Hollywood is a hotly competitive place. Actors vie for roles that they feel they are right for, only to lose out to someone else. That seems to have been the case with Glen Powell. Recently he was a guest on the Therapuss podcast with Jake Shane. Powell looked back with laudable candor and graciousness at his try for the part of Tim Riggins on the TV drama Friday Night Lights.
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The show was beloved by those who followed it week after week.It revolved around the residents of fictitious, tight-knit Dillon, Texas. There, high school football reigned supreme. The acting was impeccable, the scripts authentic and moving. Actors like Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton made it very worth watching. Sometimes movies and TV shows largely about high school teens aren't too convincing. This one really was.
One of the plum roles was that of Tim Riggins. He was one of the football players that made you just swoon for him. Tough yet tender, as portrayed by Taylor Kitsch, he totally stole the show. Powell, now 36, auditioned for the part. Unfortunately, the result was not quite what he hoped for. He seemed like a good fit. Powell lived in Texas, he played football, and he was then in high school.
Powell Sounded Wistful Yet Realistic About Not Landing the Role
Per the Therapuss podcast, Powell said, "My 'Friday Night Lights' audition, I just wanted it too much, and I just literally... I auditioned for, my original audition here in Austin was Tim Riggins. It was the 'You and me Street [a character on the show], forever in Texas.' That bit. That was the audition scene."
He added, "But I mean, Taylor Kitsch obviously smoked that role, it was iconic. I was also in high school, those guys were like mid 20s playing high school. They looked the part. I was not a cool looking Tim Riggins in high school, even though I was playing high school football. Tim Riggins, like, whenever you see like who gets these things you're like, okay, that actually makes more sense."
He Understands Where He Went Wrong
Powell was tense at the audition. He feels that put him at a disadvantage. "There's a relaxation to acting that sort of have to have. It's like a weird job because you're in front of all these people and yet, it has to be very private, it has to feel very intimate."
He went on, "I was just so hyperaware that this was like a job that I wanted too much, and so I was aware of everybody in the room, you're aware of all these things happening. And I just couldn't settle into it."
