In this house we do not bash Ryan Gosling and we do not dish ignorance. But that’s just what one Hollywood producer tried to do, shrinking Gosling down in his attempt to puff up Glen Powell. And Glen Powell is having none of it.
In a social media response to this unnamed producer, Glen Powell wrote, “Gosling is a legend. I’m just Glenn”, a play of course on Gosling’s Oscar-nominated “I’m Just Ken.” That is categorically humble of Powell, who is one of the biggest stars going through films like Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters, not to mention terrific performances in works like Hit Man, which further demonstrated how diverse he can be. That he is remaining humble amidst all of this shows just why people continue to support him.
But just because you praise one star doesn’t mean you need to slam another, as happened with this case of Glen Powell vs. Ryan Gosling, a scenario concocted for no true reason. As for what the producer said, he is quoted with, “Glen Powell is most definitely an up-and-coming movie star in the sense that audiences now go to movies to see him…Unlike an actor like Ryan Gosling whose appeal is mostly limited to female audiences, Glen appeals to both females and males.” OK, so who doesn’t want to see Gosling ditch his shirt? But to say that his appeal is limited to one gender is ridiculous, especially considering how much praise he gets for his performances. To date, Gosling has three Oscar nominations: Half Nelson, La La Land and Barbie.
Expectedly, both Glen Powell and Ryan Gosling have their respective high-profile projects lined up. For Gosling, it’s teaming with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie) for sci-fi adaptation Project Hail Mary. Powell, meanwhile, has projects going on the big and small screen, with thriller Huntington and the sports comedy Chad Powers, which he co-created with Loki’s Michael Walrdon.
What do you make of the producer’s comments about Ryan Gosling? Do you think Glen Powell is the big screen powerhouse he has been positioned as? Chime in with your thoughts below.