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Glen Powell doesn't want to talk politics, as he says it is a matter that can "divide people."
The actor is best known for his roles inTop Gun: Maverick (2022), Hit Man (2023), Twisters (2024), Running Man (2025) and How To Make A Killing (2026).
Recently, Powell opened up on the subject in an interview with Esquire on why speaking about politics as a public figure interests him even less these days.
He says he was brought up in a house where current affairs were not discussed at the dinner table, adding: “Thank God.”
“Over time, I realized that politics divide people,” Powell said. “People trying to prove their point — for me, it’s the worst version of a conversation. I genuinely do not like the discourse. It’s not as healthy as it once was."
He added, "[Engaging in politics] is not presently possible. 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. For me, my calling is elsewhere.”
Powell's latest comments have spurred a lot of reaction on social media with people criticising his comments.
One person said, "Are publicists on a strike I haven’t heard about."
"This is a political statement btw," a second person wrote.
A third person added, "The level of privilege (and lack of awareness of that privilege) it takes to say this with your full chest in 2026 is mind-boggling."
"Once again. You cannot be in the arts and not engage with politics. All art is political," a fourth person commented.
The 37-year-old has never stated his political stance publicly on whether he is a Democrat or a Republican.
He did defend his Anyone But You co-star Sydney Sweeney when she received backlash over her American Eagle jeans advertising campaign. The ad included the controversial tagline, "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans" which sparked anger for its perceived racial and genetic messaging, with it even been accused of creating "eugenics rage bait".
"But I think people are aware that it’s bull****", Powell told The Guardian on the topic last year. "Look, in an era in which businesses are evolving and are seeing their mortality in front of them, sometimes they are desperate to make anything run. Whether it’s true or not, whether it hurts anyone – there is no accountability any more."
When asked about avoiding public discourse as a public figure, Powell noted, "The sad part is you do have to separate yourself.
“You can’t get caught up in it – it has nothing to do with you, it has to do with ad dollars. And, you know, there is no course-correcting. If something’s false, you’re not actually setting the record straight, you’re just feeding the beast.
"That’s why I don’t say s*** – just let it come, and let it go. Not feeding the beast and not trying to fight anything. I’ve realised the smart people in Hollywood don’t try to fight anything that has nothing to do with them.”
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