Glen Powell Sr.: Is Glen Powell Jr.’s Father the Secret Behind His Success in Hollywood?
They say family is your biggest supporter, and none show their support like Glen Powell Sr. and his wife Cyndy. As the parents of actor Glen Powell Jr., they’ve been a constant source of encouragement throughout his career. Here’s everything you need to know about Glen Powell Sr., including his relationship with his children and his family values.
Who Is Glen Powell Sr.?
Glen Powell Sr. is an executive coach, former Major League Baseball pitcher, and father to American actor Glen Thomas Powell Jr., who’s known for his roles in Scream Queens (2015 to 2016), Wants Some!! (2016), and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
Glen Sr.’s exact date of birth is unknown, but he’s believed to have been born sometime in the mid-to-late 1950s or early 1960s. He met the love of his life, Cyndy Powell, in 1983 and tied the knot shortly after, proposing at the foot of the Jefferson Memorial.
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Together, they welcomed three children: Lauren Powell Whatton in 1986; Glen Powell Jr. in 1988; and Leslie Powel in 1992.
Glen Sr. is an adventurous spirit at heart, with deep roots in his hometown of Austin, Texas. “If you’re lucky enough to meet them, you’ll understand why I’m constantly home and that all of my farfetched and seemingly impossible stories about my family are actually true.” Glen Jr. told Nylon in 2014.
Funnily enough, Glen Jr. used some of his wild childhood stories to land a role in the 2014 film The Expendables 3. “I told [Sylvester Stallone] that I grew up with a gun range in the basement and learned to fight from my uncles who lived and breathed mixed martial arts,” Glen Jr. told the magazine. “I had been preparing for this role my entire life!”
To their credit, Glen Sr. and Cyndy created an environment where passion and talent aren’t only encouraged with no judgment but actively developed. When Glen Jr. showed an interest in acting after seeing Jurassic Park, Glen Sr., and Cyndy enrolled him in acting classes. And thanks to that support, Glen Jr. is now one of the most well-known actors of today.
One of Glen Jr.’s particularly fond memories was when his father handed him a VHS when he was 10 years old, and invited him to watch Top Gun in their living room, likening it to “a dad playing catch with his son for the first time.”
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Family Comes First for Glen Powell Sr.
Glen Powell Sr. is a family man through and through. Growing up, the Powells would regularly go on random family trips to nearby towns, turning a seemingly mundane trip into something to look back upon fondly.
“We’d go to the cemetery and look up a cool, interesting grave, something that felt odd and memorable,” Glen Jr. shared. “We’d then look up their names in the town hall. It was an interesting tradition.”
Glen Sr.—and, by extension, Cyndy—are immensely proud of their son and would often be spotted at movie premieres and red-carpet events in support.
In 2024, Glen Jr. voiced his appreciation for his parents’ support during his induction into the Texas Film Hall of Fame. “I have the most fun family on the planet,” Glen Jr. said. “It’s an incredible thing—to have amazing parents.”
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Glen Sr. also shares a special bond with his youngest daughter. Leslie is a singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles. Her music has been featured in several projects, including several episodes of the TV shows Big Shot (2021 to 2022), Set It Up (2018), Anyone But You (2023), and Twisters (2024). Glen Sr. is her biggest fan, calling her his most favorite artist.
Lauren, Glen Sr.’s eldest child, isn’t as well-known as her two younger siblings and prefers to maintain a relatively private life. Information about her relationship with her parents is scarce, but she does appear to have had a close bond with her mother and father when she appeared at family events.
Glen Sr. and Cyndy are proud grandparents to Lauren’s fraternal twins, Witt and Gwen. In 2023, Grel Jr. posted several photos of his father on Father’s Day, captioned “Father. Friend. Coach. Hero.” One photo showed him carrying his grandchild on his shoulders and smiling broadly.
Glen Sr. and Cyndy Would Occasionally Play Pranks On Their Actor Son
The Powells are not ones to shy away from playing harmless pranks on their son.
During the premiere of Glen Jr.’s movie Hit Man in Austin, Texas, the duo was seen holding up cardboard signs. “Stop trying to make Glen Powell Happen,” Cyndy’s card read. “It’s never gonna happen,” Glen Sr.’s card added.
