In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo pops in his earbuds and hits the audiobooks to discuss the Audible Original, “The Best Man’s Ghostwriter.” The audible original podcast follows a speechwriter who makes a living ghostwriting best-man speeches and gets entangled in the often ridiculous world of male friendship. The Audible Original stars Glen Powell, Nicholas Braun, Ashley Park, D’Arcy Carden, Lance Bass, Lukas Gage, Alex Wolff, Debra Messing, George Takei, Jack McBrayer, Nicole Byer, Jason Mantzoukas, and more.
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Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the Audible Original Podcast is the star and producer of the show, Glen Powell, who plays the ghostwriter, Nate, in the podcast. Powell’s career has been on fire with hits like “Anyone But You,” “Twisters,” and “Hit Man.” Audiences may be surprised to hear that he’s decided to produce an audio podcast series, but no one was as surprised as Powell himself.
“I think I misunderstood the medium from the outside,” Powell admitted. “And then, once I got into it, I realized the potential of how you can engage an audience on an auditory level. I think it’s hard to get people’s attention these days and have them actually engage with something, even when they’re watching movies – sometimes they’re scrolling TikTok or whatever it is. And I found that there was a level of attention on these things to the storytelling and the writing and the performance that was actually deceptively hard and required nuance in the acting and the writing that was like, ‘Oh, this is like a play, but if they’re in inside of your head.”
Powell agreed to come on to star in and produce the series and bring on longtime friends like “Succession” star Nicolas Braun, who Powell explains was perfect for his role in the Audible Original.
“Nick and I have known each other a really long time, and he’s been one of those guys that we kind of cheer each other on from the sidelines,” Powell said. “And when this came up and when I got to read it, I was like, ‘I think Nick would just crush this!’ And I was so right. And that’s the thing with Nick is his voice is so comedic but human. And he has all these different ranges – He’s just got a really good sense of that instrument. It was just a blast.”
Since playing Hangman in “Top Gun: Maverick,” Powell has been one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood, with studios and news outlets attaching his name to projects he isn’t even really attached to, like the recent news of a “Backdraft” remake. Powell was quick to dispel that rumor.
“Yeah, that’s not really a thing,” Powell said. “So I’m not really sure [where that came from], but obviously I’m a fan of ‘Backdraft,’ I think ‘Backdraft’ is an incredible film. I’m a huge Kurt Russell fan, as well. I think it’s a world that’s ripe for exploration, but not in terms of terms of me around it. That’s nothing I can really speak to.”
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With his leading-man looks and recent string of hits, one might assume that Powell is being courted by Marvel Studios and DC to star in one of their upcoming superhero epics; however, according to Powell, that couldn’t be further from the case, despite being a big fan of the genre.
“You know I’ve never gotten a call from DC or Marvel,” Powell said. “But I’m a fan of everything they do. I just saw ‘Deadpool [& Wolverine].’ I freaking had a blast. I think what Shawn [Levy] and Ryan [Reynolds] did with that is extraordinary and just such a fun flavor for audiences. And I cheer for them. And I love what [they do]. I think James Gunn, Peter Safran, and what they’re doing at DC—I think it’s going to be really, really good for that business. So it’s like, yeah, I cheer them all on. I’m a big fan of the movies.”
Powell is currently shooting his “Chad Powers” series for Hulu, which is based loosely on an Eli Manning-produced comedy bit where he disguised himself as a college quarterback to try out for a southern university football team. Next up, he’ll jump right into filming Edgar Wright’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Running Man,” which Powell teased in the interview.
“I will say that Edgar is one of my favorite filmmakers because he is singular in the way he sees the world and his vision, and his ability to kind of engage an audience. And I’ll say that the story here is extremely engaging and very fun. And yeah, I think it’s going to be awesome.”
“The Best Man’s Ghostwriter” is currently streaming on Audible. Listen to the full interview below:
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