Glen Powell, Texas-Austin ’11, added a historic role to his rapidly growing resume this winter when he played astronaut John Glenn in the 2016 film “Hidden Figures.” In an interview with the fashion-industry trade journal Women’s Wear Daily, Powell said, “There’s only so many great movies that come about every year. That three African-American women were responsible for one of the greatest American moments was completely unknown to most people. The script was so good and it’s such an intimate tale of a well-known moment. It’s one of the reasons you get into the movie business.”

In 2017, the film won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. It was also nominated for three Oscars and two Golden Globes.

Powell has more than 40 films to his name, including “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “The Expendables 3.”
He is currently filming with the cast of “Guernsey,” a movie inspired by the New York Times bestseller, “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.”