‘Twisters’ cast interview: Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones on their storm-chasing escapades

Actors Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Anthony Ramos talk to us about how their ‘Twisters’ sequel pays homage to the original 1996 blockbuster disaster epic, bonding on the sets over Charli XCX’s music, and what is inside Powell’s “icon wisdom” journal

One of Glen Powell’s most treasured possessions is what he calls his “icon wisdom” journal; a book he has had throughout his career in which scribbles down the most important takeaways from the projects, filmmakers and actors he has worked with.

Naturally, the journal is chock-full of wisdom from his Top Gun: Maverick co-star and now-friend, mentor and guide to everything magical in life: Tom Cruise. In an earlier interview, Powell revealed one of his favourite bits of advice from the superstar; Cruise does not just pick great roles, he picks great projects and then makes the roles great. 

It is something Powell has been consciously trying to do since the $1.5 billion box-office success of Maverick (2022) changed his life overnight (not to mention being credited with reviving the theatrical rom-com with Anyone but You, and his incredibly slick turn in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man) and eventually led him to sign on for the upcoming Twisters, a standalone sequel to the 1996 blockbuster disaster epic.

Directed by Minari filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung, and also starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Fresh,Where the Crawdads Sing) and Anthony Ramos (Hamilton,In The Heights), the film stars Powell as Tyler Owens, a brazen but charismatic storm-chasing social media star who crosses paths with meteorologist Kate Cooper (Edgar-Jones) and her colleague Javi (Ramos) who are testing a new tornado tracking system. As storm season converges upon central Oklahoma, the trio are caught in the fight of their lives as they seek to escape — and possibly try to tame — multiple unpredictable tornadoes that will destroy anything in their way.

Much to the surprise of his Twisters co-stars, Powell winks and says that both of them are now part of his journal after shooting wrapped on the ambitious project.

“One thing that I took away from Daisy for my journal is the way that she breaks down a character. She has this amazing process where she charts out the entire movie in a detailed manner, almost like a filmmaker. It really allows you to see the entire arc and temperature of different aspects of the movie. I’m not quite as Type A as Daisy, she really is the top student of the cast of Twisters. (laughs). But it’s fantastic how she tackled her character in such a deliberate nature being part of a film where there’s so much happening on the effects and stunts front,” he remarks lightly.

Powell adds, “Anthony, on the other hand... he has this beautiful sense of play. Every single day, he approaches his job with such a sense of childlike wonder, brings his brother around everywhere and makes sure that people laugh on set.”