Glen Powell Starred in This Short-Lived ‘Survivor’ Series for Kids

You may know Glen Powell as Hollywood’s new “it” boy, starring in blockbuster films like Twisters and Anyone But You. Although the actor has really made a name for himself as a Hollywood heartthrob, you’d never guess where we’ve seen Powell on our screens before. The Texas native appeared on one episode of a reality competition show called Endurance when he was 13 – and he didn’t seem to be happy that his reality TV past was out. Sure, he chases twisters and all, but he never seemed like the “survivor” type.

Stephen Colbert Brings Up Glen Powell’s Shocking Reality TV Past

Powell appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in July 2024 to promote his new film Twisters. In typical Stephen Colbert fashion, he pulled out all the stops, unearthing the actor’s reality show past. Colbert told the audience about one of Powell’s “earlier forays into the world of action that wasn’t as successful,” pulling out a picture of him from Discovery Kids‘ Endurance. Powell admitted he was on a “survivor” type reality show when he was 13. He described Endurance as a show “Where they threw kids to Mexico… and they pit them against each other.”

Powell did not seem too pleased that his reality TV past was out. Right when Colbert took out the photo, Powell was visibly embarrassed, saying, “It’s really pretty hard for me to talk about, to be honest…I’ve never talked about this publicly ever.” During the segment, Powell reveals why he is so embarrassed about his time on the show, saying that he wanted to be on the show really badly, but he got kicked off on the first episode. Although Powell is killing the Hollywood heartthrob game, he certainly did not kill the competition. Nobody wants to be the first one kicked out of a competition, especially one airing on national television.

Colbert goes the extra mile, pulling out a clip of Powell getting eliminated from the Discovery Kids show. The clip shows the actor as a young teenager holding onto a monkey bar before losing his grip and falling into the water below him. In a confessional that followed, Powell talks about the challenge, saying, “I thought I could do it for a long time, but my balance didn’t think so.” He goes on to admit his defeat, adding, “When I realized I was going home, it was the worst feeling.” Watching the clip years later, Powell still had a reaction to his old embarrassment and defeat.

Stephen quickly pivots to yet another antic, reading Powell’s bio for the show. The bio read: “Glen likes making his own movies and is working to buy a professional video camera by mowing lawns and acting in commercials.” Stephen wrapped it up on a hilarious note, reading, “He likes to tap dance and sing at nursing homes.” Powell bursts out into laughter with the rest of the audience. Who would’ve thought a contender for People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2024 tap danced and sung at nursing homes? No wonder John Krasinski took the title instead.

Related

I’m Sorry, but This ‘Survivor’ Player Is So Overrated

Did everyone forget that it took him four tries to win?

‘Endurance’ Was Essentially The Kids’ Version Of ‘Survivor’

Endurance was a reality competition show that aired on Discovery Kids from 2002 to 2008. In the simplest of terms, the show combined Fear Factor and Survivor, featuring teenage contestants. Twenty teams, each consisting of one boy and one girl, are pitted against each other in a series of mental and physical challenges in a remote location. In the end, only one teen team is left standing to take home the grand prize.

Powell appeared in Endurance 2, the show’s second season, filmed in Baja, Mexico. Contestants had to face the desert landscape of Baja, which is home to plenty of creepy crawlies like rattlesnakes, scorpions, and tarantulas. Temperatures also get as high as a whopping 128 degrees. Contestants not only had to deal with physical and mental exhaustion but also heat stroke and dehydration. Powell was eliminated in the first Right To Stay challenge called “Drop Out.” This challenge immediately eliminates six contestants before they even choose their teams. In the challenge, the player stands on a platform above the water while holding onto a large metal bar. If the player lowers it too far, then the platform they are standing on will fall, and they will be dangling to their fate. Powell was the second contestant eliminated, with a time of 6:11, so at least he wasn’t dead last in the competition.

To everyone’s surprise, the blockbuster actor began his career on a reality competition show. Stephen Colbert put his investigative skills to the test, pulling out all the stops to expose Powell’s short-lived time on reality TV. His first-challenge elimination proves that, although he may fly warplanes, chase twisters, and pretend to be a hitman, Glen Powell doesn’t have Endurance.

Endurance is not available to stream at this time.

Endurance

Release Date

October 5, 2002

Cast

J.D. Roth
, Julie Dubela
, Sabrina Lloyd

Seasons

6

Producers

J.D. Roth

Network

NBC
, Discovery Kids