cyndy was supposedly considering a career in politics while working in the U.S. Treasury Department under the Reagan administration. But despite that, the family never talked politics at the dinner table. (“Thank God,” Powell said.)

“Over time, I realized that politics divide people. People trying to prove their point—for me, it’s the worst version of a conversation,” he added. “I genuinely do not like the discourse. It’s not as healthy as it once was.”

“Engaging, then, for him is ‘not presently possible,’” writes Vain. Interesting, I suppose nothing going on is worth engaging about. Not even, say, a monopolistic merger that resulted in the botched marketing campaign for his film The Running Man and pushed the release of his next film The Great Beyond back a year, to October 2027.

“I applaud people for jumping into those things and fighting for what they believe in,” Powell added. “If I were a political person, I would be talking about it. For me, my calling is elsewhere.” Whaatttt? You’re telling me this guy doesn’t like the discourse? The guy who looks like an AI-generated version of a congressman about to take my rights away? Imagine that.

While a majority of the profile stresses Powell’s commitment to being the next Tom Cruise, so to speak—sustaining injuries while doing his own stunt work, evolving into the personality-neutral, standard-issue action guy, touting his undying love for “the movies,” etc.—there is one other intriguing nugget when Vain mentions Powell’s new relationship with actress Michelle Randolph of Paramount’s Landman.

“Powell’s happy to be in a relationship, and he wants to be a good partner. There were times during the past few years when he wondered if that was possible. As a testament to how deep that anxiety had burrowed, during our time together he will say a version of ‘I think I’m a good boyfriend’ a handful of times.”

Say more about that, Glen. And while you’re at it, say more about literally anything.

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