Today, actor Glen Powell sits down with Bon Appétit to eat his favorite meals and talk all things acting, fitness and Texas. Join Powell as he discusses the confidence boost he received from Denzel Washington early on in his career to running tips from Tom Cruise—all while tucking into his favorite foods.Glen just announced the launch of his first-ever brand venture, Smash Kitchen - a line of organic pantry staples designed to modernize the American pantry.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Oh my God.
00:01Wow, so good.
00:02Thank you for doing your research.
00:03If you're wondering what I'm doing below the table, I'm just crushing up this butterfinger.
00:07Today, we've prepared some of your favorite foods.
00:14I'm very excited.
00:15My favorite memories are sort of around the kitchen table, you know, laughing late night
00:19wine and people making desserts and trying out different recipes and stuff like that.
00:23And so these food groups that you're about to see represent the Glen Powell palette,
00:27you know, and they're kind of all over the map.
00:29Is this breakfast tacos?
00:30Yes.
00:31I conjured them up.
00:32Okay.
00:33Growing up in Austin, Texas, if you aren't obsessed with breakfast tacos, you need to get the hell
00:39out.
00:40Some people put bacon on them, you know, potatoes, cheese.
00:43I prefer mine with brisket and jalapeno.
00:46I would actually like maybe some hot honey ketchup and some green chili sauce.
00:52Take a bite.
00:53Give us your review.
00:54What do you think?
00:55Oh my God.
01:00That's very good.
01:01Like very good.
01:03Do you want one of these tacos?
01:05Hell yeah.
01:06Dude, that's so good.
01:07Oh my God.
01:08When you initially moved to LA, I read that part of the impetus for you to move was, you
01:14know, talking with Denzel Washington.
01:16You know, I did a movie when I was a senior in high school called The Great Debaters that
01:22Denzel Washington directed.
01:23After that movie, as it was about to come out, he called me.
01:26I was in my dorm room at University of Texas and he said, hey, are you coming out for the
01:31premiere?
01:32And I said, yeah, I'm coming out for the premiere.
01:33And he said, you know, we should sit down with my agent.
01:37Nobody can give you a career in Hollywood.
01:38Like you have to go on your own path.
01:40And it's always going to be a gauntlet.
01:43But just the fact that Denzel had confidence in me, Ed had confidence in me really meant
01:47the world.
01:48So it's like I still see Denzel all the time.
01:50This is sort of a paleo breakfast sandwich.
01:58You know, sometimes when you're on movies, unfortunately, you gotta stay a little in shape.
02:03You can't be carbo-loading all the time.
02:05So this is my attempt to do like a typical breakfast sandwich, but make it a little healthier.
02:10Sweet potato, put it in an air fryer, make it a little crispy.
02:13So it kind of feels a little bit more like bread.
02:15You put some kale, avocado, fried egg, and you're golden.
02:19That's pretty good.
02:24Pretty good.
02:25How do you think about nutrition?
02:27And like, do you work with a nutritionist?
02:28Do you have somebody that helps you figure that out?
02:30There's all these, you know, sort of demands on your body.
02:34Not only physically, but aesthetically.
02:36And so you start to become really aware of what's in your food.
02:40I just did an A24 movie called Huntington, where I was down to 165 for Running Man.
02:46I was at 200.
02:47I just take a beating in this movie.
02:50And physically, I put my body through stuff I'd never had to do before.
02:52Eating the right thing can like preserve you from injuries or pulling stuff.
02:56And especially for that movie in which I'm like running off of things and flying off of rooftops and falling down things.
03:03It's like, you have to basically have a body that can sustain serious hits.
03:08So the fun part is like, not even just looking good, but being able to be bulletproof.
03:12I think food played such a huge part of that.
03:15If you're doing a ton of running, did you take inspiration from another guy who's famous for doing a lot of running?
03:19I did.
03:20I got some tips.
03:21Everybody that I asked gave me one piece of advice.
