Highlights
- Glen Powell told Esquire he avoids politics because it divides people, calling engagement “not presently possible.”
- Powell blamed Paramount’s marketing layoffs during a merger for The Running Man earning just $69.4 million worldwide.
- His stance echoes Dwayne Johnson’s, though Powell was Jimmy Kimmel’s first guest after the host’s 2025 suspension.
Glen Powell has found the one role he won’t take: a movie star with opinions.
In a new Esquire cover story, the Chad Powers star explained his political vow of silence. “Over time, I realized that politics divide people,” Powell told Esquire.
His mom worked in the Reagan administration at the U.S. Treasury Department. But the family never discussed current events at the dinner table, and he thanked God for that.
That upbringing stuck. Powell described arguing to prove a point as “the worst version of a conversation”.
“I genuinely do not like the discourse.”
So what’s his fix? Nothing. Powell said he believes genuinely engaging with politics is “not presently possible,” though he cheered those who wade in.
“If I were a political person, I would be talking about it,” he said, adding that his calling lies elsewhere.
Translation: somebody else can take the heat.
This isn’t a new script. Last October, he told The Guardian, “You’re not going to see me talk politics.”
Back in 2024, plugging Twisters, he argued message movies backfire, because “if you’re telling people what to think, you’re not allowing them to feel.”
Fair enough for a tornado flick.
Less convincing from a guy who showed up as the first guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Sept. 23, 2025, after ABC reinstated the show following its week-long suspension over Jimmy Kimmel’s comments on Charlie Kirk’s shooting.
When Kimmel apologized for dragging him into the mess, Glen replied, “I’m honored. I’m just so happy you’re back.”
That’s not neutrality. That’s a vote with a smile.
Then Esquire got him on box office, and suddenly Powell found his voice.
The Running Man pulled a global total of only $69.4 million on a budget in the range of $110 million. His explanation? Paramount decided to “let go of an entire marketing department” a month before release, in the middle of a merger.
He also owned up to A24’s How To Make a Killing struggling as well, only earning $21 million.
So corporate politics? Fair game. The other kind? Hard pass.
He’s not alone. His stance echoes that of Dwayne Johnson, who said in his own Esquire cover story earlier this year that he would no longer speak publicly about politics.
It’s a tidy strategy for a Texan trying to sell tickets in every zip code. Stay agreeable. Offend no one. Smile on Kimmel.
The only problem? Playing it safe is supposed to protect the box office. Ask The Running Man how that worked out.
