Glen Powell doesn't think he'd appreciate his breakthrough year if it had happened in his 20s: 'Good things come to those who wait'

To say that Glen Powell is having a busy year is an understatement. He starred in the Netflix smash Hit Man and the box-office sensation Twisters, and started working on several new projects. Mind you, it’s only September.

Despite his crazy schedule, he also found time to produce and star in the Audible Original podcast The Best Man’s Ghostwriter, out Sept. 12, which follows a man who helps other men write speeches for their best friends’ weddings. Over the course of ten episodes, Powell interacts with a super-stacked cast, which includes Ashley Park, D’Arcy Carden, Lance Bass, Nicholas Braun, Lukas Gage, Alex Wolff, Debra Messing and others. It was written by comedian and former real-life best man’s ghostwriter Matthew Starr.

Powell spoke with Yahoo Entertainment about the audio project, weddings and his future.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

I really enjoyed the series even though I accidentally sorted the episodes wrong and listened to the tenth episode first.

Glen Powell: Like a Chris Nolan movie in audio form?

Yeah. I thought, “Oh, they’re doing a Memento thing.” Seriously though — you’re famous for the way that you look at people.

Powell: What, the chemistry thing?

Yes, you seem to have chemistry with everyone. But it’s specifically the way you look at your co-stars [with admiration] that people are drawn to. Why do an audio project?

Powell: That’s good. It’s so I can close my eyes. Sometimes I just want to be in the dark. [laughs] No, what’s really fun about showing up for something like this is I got to work with [writer Matthew Starr] on this, who is a real-life best man’s ghostwriter. It’s a really heartfelt, wonderful entry point into a wild discussion about male intimacy and friendships. I thought it would be a fun thing to explore in audio form and — you’re exactly right — you don’t have to look at anybody. You get to show up in your sweatpants and use your imagination and have fun.

Why were you drawn to this particular story?

Powell: When I was reading it, it felt similar to my favorite movies that I grew up watching, like Hitch, Wedding Crashers, I Love You, Man and Swingers. I felt like there was a fun rat-a-tat perspective on the world. I’ve also just been around a lot of weddings. I have a lot of friends getting married right now, and I always feel for the best man and maid of honor when they get up there and face that level of pressure. You have to be extremely vulnerable in front of a large group of people, and you’re defining a friendship — you make light of it, but at the same time, truly trying to show up for somebody on one of the most important days in their life. There’s a complexity to that, and a lot of people screw it up because it’s daunting and crazy. This story reminded me of Hitch — it’s a guy who shows up for a quick fix to something that gives us anxiety, whether that’s showing up for our friends or falling in love — this guy has all the answers.

What does a day of recording an audio project look like for you?

Powell: Well, my dog Brisket was in the booth the entire time.

Brisket mentioned!

Powell: Brisket mentioned! But yeah, it’s basically just using your imagination, then going on walks with Brisket, then getting back into the booth with Brisket. Wash, rinse and repeat.

I have to ask, because I have a dog as well and if she were with me right now she’d always be jumping into the frame. How did you train Brisket so well?

Powell: I really lucked out. He’s the most chill dog, like I’ve been on set with him here. He just kicks it and is so no-drama. He loves to sleep and curl up on people’s laps. As long as he has a lap to snuggle into, he’s chill. He can’t be isolated, he’s just a love dog.

That’s a great thing to be. Are you on set right now?

Powell: I am! I’m on the set of [upcoming Hulu comedy series] Chad Powers.

I’m sorry — I promise not to digress, but you’re writing that show too, right?

Powell: I am, yeah. We have a great writers room. I’m one of the creators and I’m writing as well and producing and starring in it. It’s a lot of interesting hats to wear, but it’s been a real joy.

You’re the busiest man in America right now. How are you not extremely burnt out?

Powell: I’m really happy, I don’t know. I’ve been known to have a lot of energy. I don’t get burnt out easily. I’m more prone to the kind of burnout where you’re trying to do the thing you want to do and you’re not getting to do it. But right now, I’m getting to do the thing I love and the thing I really want to do. There’s no reason to be burnt out.

I think you might have just fixed my brain chemistry, which I really appreciate. I also think you might be the most 'think-pieced-about' person who isn’t running for president right now.

