Glen Powell is "grateful" that Christopher Nolan "took a shot" by casting him in The Dark Knight Rises when he was a struggling actor

Nov. 14, 2024

“It’s a validation that’s hard to explain”

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Glen Powell has voiced his appreciation for Christopher Nolan and shared that he’s grateful the director took a chance on him by casting him in The Dark Knight Rises during a difficult point in his career.

“I remember on Dark Knight Rises the feeling of being able to walk onto a set and you knew everybody in the world wanted to be on that set, right?” Powell toldVanity Fair. “Even though it was a small role, I auditioned several times for it. I was getting to work with the greatest director on the planet, Christopher Nolan. And you’re sitting there and all of a sudden Tom Hardy walks in as Bane. It’s electric. It’s sort of out-of-body.”

“That was one of those movies when nothing was going on in my life,” he continued. “I was just fighting for every inch. And when Christopher Nolan casts you in his movie, it’s a validation that’s hard to explain. And I’ve talked to Chris about this. We’ve run into each other at different things. I saw him during his amazing Oppenheimer run, and he’s very proud that he plucked me early. I’m just very grateful that he took a shot.”

Of course, Powell’s star has been on a meteoric rise over the past year, thanks to roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man, Twisters, and Anyone But You. He can next be seen in The Running Man, directed by Edgar Wright and based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King, about a reality show where contestants are chased around the world by murderous Hunters for a cash prize. Katy O’Brian, Michael Cera, Josh Brolin, and William H. Macy will also star.

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I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.

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