2024 wasn’t the best year for Hollywood. In fact, in many ways it has been one of the worst, but Glen Powell says that’s just the norm. Speaking to Vanity Fair for this year’s Hollywood Issue, Powell reflected on his own experiences with the lean times the artist’s life is often subjected to and forced himself to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“Even in the darkest moments in that city, when nothing really happened, you have to lie to yourself, at least a little, and pretend that this is that chapter of the story where things just aren’t going well,” Powell said. “You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of the people you admire, the people you chase, who also lived through those long periods of famine.”

Powell said he spent time during these moments understanding all aspects of the business. He understood early on that success meant finding every possible way to put yourself on the map.

“In LA you’re really just concerned with being part of the experiment at all. People say, ‘Oh man, auditioning must be tough.’ And I’m like, ‘No, auditioning is one luxury.“Finding an agent, finding someone to talk to you at a damn party, having enough money to pay for headshots, these are the things no one talks about,” Powell said. “Trying to pay for acting lessons and trying to get better. Auditioning feels like you are bee the party. You’ve gotten past the velvet rope. You may not be able to afford a drink at the party, but you’re in it, you taste it. But so often in Hollywood you’re usually outside that velvet rope. Most of the time the bouncer won’t even let you anywhere near there.”

Earlier in the interview, Powell acknowledged that it can often feel like the worst thing in the world when there is very little to do in a city where importance is based on how booked you are. He has seen many become trapped in a cycle of trying to get ahead for no other reason than to be seen, to their own detriment.

“As a struggling actor, there is no harder place to live than being in Hollywood with nothing going on. The currency of that city is how relevant you are and what your latest job is. It makes you oppressively self-conscious,” Powell told Vanity Fair. “Where people can get stuck in a rut is where they just want to keep spinning the roulette wheel without asking why. They just stay at the table for no reason other than to stay at the table.”

Luckily, those days seem to be behind Powell, as he’s had two big hits this year with “Anyone But You” and “Twisters,” and he’s also a critical darling with his Netflix film “Hit Man.” His next project is the upcoming remake of writer/director Edgar Wright’s 1987 science fiction action film “The Running Man.”