Glen Powell… the man that you are. GQ’s September feature on the leading man immediately grabbed me with its art direction, so I wanted to pull on that thread a little to find out why.
The shoot was done by Bobby Doherty (with a talented team of stylists, set designers, and producers), and it reminds me a lot of David LaChapelle’s work—especially his portraits of Pamela Anderson and Angelina Jolie. To me, these shots subvert and celebrate their famous objectification in a fun, fantastical, and surprisingly intimate way. Doherty brings that same energy to Glen Powell, but it feels fresh.
Perhaps it’s because, anecdotally, I’ve seen most male sex symbols photographed to highlight seriousness, intellect, and gravitas, whereas female sex symbols—like our lovely ladies above—are often approached with the expectation of playfulness and spectacle. Doherty flips that expectation: Glen leans fully into the campy side of sex appeal in his signature himbo-after-our-hearts style—and it totally works. Some people read it as a commentary on the rising pressure of male beauty standards, which isn’t really my immediate take, but I love that there’s room for that kind of satirical impression.
Even better is how the article frames Glen as an earnest craftsman with unapologetic, modern machismo. He’s not Jeremy Strong levels of theatre academic, but he takes acting seriously. At the same time, these photos prove he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He can lean into what makes him sellable in Hollywood without losing authenticity. It’s the tension for me!
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So, what do you think—are we about to see more of this playful, objectified lens on men, or is Glen Powell simply built different? Read the full article and let me know!
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