Glen Powell Talks Movies, Smash Kitchen And Becoming An Entrepreneur

He is rather indisputably one of the biggest movie stars in the world right now – with his many memorable acting performances in such films as Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man and Twisters – but today, Hollywood heavyweight Glen Powell is launching his latest creative endeavor – Smash Kitchen.

With a mission to recreate classic condiments that are both organic and affordable, Smash Kitchen is the first brand that Powell, 36, a Texas native, is bringing to the market.

Sitting down with the Smash Kitchen co-founder over a phone conversation this week, Powell said, “I obviously wanted to give my family the best, and what’s been really fun is they’ve been the main taste testers along this journey. I’ve really got to put my love of my family and my love of food – and love of quality. I’ve learned a lot. I really feel that it’s a great extension of who I am and what I already do in my life.”

During the process of developing his Smash Kitchen products for consumers, which are exclusively sold at Walmart stores nationwide for the next six months, Powell tapped seasoned CPG entrepreneurs, Sean Kane of The Honest Company & Hello Bello and Sameer Mehta of Casper & Jinx, to help him effectively launch this new venture together as co-founders.

Powell said of his Smash Kitchen collaboration, “I think one of the things in my life that I do best is surround myself with the best people. Whether that’s my friends – high quality friends – or when I’m putting together a movie, I have the best of the best around me. Sameer and Sean have proven that they make really great products, where there’s a marketplace need, but also make that product with integrity. That’s why I was drawn to those guys.”

Also speaking briefly with Mehta and Kane about their Smash Kitchen business interactions with Powell, Kane said, “Sourcing the finest organic ingredients has been a priority for our entire team. Glen has played an especially vital role in development, ensuring we deliver bold, balanced flavors that highlight the exceptional quality of our ingredients.”

Mehta added: “Partnering with Glen on Smash Kitchen has been an exciting and meaningful collaboration. Watching him step into entrepreneurship with such clarity of purpose, humility and unwavering drive has been genuinely inspiring. From the very beginning, we’ve shared a clear vision: to build a brand rooted in quality, transparency and real connection – with each other, with our team and with the people we serve. Glen brings a sharp, creative lens, a thoughtful business instinct and a strong set of values to everything he does. I feel incredibly proud to be building this company alongside him and Sean. Very excited for what’s ahead.”

Now being a full-on entrepreneur with the launch of Smash Kitchen, I wondered how Powell would describe what it takes to be an effective entrepreneur in 2025.

Powell said, “I think the thing that I’m starting to realize is it’s all about the audience, right? When it comes to Smash Kitchen, they’re not going to pay $15 for a bottle of ketchup. So, I think the thing that I’m the most proud of here is that it’s better tasting – everybody that tries it is saying that it’s the best tasting ketchup, mustard, mayo, barbeque sauce they have had – and it’s at a price point that my friends back in Texas that are shopping in Walmart can afford.”

Beyond his ongoing work as a Hollywood leading man and as a leader at Smash Kitchen, Powell also has his Barnstorm production company. So, how exactly has he noticed himself grow, not only as a professional but as a human, through his Barnstorm work thus far?

“I’ve been a fan of movies since I was able to open my eyes. Everybody in the family loves entertainment and we are big consumers of it, but at the end of the day, I’m also feeling like I’m a student of this business. I really love it, inside and out. I’ve gotten to really put my mark on that. I feel like when you have sort of a moment of political capital, you can really change what’s being made. I feel like as a fan of the movies, I know what I want to see in the theater. I’m really making sure that Barnstorm is practicing what it preaches in that way – giving people what they want to be seeing in theaters. So, that’s my goal at Barnstorm.”

With everything currently on Powell’s plate (pun intended with his Smash Kitchen condiments on the mind), I was curious – Who is Glen Powell in 2025? What brings him the most purpose and excitement to his days lately?

Powell said, “Great question! I think one of the best things about this chapter of my life is that you get to become uncomfortable in a really great way. I feel like the more I do this job – one of my favorite things about being an actor – putting yourself in new environments in which you are fascinated by the world or professionals, but also you have an opportunity to learn. I think that is what is really fun here. Especially opening Smash Kitchen – we are getting to surround ourselves with food scientists. We aren’t taking any of the shortcuts, in terms of preservatives or dyes or anything like that. We did it the right way and not the easy way.”

The Hollywood actor, producer and now entrepreneur will be recognized on Thursday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada with this year’s “Star of the Year” award. He will also be on-site promoting his upcoming Edgar Wright film, The Running Man, which is expected to be released in theaters with Paramount Pictures on November 7, 2025. After congratulating Powell on his CinemaCon honor within his ever-expanding career, I wondered how he is best utilizing his hard-earned star power to create even more meaningful and innovative work moving forward.

“This is where, as a fan of movies, I want to deliver for fans of movies. I understand that it’s the first time in my entire career where me being a part of a movie can greenlight a movie. I can get movies made in a way that I haven’t been able to do my entire career, and very few people have the opportunity to do. I don’t take that responsibility lightly. I’m teaming up with great filmmakers and really trying to build movies that are sort of in their strike zone and the genre that they’re charged to explore. I’ve never worked so hard in my life, but I’m so fulfilled by it – like this is the great passion of my life. I’m waking up every morning very, very happy to give it all to the work.”