How Glen Powell Turned a Failed Dustin Hoffman Audition Into a Career Lesson

The Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters star recalls the cringe-worthy meeting with his idol — and how it helped him reshape his Hollywood mindset.

Glen Powell, now hailed as one of Hollywood’s most charismatic rising stars, wasn’t always sashaying through blockbuster premieres. Before his breakout roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Twisters, and The Running Man, Powell endured a rough introduction to the industry — including a disastrous audition in front of acting legend Dustin Hoffman.

On a recent episode of Hot Ones, Powell shared the story of how he moved to Los Angeles at age 19 and unexpectedly found himself sitting next to Hoffman during a dinner. The surprise didn’t end there: Hoffman had seen Powell in The Great Debaters — a film Powell barely thought anyone noticed — and complimented his work. “The fact that he saw this movie just blew my mind,” Powell recalled. Hoffman even told him, “You’re a good actor,” and added, “I got something for you. Let’s keep in touch.”

Days later, Powell was invited to Hoffman’s office to read for a possible role. But what should have been a proud moment turned painfully awkward. As Powell began reading, he couldn’t shake his awe — or his nerves. “I was so in awe that Dustin Hoffman was sitting across from me. He’s one of my favorite actors of all time,” Powell said. As he read, he watched “the life drain from [Hoffman’s] eyes,” realizing he was tanking. “I’m watching him, I’m losing him. And then I’m being like, ‘Yeah, you’re losing him,’ and then I look back and I’m losing him even more. And I left so defeated.”
Despite the flop, Powell now sees that moment as pivotal. Over the years, he’s learned to view Hollywood not as a daunting hierarchy but as a space of creative collaboration. “What you start to realize is that all this business is play,” he shared. Instead of idolizing legends, he’s grown to work alongside them — seeing giants like Hoffman as partners in storytelling.
Today, Powell is not only headlining major films but also stepping into the spotlight as a host — making his Saturday Night Live debut this season. His journey, including the setbacks, fuels his grounded approach: stay audience-focused, stay playful, and don’t let awe get in the way of the work.