Glen Powell, as he prepares to release a new dark comedy How to Make a Killing, is also revising one of the tales in his own life that confirms that the sense of humor goes way beyond the movie set. In a new interview, Powell reminisced one of the most rude tricks that he has ever played, and it was not only on his younger sister Leslie Powell, but also on singer and former co-co-star Joe Jonas.
At 37, Glen Powell has established a Hollywood reputation of being charming, quick-witted, and easy-going. In terms of action scenes to romantic comedies, he tends to inject some playfulness in his work. Beneath the slick surfaces of red-carpets and movie premieres, however, is an elder brother who once took a joke too far.
Thinking about the event Powell said, I did, a prank phone call to my sister [Leslie] that Joe Jonas was arrested, and my sister was literally searching in every jail in Georgia to find the two of us. The gag was not an improvised joke. It has been well thought out and as Powell states, Joe Jonas helped to make it seem like it is real.
The 36-year-old Joe Jonas is reported to have discovered a creative method to make the call authentic. Through the Google Translate, he was able to recreate the robotic sound that is commonly linked to automated jail collect calls. Powell told us how it occurred, that Joe had figured out how to make it sound like a jail was calling my sister to a collect call, and so, my sister took the call, and I basically just imitated Joe and got in a golf cart and had somebody beat up.
The point concerning a golf cart accident was not too much absurdity to remember the story, but not too little to make this story lead to some real panic. In the case of Leslie Powell, the scenario was a reality. She did not laugh at it or question the call but immediately responded. And my sister has been very serious about it, said Powell. And so I made the call and so my sister went around all the jails in Georgia, trying to find Joe Jonas and me.
One can just imagine what stress she must have experienced. Everyone, who has ever gotten an unpleasant phone call by a loved one, is familiar with the rate of heart acceleration. Fear can be much more than logic even when something sounds a little strange. This is what Powell himself personally admitted, that the prank was quite a complex one, but it actually brought out a deeper insight into the nature of his sister.
“It was very sweet of her. It was an expression of how much my sister cares about me, yet I will not play the same mean trick on her as I did that time since she is too good. The reflection makes the story more sincere. What started as an off-put prank turned out to be a demonstration of the power of their brotherhood.
The relationships between siblings can always lie at that thin line between the opposition and unconditional fidelity. Jokes, teasing and healthy-looking competition is a norm particularly in a family where the family is very creative. There is however, a tacit agreement that family comes first when it really counts. Leslie had no second thoughts in her case. She did this on the spot and she was determined to assist her brother.
Naturally, no wonderful sibling tale can pass without some kind of a payback. Powell attested that Leslie finally received her revenge. “She did get me back. I still remember, he said, that she was salivating to get that favor back. Although he did not elaborate on her prank back, the statement indicates that some power equilibrium in the Powell family was reinstated.
Leslie Powell is not only the younger sister of Glen Powell, and is 33. She is a successful musician by herself. Her work has been featured in television programs, films and commercial work. Indeed, she has been involved in some of the music of her brother, such as Twisters and Anyone But You. The cooperation of the two brothers can be seen as the series of relationship that rests on not just a sense of humor but also on the sense of respect and appreciation of art.
Glen has openly given glorifying remarks to Leslie talent in the past saying; There is nothing that makes me feel better than [Leslie] music. Remember the name. She’s a star.” It seems a less promotional aspect of a celebrity and more of a sincere pride in that endorsement. To a person in the industry that is as competitive as Hollywood, there is nothing more conclusive than a public announcement of the closeness of a sibling through the achievement of the latter in the creative realm.
As Powell gets ready to stand before the audience in How to Make a Killing, articles such as this one are a reminder to the fans that behind all those neat acts of performance lies a living human being who has been molded by family, errors and mutual recollections. Pranks can be considered as minor things, yet they can unveil some more secrets related to trust and love. The joke in this case has shown how far Leslie was ready to go to help her brother.
It is also painfully human to have a performer admitting that he went too far, even without any intention. The fact that Powell did not repeat such a prank in the future demonstrates development. There may be a great deal of power in humor, yet there is responsibility. To understand the point at which a joke goes too far is a part of maturity, as an individual, and as a public individual.
The response of the masses to the story has been both negative and positive, as it is usually the case with such a complex prank. It is viewed as innocent play among siblings by some, and it is not clear to some whether it is worth laughing at the cost of causing real panic. That strain echoes a larger debate concerning the limits to which humor should be confined. Something that one considers funny might be overwhelming to someone else.
Nevertheless, there is something good in the story, though: the caring attitude of a sister, a brother who understands that loyalty. As Glen Powell enters another blockbuster movie, the jailhouse joke story reminds us that celebrity status cannot forget the realities of family life. It merely provides such stories with a greater platform.
