Glen Powell Offers Longhorns Sneak Peek at New Show

Students lined up around Hogg Memorial Auditorium, weaving their way down the street to the Turtle Pond, cradling movie posters, DVDs, and handmade flyers. Many had been sitting and waiting for hours—starting the line at 8 a.m., skipping classes, having friends drop off food—to be first in line for an event that did not start until 6 p.m. All were giggling and whispering what-ifs, hoping for the small chance to meet Glen Powell and receive that sought-after signature or, better yet, a selfie. The Moody College of Communication held an exclusive screening of the first episode of Chad Powers, actor Glen Powell’s new Hulu show, followed by a Q&A session with Powell, ’11, for Moody students, faculty, and staff, on Oct. 2, 2025.  

“Our goal at Moody is to provide our students with an extraordinary background, a solid foundation in research and theory, but we also love to bring you experiences like this one, so you can really learn from people who are out there in your respective industries,” Anita Vangelisti, interim dean of the college, PhD ’89, Life Member, says before the screening. “I hope that when you do that, you’ll leave here inspired to take on all the exciting things that you have for the rest of your semester and for the rest of your time here in Moody College.”  

Aisbeth Juarez, an advertising sophomore in the front row who brought her own picture of Powell sees the event as one of the many benefits Moody provides for her.  

“It makes me feel very confident in the place we’re getting our education because you obviously do see success,” Juarez says, referring to celebrity former students Powell and Matthew McConaughey. “And it’s not just in them; it’s with everyone else, too. You have so many connections. You have so many opportunities, and then they come back and create more opportunities for us.”  

The exuberant crowd cheered as the lights dimmed and the first episode of Chad Powers played. Afterward, Cassandre Alvarado, BJ ’95, MED ’98, PhD ’04, senior associate dean for undergraduate education at Moody and moderator of the Q&A, entered the stage, followed by Powell, who immediately hyped up the crowd: “Oh my god. I love it, Moody. Let’s go!”  

Alvarado inquired about Powell’s time in LA as part of Moody’s UTLA program; his experience working as not only an actor, but also a writer and producer on a project; how his knowledge from Moody prepared him, and more.    

“One of the things to always remember is that education is never done,” Powell says. “Your identity is never set. You can keep learning, you can keep building, you can keep changing. And so, this experience here at Moody, because I haven’t graduated, is still informing who I am.”  

Powell’s close relationship with Moody has left a lasting impact on many current students. Sofia Belle Zirkle, an advertising freshman who was the very first in line for the viewing, securing a front-row seat directly in front of Powell, has gained confidence in herself because of Powell.  

“[Seeing Powell succeed] really helped me believe that I can make it out there.” Zirkle says. “I wanted to [be an RTF major], but I didn’t want to take the risk, but seeing him, he took the risk. It makes me consider switching or minoring in RTF.”  

A friend group of seven girls who queued for tickets as early as 2 p.m., saw the event as one of the highlights of their college career. But not all were initially selected to attend.  

Due to an overwhelming demand for limited seating, if Moody students, faculty, or staff wished to attend, they had to sign up to enter a lottery. Those who got seats were emailed the Monday before the event and had to pick up a wristband that was required for entry. Some lucky students were emailed that morning with the longed-for news that there were extra bracelets.  

“I was across campus,” Katie Munoz, a journalism sophomore and one of the friend group, says. “I never ran to the DMC faster. I ran up those stairs, and they had a bag of extras, and I was like, ‘God bless.’”  

The girls were so eager for the event that Annela Camus, a journalism freshman, designed custom flyers featuring a popular photo of Powell that earned him viral comparisons to a capybara (of all things) standing in front of the Tower with a speech bubble reading, “I’m Glen Powelling right now.” The flyers were a hit, grabbing Powell’s attention during the Q&A.  

“Look at that! Is that my capybara photo? I deserve that,” Powell said. “I will get one of those capybara things. I just got a new house in Austin, and I need decoration.”  

Emilio Castañeda Peña, an advertising freshman sitting with Juarez who could easily be described as one of Powell’s biggest fans, said he felt a connection to Powell and was just as excited about the event as Munoz.  

When Top Gun: Maverick hit theaters, Castañeda Peña saw it with his dad on opening night. And then three more times in the next three days. When Hitman was released on Netflix, he binge-watched it five times. Castañeda Peña loved it so much that he went on the hunt to find a DVD of it, discovering the only versions of it on Blu-ray at the time were copies sent to Oscar voters for consideration. He was able to track one down on eBay and purchase it for $40. He sat in the front row with his Hitman DVD and Top Gun: Maverick poster.  

“They made the announcement [for the event] on my birthday. I was literally coming out of my birthday dinner with my family, and I saw that, I was like, ‘It’s a sign,’” Castañeda Peña says. “I was so excited.”  

Because of experiences like this, Moody College is setting itself apart from peer programs around the country and providing students with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.  

“This place is just magic, and the people you meet here are magic,” Powell said during the Q&A. “There’s nowhere else like it on the whole planet. So, I would just say, take what you’ve experienced here, and take it to the real world. And don’t stop throwing up those horns, because it means something.”  

CREDITS: Moody College of Communication, Trinity Flaten