Glen Powell might be the man of the moment, captivating audiences with roles in Top Gun: Maverick and the upcoming rom-com Anyone But You. But behind the Hollywood charm lies a story of grit, perseverance, and a few lucky breaks. Powell’s journey to stardom is anything but typical, with an unexpected lifeline arriving in the form of two guest appearances on NCIS—roles that quite literally saved him from financial ruin.
A Survival Gig in Tinseltown
Long before Powell graced the big screen alongside Tom Cruise, he was just another aspiring actor hustling to stay afloat in Los Angeles. In 2012, he landed a guest role as Evan Westcott on NCIS, appearing in two episodes of the hit CBS series. It wasn’t a major break by any stretch, but for Powell, it was everything.
“That role kept me going,” Powell shared in a recent Vanity Fair interview. “I would do an episode of NCIS, and that would keep me afloat for a year. You know what I mean?”
In a city where relevance is the ultimate currency, even a small win can feel monumental. Powell’s experience sheds light on the harsh realities of Hollywood for struggling actors—where survival often hinges on the ability to make the most out of fleeting opportunities.
The Changing Landscape of Hollywood
Powell’s candid reflections also highlight how the entertainment industry has evolved, not always for the better. Gone are the days when a single guest role could provide financial stability for months or even years.
“The business no longer supports struggling actors the way it did when I was kind of coming up,” Powell explained. “You’re not living a lavish lifestyle. You’re hiding a flask in your boot if you go out for a drink. You’re not necessarily able to afford anything significant in that town, but you are able to stay there.”
In those early years, Powell relied on small gigs—commercials, bit parts, and guest spots—to stay in the game. It was a tenuous existence, but it gave him just enough breathing room to keep chasing his dream.
Hollywood’s Brutal Reality
While those NCIS episodes provided Powell with financial stability, they also underscored a harsher truth: Hollywood rarely offers sympathy to the struggling artist. For Powell, the weight of “what’s next” was a constant burden.
“There’s no harder place to live than being in Hollywood with nothing going on,” Powell admitted. “The currency of that town is how relevant you are and what your last job is.”
This relentless pressure is enough to break many aspiring actors, but Powell chose to stay in the fight, even when it meant lying to himself to maintain hope.
“Even at the darkest moments in that town, when I really didn’t have anything happening, you sort of have to lie to yourself, at least a little bit,” he confessed.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
After years of grinding it out, Powell’s persistence began to pay off. In 2015, he scored a recurring role on the FOX series Scream Queens, which helped him gain industry recognition. However, it wasn’t until 2022, when he starred as Lt. Jake “Hangman” Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick, that his star truly began to rise.
“The best part about the slow burn of my career is that I’ve been doing this for 20 years and it’s taken me a long time to just even get here, which for most people, feels like a starting line,” he told Collider.
Lessons From Glen Powell’s Hollywood Story
Today, Glen Powell is proof that there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for success in Hollywood. His story serves as a reminder that even the smallest roles can pave the way for bigger opportunities. It’s a journey of resilience, hard work, and a little bit of luck.
As Powell himself has learned, the key to making it in Hollywood isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about sticking with it, taking the wins where you can, and trusting that the grind will pay off.
So the next time you catch a rerun of NCIS and see Evan Westcott’s face, remember that those two episodes were more than just a line on Glen Powell’s résumé—they were the lifeline that helped him weather Hollywood’s storm and come out stronger on the other side.