03:23They're like, just study Tom Cruise.
03:25So I went to the source.
03:27Yeah.
03:28What's the tip for running on screen?
03:30I can't share any of those secrets yet.
03:32But I'll just tell you, it works.
03:35This is a hefty barbecue burger.
03:42That is great.
03:43This is just a Texas hamburger.
03:45A real thick piece of meat.
03:46Toasted buns.
03:47Try to toast it with mayo.
03:50Always better than butter.
03:51Doesn't burn.
03:52Fresh tomato here.
03:53Some pickles.
03:54And hopefully some crispy bacon.
03:56That'd be a sloppy bite.
04:02All right.
04:04That's a fantastic burger.
04:06I notice you don't have any cheese on there.
04:09Mm-mm.
04:10And also going for the gluten-free bun.
04:11Mm-hmm.
04:12I'm heading straight from this booth.
04:14Right back to set.
04:15I have to be in shape for the next movie in a matter of days.
04:21So there's got to be some sacrifices somewhere.
04:25So I went with the sacrifice with a gluten-free bun.
04:27When you've got to bulk up, what are you doing to get all the calories?
04:29Yeah.
04:30I mean, you've just got to eat more.
04:31You know?
04:32Like beer?
04:33No, no, no.
04:34I'm not.
04:35Yeah.
04:36I tend to, when I'm shooting, I usually try to stay as clean as possible.
04:39I just did this show called Chad Powers where I wear prosthetics on my face.
04:44It's Mrs. Doubtfire style.
04:46And I couldn't drink because in the Georgia heat, if I sweat, the alcohol would release
04:51the glue in my mask.
04:53So I had to go sober because my face would literally fall off.
04:57You've worked with some pretty amazing directors over the years.
05:00But I think people maybe have forgotten that you were in Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises.
05:04I'm going to sing.
05:05Stockbroker number two.
05:06What was it like getting chucked around by Bane?
05:11Uh, painful.
05:15Painful.
05:16Tom Hardy is not a weak man.
05:17No, it was a really special time.
05:18You never forget those moments as an actor when you are on set on a movie that you know
05:23everybody in the world wants to be on.
05:29Okay.
05:30A little bit of a secret is if you want your chicken wings to be a little crispy, put a
05:34little baking soda on them.
05:35Uh, baking powder.
05:39Dry them out, pat them out, and then soak them in barbecue sauce.
05:42Speaking of sauces, we have your sauces.
05:44Great.
05:45I love sauce.
05:46The whole family just can basically drink barbecue sauce as a drink.
05:51Growing up in Texas, I really didn't know what's in your food.
05:54You know what tastes good.
05:55You know what's at a good price point.
05:56But the fun part about now knowing all the preservatives that are in most condiments,
06:01I thought if we could make a condiment, you know, a range of condiments that was affordable,
06:07that was tastier, and that was better for you, then we're going to win.
06:11There's no excuse not to have it.
06:13That's what we're solving with Smash Kitchen is we're taking all the bad stuff out and only
06:17keeping real ingredients in.
06:19So the fun part about it is that when I'm like actually on a job, when I have to be like
06:23in shape for a movie, you can still live your life.
06:26You don't have to compromise.
06:27You can still be eating well, but also like, you know, stuff that tastes good, but also good for you.
06:33All right.
06:38My grandmother, Grammy, was a gnocchi pro.
06:42Grammy had always had this phrase, is just eat my honey, eat.
06:46And she would, oh, it was always about seconds and thirds and just trying more food.
06:50Gnocchi was always sort of just one of her staples.
06:53Did you guys cook these, are these fresh meatballs?
06:55Oh, yeah.
06:56Yeah.
06:57It looks, it looks, it looks very, this looks legit.
07:02Very good.
07:03How did you guys do this gnocchi?
07:05Secret in the kitchen.
07:06Okay, so you're in the kitchen.
