The Hollywood lifestyle is not for everybody. Living in beautiful Los Angeles for a little while, I understand that sometimes it can be a bit artificial and surreal. This is especially the case when you live right in the thick of it. The noise slowly engulfs you. Glen Powell seems to agree.
Videos by Wide Open Country
During his press run for the new Netflix film Hit Man, he speaks with The Hollywood Reporter about his transition from LA to Austin. He makes this move to be closer with his family and to complete his degree at University of Texas.
Matthew McConaughey's Advice to Powell
He wouldn't have found the encouragement to do so if it wasn't for advice from Matthew McConaughey. You can easily imagine a raspy 'alright, alright' after Powell details what he was told. "He's like, 'Hollywood is the Matrix, man. You plug in and it's all fake world,'" he remembers. "He's like, 'Then I go to Austin, and I unplug. It's all real. Those are my friends, that's my family, my actions matter there.' And he's right."
Powell goes on to admit that there was some truth to what McConaughey was saying and that he felt a lot of the same sentiments. "The thing that makes me feel in conflict with some parts of this moment is that I like choosing when I'm out in front," he emphasizes. "And I'm more than happy to be on a press tour. I love it. I love going on a Jimmy Fallon — you walk out, you sign autographs, you do the whole thing."
Additionally, he explains how these work moments can bleed into everyday life. By that point, there is no divide between self and celebrity. He sets up a typical exchange, detailing just how much of a blur it can be. "Someone will go, 'Hey, friend, want to come to this guy's house? Yeah, come over.' And then you show up, and suddenly you're there for, like, someone's tequila launch and all of a sudden there's a photographer and you're like, 'Wait, what are we doing here?'"
After all of his success, the Top Gun: Maverick actor thinks on how his hard work is paying off. But rather than obsessively pursue more and grow isolated, now he can pick and choose his projects. "It's like I've earned the ability to go back to my family," he says with relief.
