Glen Powell wants no part of political fights that divide people

Glen Powell wants nothing to do with Hollywood's political firestorms.

The "Top Gun: Maverick" star opened up about his decision to stay out of politics and why he believes the growing divide has made it nearly impossible to have a healthy conversation.

"Over time, I realized that politics divide people," Powell told Esquire. "People trying to prove their point – for me, its the worst version of a conversation. I genuinely do not like the discourse. Its not as healthy as it once was."

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For Powell, engaging in politics is "not presently possible."

"I applaud people for jumping into those things and fighting for what they believe in," he added. "If I were a political person, I would be talking about it. For me, my calling is elsewhere."

Powell's reluctance to wade into politics dates back to his upbringing.

Despite his mother's work in the Reagan administration at the U.S. Treasury Department, the actor said politics and current events weren't regular topics of conversation around the family dinner table.

He echoed the sentiment in a previous interview with The Guardian.

"Im not a political person," he said in October 2025. "I like things that bring people together."

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With politics increasingly dividing audiences, even Hollywood's biggest stars are finding it harder to appeal to everyone. Powell weighed in on whether entertainment can still bring Americans together and if action movies are one of the last remaining escapes from the political divide.

"Thats a good point. Theres a universal language of action, which is also why those movies translate so well internationally," he added. "'Running Man' is about something universal – what you would be willing to do for the people you love? But also how people can feel powerless in the face of a world that feels more and more unequal, more unfair."

"So, youre not going to see me talk politics. But movies – thats how I express myself," he added. "Movies are a conversation; politics always felt to me like two people trying to prove a point."

Powell has become one of Hollywood's most recognizable leading men, thanks to standout performances in "Top Gun: Maverick," "Anyone But You" and "Twisters."

Yet his stardom didn't light overnight.

He once had a casting director tell him he'd be lucky to "play a dead body" on CSI as he struggled for a decade to get his foot in the door.

"There was a point where I realized that acting is not a meritocracy," he said during an appearance on "CBS Mornings." And just because you exist on a longer timeline doesn't mean it's going to wor