07:07Sometimes what I like to do with the meatballs, instead of several meatballs, I'll make one giant
07:12meatball.
07:13Sort of, it sort of allows you to have like a little more pink in the center.
07:17So it's like a gobstopper, like a meat gobstopper.
07:21You know, you get to the gooey center a little bit.
07:23It's a little more of a Texas treat.
07:25You're a cook.
07:26I mean, I try.
07:27Let's say you're making a meal for a date.
07:30Okay.
07:31What are you, what are you going for?
07:32This is definitely one, can get a little messy.
07:34Also, I feel like, you know, I cook a mean steak.
07:37Here's a little bonus for you.
07:42Is this fried okra?
07:44Oh, wow.
07:45And classic fried okra.
07:46This is great.
07:47I really appreciate this.
07:48One of my favorite meals growing up was chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy
07:53and fried okra.
07:54Usually the fried okra, it's almost like balls of okra that you fry.
07:58I really appreciate the whole okra.
08:01This is a different technique that you rarely ever see, especially outside of Texas.
08:07And I really appreciate it.
08:08It's great.
08:13Very good.
08:14That's very good.
08:15Thank you for doing your research.
08:16I haven't had fried okra in a hot minute.
08:19Do you have a knife?
08:22Or a spoon?
08:24Put it in a little seat.
08:25Let's see how soft this one is.
08:26Okay, this is actually good.
08:27I probably don't need all the tools.
08:28I'm just gonna...
08:30If you guys are wondering what I'm doing below the table, I'm just crushing up this butterfinger.
08:34Hold on.
08:35That's part of the cold open for sure.
08:36That's part of the cold open.
08:37That's it.
08:38Alright, and we're done.
08:39So Amy's ice cream in Austin, Texas is my happy place.
08:43Amy's ice cream taught me this trick where you take bluebell ice cream, you crush up butterfingers, they do all these crushings in there.
08:49And also what's cool about Amy's, I can't do any of this, but they do cool tricks and they flip all the stuff on it.
08:54Do you want to get in on this?
08:55I might get in on this.
08:56Yeah, get in on this.
08:57Oh my god, that's so good.
09:00Yeah.
09:01If I'm on a treat, treat yourself moment, this is it.
09:06Isn't that amazing?
09:07Absolutely.
09:08So that's my favorite dessert.
09:10Also, when they were asking me about my favorite dessert, I rarely, I haven't had this in years, but as a kid, I used to love this.
09:21Dr. Pepper, made in Texas.
09:25It's like Gatorade where I'm from.
09:27It's what real athletes drink.
09:30And you throw this in there.
09:33Do you want this to...
09:35Sorry guys, there goes that table.
09:37Hope this wasn't expensive.
09:40All right, hold on.
09:45I would invite you to stick a straw in here, but I think that'd be crossing the lines.
09:48That's pretty damn good.
09:52They say the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
09:55Is that the best way to your heart?
09:56I think that's always been the pal's love language.
09:58You know, again, like I, I, my dad, we have this tradition.
10:02Every time I'm shooting a movie, I'll do the research and find the best dumpling in whatever city I'm shooting in.
10:09And my dad will sample all the dumplings.
10:11We call him the dumpling daddy.
10:13Maybe when I'm promoting the next thing, like I'll come back and we'll, um, we'll come back with the dumpling daddy and do some, some dumpling taste test.
10:20He's very good.
10:21I did not know what I was walking into and this was an incredible food journey.
10:25I'll see you at the dining table.
10:26Soon.
10:27I'll see you in the movie.
10:29So you did not bring it up.
10:30He will makeIANTS.
10:31Oh.
10:32I'm up and gone.
10:33You too.
10:34Whatever.
10:35Remember, you guys were robertned.
10:36Friends?
10:40You guys are experiments.
10:41Don't take advantage of that.
10:43Even you did not know what to go to do.
10:44My dad he was like an idea from Yoast Peel.