I know that when I think of some of the most powerful young actors, Zendaya and Glen Powell are two of the first names that come to mind. It turns out George Clooney – yes, the George Clooney – thinks that too, as he opened up about why they are two young stars who seriously impress him. Talk about high praise!
At the moment, George Clooney is making the rounds and talking about his project on the 2025 movie schedule, Jay Kelly. He stars in that film alongside Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, and I think it’s safe to say all three of them are legendary movie stars. Now, the Ocean’s Eleven actor is also opening up about the next generation of talent, and he specifically gushed about Zendaya and Glen Powell. Starting with the Euphoria star, here’s what he had to say about her on THR’s Awards Chatter podcast:
I think Zendaya … can do television, she can do commercials, she can do movies, she seems to have that ability to rise above it.
Release Dates For The Projects Mentioned In This Story
→ Jay Kelly – November 14, 2025
→ The Running Man – November 14, 2025
→ The Drama -April 3, 2026
→ The Odyssey – July 17, 2026
→ Spider-Man: Brand New Day – July 31, 2026
→ Dune: Part Three – December 18, 2026
I totally get what he’s saying. Zendaya isn’t just a movie star. She is also a fashion icon and does a lot of work outside of film. She won an Emmy for Euphoria, and she’s the face of multiple brands, including Louis Vuitton and On. Her stardom surpasses just film. However, the movies are also one of the elements that make her so iconic.
Case in point, on the 2026 movie schedule alone, she’ll be part of four major releases – The Drama, The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Dune: Part Three.
As George Clooney said, she can do it all, and she can do it all well, just like he can. While Zendaya does fashion campaigns for designer brands, Clooney does ads for Nespresso. While Zendaya has made a name for herself on television, with Euphoria, Clooney broke big with one of the best hospital-set TV shows, E.R. And on top of all that, they can both effortlessly carry a film.
The Oscar winner also had a lot of praise for Glen Powell, who has had a few big years in a row after he spent years working his way up in Hollywood (much like Clooney did). Following the release of Top Gun: Maverick, his star has risen exponentially, and in the last two months alone, he’s led a TV show, Chad Powers (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription), and he’s about to release The Running Man, which he’s the star of.
Speaking about why the 37-year-old actor is one to watch, Clooney said:
I think Glen Powell is doing interesting stuff as a young actor. I mean, he’s not young, but he’s kind of hitting around the time I hit, and he seems to want to direct and produce and write and do all of those things with a little bit of humor about himself, which I think is an element that’s important if you look back. I’m not ready to call it all dead yet.
When Clooney says he’s “not ready to call it all dead yet,” he’s referring to movie stars. There’s been a lot of chatter recently about whether there are any, and it’s clear that this movie star thinks there are. I happen to agree too.
While movie stardom might look different now than it did a few decades ago, there are major young stars working right now, and they’re only getting bigger. So, pay attention, folks, because I think George Clooney is right. Actors like Zendaya and Glen Powell are among the next generation of major movie stars, and it will be so exciting to see what they do next.