Ditch detention and pop quizzes! Forget inspirational speeches about chasing your dreams (unless those dreams involve becoming a millionaire matchmaker). Glen Powell’s latest film delves deeply into the true narrative of a school teacher who, well, gave up textbooks for Rolodex full of zeros that somehow turned into millions!
Inspired by a 2001 piece written by Texas Monthly journalist Skip Hollandsworth, Glen Powell plays the title hired murderer in Netflix’s upcoming film. The fascinating backstory, however, is something that’ll blow your mind. Buckle up for an entertaining (and possibly insane) story of a teacher’s crazy journey from grading essays to grading compatibility!
From dorky professor to deadly decoy: Glen Powell plays fake Hit Man in Netflix’s thriller film
Glen Powell is all set to feature in Netflix’s upcoming screwball comedy and thriller film, Hit Man. The plot depicts the story of Gary Johnson, who passed away in 2022 in the film (and unfortunately, in real life, too). Johnson was one of the most valuable resources available to the Houston police department: a chameleon actor who could adopt several personas for contract killers to trap criminals who were going to have people bumped off.
Johnson was referred to as “the Laurence Olivier of the field” in Hollandsworth’s piece. His work was delicate, but it was really very easy. If the police learned that someone wanted to order a hit, they would set up a meeting between the target and one of Johnson’s killer characters. As a part of his job, he continued interviewing the client until they openly admitted what they intended to do.
Director Richard Linklater and Powell state in a report that they thought Johnson’s role was to “assist people in their communication skills.”
That’s all my job is — to help people open up, to get them to say what they really want, to reveal to me their deepest desires.
Gary Johnson was “hired” to kill over 60 people in the 1990s and the period leading up to the article, and he assisted in the prosecution of numerous individuals who had ordered the crimes. That’s how Powell and Linklater attribute his portrayal of Gary Johnson, or at the very least, the identity of the real Johnson. Powell portrays dorky Professor Johnson in Hit Man.
Despite Johnson’s untimely death in 2022, Netflix’s Hit Man preserves his remarkable tale. The portrayal of Glen Powell offers a darkly comic look at a man who saved convicts by getting them to confess their “deepest, darkest desires.”
Who was the real Gary Johnson?
Gary Johnson was a psychology professor who, as a hitman, helped the New Orleans police catch people who had committed gruesome crimes. He tailors each hitman to the prospective client, wearing many disguises during his tenure. However, his life is turned upside down when a battered wife hires him to kill someone, and they get caught up in a wild, romantic, and illegal scheme.
Hit Man is an amazing, brilliantly cunning piece of fiction. Watch the killer comedy and thriller film today, streaming on Netflix!
Frequently asked questions
Was Gary Johnson, the real person behind Netflix’s Hit Man, an actual hitman?
No, Gary Johnson was not a real killer. He was a psychology professor who worked with the Houston police department, posing as a fake hitman during undercover sting operations to catch people attempting to hire someone to commit murder, then helped prosecute them based on their own admissions.
What is the plot of Hit Man starring Glen Powell?
Hit Man is a Netflix comedy-thriller inspired by a 2001 Texas Monthly article about Gary Johnson, played by Glen Powell. In the film, Johnson creates various undercover personas to pose as a contract killer for police stings, until his life becomes complicated after he develops feelings for one of the people he’s investigating.
How did Glen Powell and director Richard Linklater describe Gary Johnson’s job?
Powell and director Richard Linklater described Johnson’s undercover work as essentially helping people communicate, since his job was to get potential clients to openly reveal their intentions. Powell explained the role as helping people “open up” and say what they really wanted, which then gave police the evidence needed for prosecution.
