Arnold Schwarzenegger Warned Glen Powell About the Demands of Action-Hero Life Before ‘The Running Man’ Remake
Glen Powell is stepping into the high-octane world of action heroes — and according to the actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger gave him some serious words of wisdom before he took on the challenge. The Top Gun: Maverick star revealed that Schwarzenegger, who headlined the original The Running Man in 1987, personally shared both encouragement and caution ahead of Powell’s starring role in the new remake.
Arnold’s “Full Blessing” and Candid Advice
Speaking to People at the premiere of his upcoming film The Running Man, Powell said Schwarzenegger “lost his mind” after seeing the new version of the movie — but not before warning him about the physical and emotional toll of carrying an action blockbuster.
“He was so excited, but he told me — and every single one of my buddies who’ve starred in action movies told me this — ‘You don’t realize how intense it is until you do it,’” Powell said. “To do it right, it’s very physical, it’s very emotional, it’s all those things.”
Schwarzenegger, now 78, played the lead role in the original The Running Man, based on Stephen King’s dystopian novel. The new version, which aligns more closely with King’s 1969 story, follows a man hunted by a totalitarian government in a deadly televised game show.
Powell said he first reached out to Schwarzenegger through his son Patrick Schwarzenegger, adding that the Hollywood legend gave the project his “full blessing.”
“Patrick is a great friend of mine,” Powell explained. “I asked if I could talk to Arnold, and I hadn’t seen him since we shot Expendables in Bulgaria. He said, ‘Go for it.’”
From ‘Expendables’ to Leading Man
This isn’t Powell’s first encounter with action icons. He previously shared the screen with Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Antonio Banderas, and Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Expendables 3. It was during that time that Stallone offered him an unforgettable piece of advice about the mindset of an action star.
“He said, ‘At the end of every day, you win or you lose,’” Powell recalled during a recent Hot Ones interview. “That’s such a hardcore way to look at life — but that’s Sly.”
Stallone also had some humor to share when Powell told him he wasn’t going shirtless in The Running Man:
“He goes, ‘You’re doing it all wrong. It’s the traps and the forearms — the cinema muscles. If you’re not taking your shirt off, just bulk those out!’”
Tom Cruise’s “How Not to Die” Masterclass
Powell’s transformation into a full-fledged action lead has also been shaped by Tom Cruise, his co-star in Top Gun: Maverick. The actor revealed that Cruise personally called him before filming began to give him advice on surviving the demanding stunt work.
“What I thought would be a 10-minute call lasted two and a half hours — he basically told me how not to die!” Powell said with a laugh.
During one particularly brutal stunt, Powell had to abseil eight stories down a building in freezing weather while wearing a tight harness.
“There was literally a guy whose only job was to make sure I didn’t kick through a window,” he recalled on The Graham Norton Show. “But that also meant he was looking up my skirt all night. I kept wondering what he was seeing after take number ten!”
Cruise also gave Powell a surprising tip on one of his most recognizable skills — running.
“He told me, ‘You should film yourself running because you don’t look as cool as you think you do.’ He was so right,” Powell said.
Carrying the Torch for a Classic
The Running Man remake, directed by Joseph Kosinski, marks Powell’s biggest solo leading role yet. The film promises to deliver both the adrenaline-fueled spectacle of the original and the deeper political undertones of King’s source material.
The star-studded cast includes Colman Domingo, Lee Pace, William H. Macy, Michael Cera, Emilia Jones, Daniel Ezra, and Jayme Lawson.
With guidance from action legends like Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Cruise, Powell appears ready to step into a new era of modern blockbuster storytelling — one defined by intensity, precision, and heart.
“I’m so proud of what we did in this movie,” Powell said. “It’s everything — physical, emotional, and personal. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I think we got it right.”
The Running Man hits theaters Friday, November 15, with early screenings already generating strong buzz among fans of both the original film and the Top Gun star.
What do you think about Glen Powell taking over Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic role? Share your thoughts in the comments on InvestRecords.com.
