Although Glen Powell is now getting the recognition that he deserves, one of his best early supporting roles was in the largely forgotten cult hit Scream Queens. I can see why showrunner Ryan Murphy’s horror comedy series Scream Queens was canceled. The show’s second season never regained the momentum of its predecessor despite the presence of stars like Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Roberts. The balance between its gory horror and broad, goofy comedy was also always uneasy. However, while Scream Queens season 3 looks increasingly unlikely with each passing year, I still think viewers must seek out the series.

Scream Queens had one of the most stacked TV casts of the 2010s, and its lineup has only grown more impressive since the show ended. Supporting stars like Keke Palmer and Patrick Schwarzenegger have gone on to become stars in their own right, while one season 1 mainstay has become a genuine A-list superstar. Although American Horror Story and Scream Queens were both instrumental in increasing the profile of various guest stars, the latter series cast one actor whose fame increased immeasurably since their scene-stealing supporting role. This makes a re-watch necessary and overdue.

Glen Powell Has A Hilarious Standout Performance In Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens Show

Glen Powell’s Chad Radwell Is A Highlight Of Scream Queens

I implore you to seek out Scream Queens, if for no other reason than to see Glen Powell’s hilarious early turn as Chad Radwell. Powell’s Chad Radwell is the funniest thing about Scream Queens, with the future star outshining co-stars like Emma Roberts and Nick Jonas as a spoiled frat bro. Disloyal to his girlfriend, Chanel Oberlin, dishonest to everyone he encountered, and comically cowardly when faced by the show’s villain, Chad could have been a uniquely insufferable minor villain. Instead, Powell’s side-splitting performance made me root for the character despite his blatant flaws, while wishing he got more screen time.

Compared to Powell’s later role as Hangman in Top Gun: Maverick, Chad was particularly odious. He had none of that blowhard’s redeeming features, but all of his arrogance and his status as a trust fund kid made him an even worse antagonist. Add in a macabre sexual interest in death, and viewers were left with a character who should, by rights, have been unwatchably unpleasant. It is a testament to Powell’s comic timing that Chad was not only funny but so consistently hilarious that I seriously couldn’t get enough of the character’s presence in Scream Queens.

Glen Powell Needs To Do More Horror Comedies After Scream Queens

Powell’s Blockbuster Career Should Accommodate More Horror Comedies

The role of Chad Radwell still proves that Powell should prioritize horror comedies in the coming years. This might be tricky since, after the success of Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone but You, and director Richard Linklater’s critically acclaimed Hit Man, I would understand why Powell would want to focus on bigger projects. However, Powell’s hilarious Scream Queens role indicates he needs more horror comedy projects in his future as the actor managed to make Chad’s antics stand out even within the bloody, fast-paced milieu of the series. Scream Queens was nasty, but Powell’s supporting role was more memorable than most of its deaths.

While some viewers might recall a sorority sister getting decapitated by a lawnmower when they think of the series, the first thing I remember is the hysterically uncomfortable sex scene where Chad told Chanel he’d love to sleep with her dead body. The black comedy of Scream Queens was more effective than the show’s somewhat discordant gore, and Powell was central to some of the best, darkest jokes. Anyone but You’s Shakespeare retelling proved that Powell can headline a successful comedy, but the actor shouldn’t abandon the horror part of Scream Queens’ genre blend after his success.

Glen Powell’s Chad Radwell Proves He Would Have Been Perfect As A Ken In Barbie

Powell’s Semi-Villainous Meathead Was Reminiscent Of Ryan Gosling’s Ken

While Chad Radwell seemed terrible on paper, I couldn’t help but root for the funniest character in Scream Queens. In this regard, Powell’s Chad Radwell role showed that he would have been perfect as Barbie’s Ken despite how funny star Ryan Gosling’s role in the blockbuster was. Gosling gave Ken an innocence that made his thoughtlessness as hilarious as it was frustrating, while Powell could have given the character the smarmy charm that Chad Radwell oozed throughout Scream Queens. I truly consider Gosling’s Ken a himbo, but Powell could have played the character as a darker but no less funny figure.

Debates rage on over whether Ken was Barbie’s villain, but he was undeniably the character that the movie’s titular heroine faced off against in the ending. In these scenes, I can imagine Powell’s signature smirk imbuing Ken with the same smugness that made Chad both terrible and compulsively watchable. While Gosling succeeded by taking the character in another direction entirely, I would have loved to see how Glen Powell would have handled the role, judging by his underrated tenure as Chad Radwell in Scream Queens.