If you search TikTok, you’ll find more than a few posts by women who are beside themselves over actor Glen Powell’s performance in last year’s Top Gun: Maverick. It can be a surprise to learn that Jake “Hangman” Seresin—Powell’s character and one of the heartthrobs in the film’s memorable beach football scene—is played by the same actor who portrayed Long-Fingered Boy in the 2003 movie Spy Kids 3. That kid got his start in Austin, where he honed his acting chops in local theater and films—including in Austin director Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids 3—before going on to score roles in TV and movies. His dozens of credits include Scream Queens, Hidden Figures, and the 2022 Top Gun sequel, one of the highest-grossing films ever with revenue of $1.4 billion.
Powell’s surging career propels him around with Austin-based director Richard Linklater. The film is Powell’s fourth with Linklater, following roles in , , and . Powell co-wrote the script with Linklater, and he plays the lead part in the film, which was inspired by a article about a Houston professor working undercover as a hitman. The movie is expected to be released this year.