Powell: Think pieced-about? What do you mean by that?

People write a lot of think pieces about you. You know how people say, what’s this guy about? This Glen Powell, we gotta talk about him. We gotta figure out why everyone loves him and why he’s having such a moment. Most people come to the same conclusion: You’re just good and happy to be here. Is it weird to be mused about all the time?

Powell: Look, I always just take it in. I was just with my parents when I shot a movie in South Africa — my whole family came there and I was so busy that I barely had time to see them. I remember being kind of stressed out and apologizing to them, because they went on a safari and when they came back I was still shooting. They came to visit and did their cameo, but there was a lot going on. I was like, “Guys, I’m so sorry. You came all the way here.” And they’re like, “Glen, we’re getting to watch you live your dream.” If I didn’t have my family to constantly orient me back to this perspective — I think other people [in my position] might get in their heads. I’m just really happy. I don’t know what else to say. I’m getting to work with all these people I’ve always dreamed of working with. I’ve got my family around and I’m getting cameos for them — I’ve got a sick cameo for them in Chad Powers all teed up — but yeah. It’s a real joy.

I just read an interview where you said your family “did you a solid” by doing cameos. I think most people would see it the other way around, like you did them a solid. Why do you think of it that way?

Powell: What’s funny is that every cameo is quite different, so what I ask of them is quite different. But my family, no matter what I ask them to do, they’re always game. They’re down for the cause. They’re goofy and they don’t take themselves too seriously.

That’s a great way of looking at it. This show got me thinking about weddings, obviously —

Powell: Obviously!

— Because of this wonderful show, and how you get ready for weddings by making a Pinterest board, or a vision board. What’s on your vision board for life?

Powell: Let’s see what’s on my actual Pinterest. [Looking at his phone]

You have a Pinterest?

Powell: [Incredulously] Of course I have a Pinterest. OK, I have a house in Austin that I’m trying to get in shape, so I’m currently doing that Pinteresting. For my next projects I have some inspirational Pinterest [boards]. I have a cowboy boot Pinterest, that’s pretty specific. I don’t know if you ever heard about this, but when I did Hit Man with Adria Arjona, we put a Pinterest board together of inspirational pictures.

Don’t show it to me. I’ll pass out.

Powell: Pinterest is great, isn’t it?

It is. Seriously, what would be on your Pinterest board in life?

Powell: It’s great, what’s happening right now is some of my favorite filmmakers have raised their hands to say, “Hey, I’d love to work together.” That’s pretty silly. Edgar Wright was at the top of my list, I searched his name in my email because I was putting something together, and his name came up on what was essentially a vision board. It was a wish list of directors I hoped I’d get to work with when I first moved out to L.A. in 2008 and [Wright] was at the top of the list. It’s been great to be in this moment where I just can’t force anything to happen. There’s not really anything you can do other than keep your head down and hustle. You know, Tom Cruise was one of my favorite actors as a kid, and Wright’s one of my favorite filmmakers. Getting to occupy all these worlds I wanted to occupy … It’s really wild.

Do you think there’s something about getting your big break when you’re in your 30s and your frontal lobe is fully developed and you’ve seen a lot of movies that makes success extra great?

Powell: You know what, I do think that. I think one of the best things you can teach a kid — I don’t have kids! — but the best thing you can teach them is delayed gratification and that good things come to those who wait. I feel like if I had gotten even one one-hundredth of any of this when I wanted it that I would have been developed enough to appreciate it in the way I do now. I feel very grateful because of the detours on my journey. I’m sort of getting to take advantage of this moment in a way that I don’t know if I would have gotten to if that failure didn’t come so often. There’s something about your 30s — doing anything in your 30s! I even see that with people who get married later in life. It doesn’t feel like “We’ll see how these young kids get through it!” They call it a capstone marriage because you’ve gone through two separate paths and experienced all these things when you find someone. It makes you appreciate them and see them in a different way when you’ve already been through the fire. So I appreciate [this success] maybe more than someone in their early 20s.

It’s very Brat Summer to appreciate your 30s.

Powell: Yeah. Oh man, Charli [XCX] is on fire. What fun. I got to be a small part of Brat Summer, but what a joy that was!