Glen Powell returns to Austin to give keynote at UT Moody College commencement

Actor Glen Powell is returning to his roots to give the keynote address at the University of Texas Moody College of Communication's commencement on May 5.

The 34-year-old Austin native starred as Hangman in last year's blockbuster, "Top Gun: Maverick," but honed his acting talents here in Central Texas. His first film role came in Robert Rodriguez's 2003 movie, "Spy Kids 3: Game Over." Since then, Powell has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, including three films from Austin-based director Richard Linklater.

In Texas, "there's this sense of camaraderie and teamwork and friendship and helping each other that I feel (has) defined a lot of my career," Powell told the American-Statesman last year. "People that have long careers, including guys like Tom Cruise, they do look at it as a team sport."

From 2022: Glen Powell is one of the best parts of 'Top Gun: Maverick'

After graduating from Westwood High School, Powell attended UT.

"You need a backup plan," he told the American-Statesman in 2008. "If the acting thing doesn't work, I may go into entertainment finance."

Clearly the "acting thing" worked out, and now he's heading back to UT to share his story with graduates.

"His hard work, persistence and devotion to craft will inspire our graduates as they start their next chapters," Moody College Dean Jay Bernhardt said in a news release.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Glen Powell returns to Austin for UT Moody College commencement speech