Glen Powell ditches LA for Texas hometown, enrolls at UT Austin for college
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Glen Powell didn’t want the glitz and glamor that came with living in Hollywood.
During a recent interview Vanity Fair The 37-year-old “Twisters” actor opened up for the 2026 Hollywood issue about why, despite his success, he chose to leave Los Angeles and return to his hometown of Austin, Texas.
“I needed a spiritual place where I could hang my hat and really unplug,” he said. “If you live in Los Angeles, where everyone is a part of this thing, you can never log out of that app.”
Powell has apparently moved from one acting spot to the next, telling the outlet that “there’s a lot of filming happening in Texas right now,” predicting that “it’s about to get even more competitive.”
Powell said he moved back to Texas because he “needed a spiritual place” where he could “unplug.” (Joe Maher/BAFTA/Getty Images for BAFTA)
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After moving to the Lone Star State, Powell begins to expand his horizons, including enrolling in classes at the University of Texas at Austin.
“I actually paid my tuition for next semester two days ago,” he said, adding that he was under no illusions that this career would last forever.
“Anyone who believes they will stay at the top forever hasn’t studied how Hollywood works,” he said. “So the best thing you can do is really work as hard as you can. Do the things you believe in, be nice to people, and hope you leave the world with some classic stuff they can keep watching for years to come.”
Glen Powell talked about moving back to Texas in the Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue. (Theo Wenner/Vanity Fair)
He had previously announced his decision to return to his hometown in an interview in June 2024. USA Today.
“I needed a spiritual place where I could hang my hat and really unplug.”
He told a media outlet at the time that it had always been his “goal” to move back home “after getting enough attention in Los Angeles,” explaining: “My mom and dad just turned 70, and you want to enjoy every moment you have with your family.”
Powell has previously said it was always his intention to return to Austin after settling in Hollywood. (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)
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“It’s really fun to be around people who love movies and love the business. But sometimes that echo chamber might not be that good for you from a mental health standpoint,” he said. “When all you do is consume movies and entertainment, you can become a little bit self-aware and maybe a derivative of yourself. There’s no freedom in your personal life, there’s storytelling around that, and I don’t think that’s good for you in the long run.”
Powell had previously spoken to Vanity Fair in November 2024 about her bumpy start as a “challenging actress” in Hollywood, saying, “There’s no place harder than living in Hollywood.”
He made his film debut in the 2003 film “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” and later appeared in the 2007 film “The Great Debaters” starring Denzel Washington. After impressing Washington on the set, the veteran actor introduced him to his manager Ed Limato, who convinced him to move to Los Angeles.
“In the darkest moments in that town, even when I wasn’t actually going through anything, you have to lie to yourself at least a little bit and act like that’s the part of the story where things aren’t going well,” Powell said.
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Powell is grateful that he was able to learn the different aspects of getting a film made. (Monica Schipper/FilmMagic)
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Looking back, the “Everybody But You” star said she’s thankful for this period of her life, saying it gave her the opportunity to “understand a lot about writing” and “work different jobs,” which taught her the ins and outs of financing and producing a project.
Powell, who had a breakthrough with the 2022 film “Top Gun: Maverick”, wrote and starred in the 2023 film “Hit Man”, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for leading actor.
He currently stars in “The Running Man” alongside Coleman Domingo and Josh Brolin.
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Powell currently stars in “The Running Man.” (Rob Kim/WireImage)
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