Most people know Glenn Howerton from playing an everyday psychopath on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. That show has been going on for sixteen seasons, and they have no plans to quit either, which is sort of amazing. Even with the lowkey success and longevity of IASIP, it feels like Glenn Howerton isn’t really famous-famous. This GQ Hype cover is possibly the first time I’ve ever seen him on any magazine cover? And I don’t even recall seeing or reading a major magazine interview with him either. Anyway, Glenn is promoting BlackBerry, the true story of the rise and fall of the Canadian smartphone company BlackBerry. I remember when everyone had a BlackBerry about fifteen years ago. Good times. Anyway, Glenn plays BlackBerry’s co-CEO Jim Ballsille and Glenn is legitimately getting Oscar buzz for his performance. Some highlights from GQ Hype:
Shaving his head for BlackBerry: “I did not realize how much I identified with my full head of hair. Deep down, I think I always felt like a guy in his 20s, even though I’m in my mid-40s. When I shaved it, it just kinda liberated me. The illusion was gone. I was like, I am a man in his 40’s. A grown ass f–king man… I genuinely liked it… My wife did not feel the same way.”
He has a low tolerance for alcohol: “My alcohol tolerance is sh-t these days. I can do two max, and then I’m in bed.”
He doesn’t feel famous: “If I’m famous… It’s a select-group-of-people style of fame. I’m not like Tom Cruise. It’s not that everyone-knows-who-I-am type of fame. When people are big fans of a TV show, it means something different, because you’re literally in their house. It’s intimate. People say all the time, ‘Oh my God, my husband and I watch your show every night when we’re going to bed!’ Which could sound, offhanded, like, ‘your show puts us to sleep.’ But it’s a huge compliment to me. That is something Tom Cruise will never understand. He will always be a thousand times more famous than me—this is not a knock on him—it’s just different.”
Whether he ever contacts other random famous people for meetings: “I’ve done the ‘hey I’ve just seen this director’s movie and I loved it, can we get a meeting, but not for social purposes….I just think the world of Ryan Gosling. I think he’s fantastic. I think he’s a fan of the show, actually? I know he knows the show. So Ryan, if you’re reading this, let’s hang out, buddy.”
There are also some nice quotes from It’s Always Sunny’s Kaitlin Olson, where she says nice things about how Glenn is “friends with all of his ex-girlfriends, but not, like, suspiciously” and how hilarious he is in real life, and how much he cracks her up on the show. It’s interesting to see him go full-throttle into dramatic work and actually pull it off with Oscar buzz. I have expected him to come across like a douche in this piece, but he seems funny, grounded and normal. He’s right about what kind of fame he has too – he’s not Tom Cruise-famous, he’s “TV show famous.”
Cover courtesy of GQ, additional photo courtesy of Cover Images.
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- Blackberry Photocall as part of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in Berlin, Germany. Featuring: Glenn Howerton Where: Berlin, Germany When: 18 Feb 2023 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
I like all those Always Sunny people. They seem like decent folks, which is the opposite of what you would think from their characters.
Oh my gosh, I love them all! Glenn is so good I can’t picture him as anything other than an everyday narcissistic psychopath.
He actually went to Juilliard so he’s classically trained. He only did comedy for his senior capstone because everyone else was doing drama and he wanted to stand out, and he was just really good at it.
I *adore* IASIP and have since the very beginning. One of my all-time favorite episodes is The World Series Defense, which has turned into a yearly ritual for me: I watch it again before the start of the World Series every year (I may or may not be a baseball nut. I blame my late father. Thanks, Daddy!).
Glenn Howerton getting Oscar buzz just might make me watch the show for the first time in forever. I typically hate awards shows – so cringy – but I’d stick out the first half hour or so if there’s a chance of him winning. You just know that acceptance speech would be memorable! And the resulting episode of the show, win or lose? Whew!
I bet he’ll win the Oscar. He’ll just organize a yacht party for Academy voters and ask them to vote for him and they can’t refuse. Because of the implication.
🤣🤣🤣 Nobody’s going to get HURT, Mac. But there is the…implication.
“The implication” is one of many, many, MANY quotes that are on constant rotation at my house. Along with “my rage is untethered and knows NO BOUNDS!!” and the always-popular answer “milk steak and jellybeans!” when I ask my husband what he wants for dinner. So many, too many to count.
HONK for IASIP!!! They are hilarious and the show is amazing. I was so sad when we finished the last episode of the newest season (which is GREAT, check it out if you haven’t.) It’s a fantastic show, and all of the cast seem to be lovely, lovely people who are immensely talented.
HAHAHAH yesss
Frig i love this show, constantly rewatch it and will watch this movie when it comes out. Love everyone in the cast
I always got the feeling he was a good guy, he’s friends with the band Portugal the Man (whose lead singer’s daughter, by the way, is battling a rare disease, please see their GoFundMe).
But PTM has always (before it was cool) been an advocate for indigenous rights and actively speak up and fight for native voices.
My only issue with the Always Sunny group is that they worked for so long with a known creep. That and RM gives me the ick.
Is RM Rob McElhenney? And who is the well known creep they’ve worked with?
I’m guessing the “known creep” is Fred Savage (of The Wonder Years fame), who directed and, I believe, produced a bunch of episodes of the show.
I don’t know the details of their relationships with Fred Savage, but I’m willing to give them a pass because 1.) he hasn’t been part of the show for a very long time and 2.) they were essentially nobodies when the show started. They may not have had the power to get the show made without him.
I’ve only seen a couple episodes of IASIP, but he was legit funny in AP Bio. I think it was canceled after two seasons, but the writing was perfect for his particular brand of dismissive, narcissistic snark.