Glen Powell recently shared a humbling experience from his early acting career during his appearance on the YouTube show Hot Ones, revealing how a meeting with legendary actor Dustin Hoffman left him feeling defeated. Powell, who stars in the upcoming film The Running Man set to hit theaters on November 14, recounted a dinner encounter with Hoffman that took place early in his time in Los Angeles.
During this meeting, Hoffman, a two-time Oscar winner, expressed admiration after watching Powell in the 2007 film The Great Debaters. “The fact that he saw this movie just blew my mind,” Powell recalled, recounting how he felt encouraged when Hoffman praised his acting skills.
However, when Hoffman later invited the young actor to read a script together, Powell’s nerves got the best of him. “I started reading the pages, but I was so in awe that Dustin Hoffman was sitting across from me,” he admitted. As he read, he sensed Hoffman losing interest and felt increasingly self-conscious. “I was watching the life drain from his eyes,” he said, “and I left so defeated.”
Reflecting on the pressures of the industry, Powell noted that early in his career, he struggled to find consistent work and felt the weight of trying to impress acting icons. Yet, he emphasized how his perspective has evolved. “What you start to realize is that all this business is play,” he said, highlighting the shift from idolizing these figures to viewing them as collaborators in creating cinematic magic.
Powell’s story of vulnerability and humility illustrates the challenges that many actors face, especially when starting out in the highly competitive film industry. As he continues to build his career, Powell’s journey serves as a reminder of the perseverance required to succeed in Hollywood. Fans can catch his performance in The Running Man, which promises to deliver excitement as an adaptation of Stephen King’s classic novel.