Glen Powell has seen the headlines and commentary that he's “having a moment” right now, but he doesn't let words get to him.
Powell, the co-writer and star of the new movie “Hit Man,” told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King that he plans to focus on taking more steps forward in his career and exploring creative possibilities.
“I've had the benefit of seeing other guys in my position experiencing the same moment,” he told King. “And sometimes it lasts, sometimes it doesn't. There are no certainties in this city. And for me, I hope there's no end game. I hope I haven't succeeded because I just want to keep doing this work for as long as I live. That's my plan.”
The 35-year-old actor said he began to gain national fame after playing the cocky pilot Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin starred in the 2022 hit “Top Gun: Maverick,” starring opposite Tom Cruise.
Cruise, who has worked in the film industry for decades, even offered some words of wisdom.
“Cruise gave me that advice. He said, 'When things get loose, it just gets really loud,'” Powell recalled. “Nothing else has changed, but you decide how loud all that noise should be. You can turn it up or down, but that's up to you. And I think that's the most important thing I've realized right now.”
But Powell admits his newfound fame can be overwhelming.
“It's just louder than I expected,” he added. “But it's also completely controllable.”
Powell has found a foolproof way to turn down the volume: he retreats to his hometown of Austin, Texas, where he can visit his mother, father and two sisters.
“You never know how far this journey is going to take you, but I knew they were going to be with me, win or lose. And that was great because right now we're going to win,” he said.
Powell's new film “Hit Man,” which centers on a professor who poses as a fake assassin and falls in love with a client, will released on Netflix in select countries on Friday.
“We always conceptualize this as the beginning of a beautiful family, the beginning of a beautiful love story. You have to go on that ride because if you really believe in love, sometimes love takes very unexpected, strange turns,” Powell said. the film, co-written and directed by Richard Linklater.
Watch more of Powell's interview with CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King in the video player above.
