Glen Powell is explaining why he has no interest in turning his public profile into a political platform. The actor, known for “Twisters” from 2024, “Anyone But You” from 2023, and “The Running Man” from 2025, says his calling lies somewhere other than political debate.
His choice cuts against demands from parts of the political left that celebrities should speak publicly about major issues. The reaction mirrors criticism aimed at Sydney Sweeney, whose refusal to become publicly political has been accompanied as a brilliant business choice.
Powell’s position is grounded [1] in his view of what political discussion has become. Rather than bringing people together, he believes those conversations now encourage division and arguments focused on proving who is right.
“Over time, I realized that politics divide people,” Powell said. His assessment was direct and left little doubt about his distaste for the current state of political conversation.
“People trying to prove their point — for me, it’s the worst version of a conversation. I genuinely do not like the discourse.” Powell also said political engagement is not presently possible for him.
At the same time, he did not attack people who choose to enter the political arena. “I applaud people for jumping into those things and fighting for what they believe in. If I were a political person, I would be talking about it.”
Powell instead drew a boundary around what he considers his own purpose. “For me, my calling is elsewhere.”
The approach reflects a familiar business calculation often linked to Michael Jordan. Many people credit Jordan with saying, “Republicans buy shoes too,” although the quotation is likely apocryphal, while agreeing with its underlying point.
Powell is not the only major actor stepping away from public political commentary. Dwayne Johnson made a similar declaration in an Esquire magazine cover story earlier this year, saying he would no longer discuss politics publicly.
Johnson had previously told Fox News in 2024 that he regretted endorsing Joe Biden for president in 2020. He said that endorsement created division among his fans, and he later told Esquire that he wanted the attention placed solely on his art.
“Politics is omnipresent, and it’s forever. I don’t like it.” Johnson’s comments presented political discussion as an exhausting and unavoidable force rather than something he wanted attached to his creative work.
“I hate it at times. I hate the slinging.” He then added, “I hate all the bulls**t that comes with it.”
Powell’s decision argues that politics is regularly used to divide people. It directs its sharpest criticism at the left, accusing left-wing voices of portraying political opponents as evil, Nazis, or fascists who deserve imprisonment or death.
That criticism also extends to the belief that everything must be treated as political. Tatiana Maslany, who called Jordan and actor Tom Selleck “cowards” for remaining apolitical, questions whether she will apply the same description to Powell.
Publicly embracing left-wing politics in Hollywood is not an act of bravery when 98% of the people nearby and in the media agree. In that view, refusing to comment on divisive political matters should not automatically be treated as cowardice.
The dispute ultimately centers on whether celebrity political speech is substantive or merely performative. Some outspoken figures use politics to display moral superiority and distinguish themselves from Republicans they regard with contempt.
Powell’s remarks offer a different model for handling that pressure. He acknowledges that others may fight publicly for their beliefs, but he does not consider political advocacy part of his own role, and he intends to focus his voice elsewhere.