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They played the same prank in July 2024 on the Today show to promote his film Twister. They showed up with cards that read, “I changed Glen Powell’s diapers,” and “Glen Powell is our force of nature.”
“They always figure out where I am. I don’t know how they do it,” Glen Jr. told Today when asked what he thought about his parents’ harmless prank, laughing.
He also mentioned that his parents regularly look up his name on X (formerly Twitter), telling his fans that “if you’re talking sh**, know that my parents are reading those tweets.”
Glen Sr. and Cyndy Are Actors In Their Own Right
While they aren’t quite as famous as their son—hard to be, considering he’s one of the most well-sought-after actors of today—Glen Sr. and Cyndy have appeared on the big screen several times. They often appear as extras in Glen Jr.’s movies, at his recommendation.
For instance, Cyndy appeared as an adult spy in the 2003 movie Spy Kids 3, a professor in the 2004 drama series Jack & Bobby, and a lunch lady in the 2016 comedy Everybody Wants Some!!
Glen Jr.’s parents also appeared as beachgoers in the 2022 Korean film Devotion, as well as airline passengers in the 2023 rom-com Anyone But You and citizens in the 2024 action-thriller Twisters.
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Glen Jr. joked that his parents landed their roles due to nepotism. “I’m very proud of both of them,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “My dad’s a real Method actor.”
The Powells Regularly Appear In Glen Jr.’s Sets
Wherever Glen Jr. is, his parents are never far behind. Glen Jr. even goes as far as calling them a “traveling band.”
“I’ll never forget when we were working one day, during the cut, he introduced his family,” Glen Jr.’s co-star Octavia Spencer said in a 2022 interview with DuJour. “They all laughed and lit up the room with their signature megawatt smiles.”
Glen Sr. and Cyndy are Romantics
Growing up, Glen Sr. and Cyndy showed their children the importance of unconditional love. “They never forget the privilege of finding a soulmate, someone you want to spend the rest of your life with,” Glen Jr. said.
Grand gestures have long since been a part of their family’s love language, and they make it a point to show their devotion at whatever moment they can.
While planning Lauren’s proposal, her now-husband reached out to Glen Jr. and asked him to plan an Amazing Race-style proposal since she was a big fan of the show.
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“We filmed this whole thing where we did the challenges around this town where we have this family ranch,” Glen Jr. recalled.
In a 2023 interview with People for the movie Anyone But You, Glen Jr. drew from his parents’ experiences. “The key to a great partner is someone who’s not afraid to look dumb and who’s in it with you and not protective.”
They Raise a Less-Than-Conventional Pet
Alongside two lovable dogs, the Powells are raising a “silk robe, eye mask type of monkey,” AKA a rescued capuchin monkey. The monkey was named Charlie after the viral 2007 YouTube video “Charlie Bit My Finger”—not only for the memes but also because Charlie has bitten his family members several times.
According to Glen, Charlie “gets treated better than any human.”
“I’m like an uncle to him,” Glen Jr. said during an interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live. “He’s the most spoiled pet imaginable.” He’s so spoiled, in fact, that he owns an entire room to himself!
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FAQs
Is Glen Powell Jr. a nepo baby?
No, Glen Powell Jr. isn’t a nepo baby. He was raised in a middle-class family in Austin, Texas. His father was—and continues to be—an executive coach, and his mother is a homemaker. If anything, Glen Jr. likes to joke that his parents are the real beneficiaries of nepotism, as he always finds a way to feature them as extras in his movies.
Are Glen Powell Jr.’s siblings involved in the entertainment industry?
Glen Jr.’s older sister, Lauren, isn’t involved in the entertainment industry and prefers to keep herself out of the limelight. Leslie Powell, however, is. She’s a singer and songwriter who has often been credited for making soundtracks for Glen Jr.’s movies.
What is Glen Jr.’s net worth?
According to Cosmopolitan, Glen Jr.’s net worth is approximately $7 million. The magazine reports that Glen Jr. didn’t get mega-rich until just recently, particularly when he was cast in Top Gun: Maverick, and that Glen Jr. almost went broke waiting for the movie to premiere in theaters.
Today, one of his most recent projects—Anyone But You, released in 2023—earned him at least $5 million.
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