Scott Glenn has a face that looks like it was carved out of a canyon wall with a dull pocketknife. It’s a legendary face. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, he was that guy. The one who could command a nuclear sub in The Hunt for Red October or hunt a serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs without ever raising his voice. He was the ultimate cinematic "hard case."
But something weird happened.
While most actors from his era were busy doing direct-to-video cameos or retiring to Palm Springs, Glenn decided to become the MVP of prestige television. Honestly, it’s one of the best second acts in Hollywood history. If you've been watching Scott Glenn TV shows lately, you know he isn’t just showing up for a paycheck. He’s out-acting people half his age.
The Marvel Era: How Stick Changed Everything
Before 2015, Scott Glenn was mostly "that guy from The Right Stuff." Then came Daredevil.
When Netflix (and later Disney+) launched their gritty corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they needed someone to play Stick. Stick is a blind, world-weary assassin who treats his students like garbage but happens to be the only thing standing between New York and a ninja apocalypse. It’s a role that could have been incredibly cheesy.
Glenn made it terrifying.
💡 You might also like: Why Love Island Season 7 Episode 23 Still Feels Like a Fever Dream
He didn't just play a "mentor." He played a man who would literally beat a child to make him a better warrior. You’ve probably seen the scenes where he spars with Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock. Glenn was in his 70s during those shoots, but he moved like a whip. He brought a genuine martial arts background to the role—he's a real-life practitioner of Kali and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—and it showed.
He reprised the role in The Defenders in 2017, essentially acting as the grumpy glue holding the team together. Without him, that whole "street-level Marvel" era would have lacked a certain gravitas. He wasn't playing a superhero; he was playing a soldier who happened to be blind.
The Leftovers and the Australian Apocalypse
If Daredevil proved he could still fight, The Leftovers proved he could still break your heart.
In the HBO masterpiece, Glenn played Kevin Garvey Sr., the father of Justin Theroux's lead character. In the first season, he's mostly a voice of madness—a former police chief locked in a mental institution because he hears "voices" after a global cataclysm.
By Season 3, the show moved to Australia. Glenn moved with it.
📖 Related: When Was Kai Cenat Born? What You Didn't Know About His Early Life
The episode "Crazy Whitefella Thinking" is basically a 60-minute Scott Glenn masterclass. He wanders through the outback, trying to find a specific Aboriginal song that he believes will stop a literal apocalypse-level flood. It sounds ridiculous on paper. In Glenn's hands, it was raw, spiritual, and deeply human. He brought this weird mix of arrogance and desperation to the role. He wasn't just a "crazy old man." He was a father trying to save a world that had already given up.
Why Scott Glenn TV Shows Are Having a Moment in 2026
It’s actually kinda wild how busy he’s stayed. Just when you think he’s done, he pops up in something else.
Take Castle Rock, the Stephen King-inspired series on Hulu. He played Alan Pangborn, a retired sheriff who’s seen too much. It was a role previously played by Ed Harris, but Glenn made it his own by leaning into the "seedy" side of the character. He portrayed a man who was deeply in love with a woman losing her mind (Sissy Spacek) while dealing with a supernatural entity in his backyard.
And then there's the recent stuff.
- Bad Monkey (2024): He joined the Vince Vaughn Apple TV+ series as Jim Yancy. It’s a sun-drenched noir, and Glenn fits perfectly as the grizzled elder statesman of a Florida world gone mad.
- The White Lotus (2025/2026): This was the big one. His role as Jim Hollinger in the third season of Mike White's hit show earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination. He played a wealthy, somewhat detached patriarch at a luxury resort in Thailand. Seeing him transition from "blind ninja" to "ultra-rich tourist" just shows the range he’s always had but rarely got to use in his 80s action star days.
The "Authenticity" Factor
Why do directors keep calling him?
👉 See also: Anjelica Huston in The Addams Family: What You Didn't Know About Morticia
Basically, it's because Scott Glenn doesn't know how to fake it. He’s a former Marine. He actually spent time on a nuclear sub to prepare for Red October. When he plays a tough guy on TV, you believe him because he probably is that guy.
There’s a famous story about him turning down a role in Lost because he didn't want to be "the boring old man behind a desk." He wants to be in the mud. He wants to be doing the stunts. That's why his TV work feels so different from other veteran actors. He’s not a cameo; he’s a force of nature.
What to Watch Next
If you’re looking to dive into the best of Scott Glenn's television career, don’t just stick to the hits.
- Start with The Leftovers (Season 3): Even if you skip the first two seasons (don't, they're great), his performance in the Australian arc is some of the best acting of the last decade.
- Daredevil (Season 1, Episode 7): This is the "Stick" introduction. It’s perfect.
- The White Lotus (Season 3): To see him play against type as a man with more money than sense.
- Castle Rock: For the Stephen King fans who want to see a more "grounded" version of horror.
Scott Glenn is currently 86 years old. He’s still working. He’s still lean, still mean (on screen, anyway), and still better than most of the guys getting the lead roles. Honestly, we’re lucky he decided that television was worth his time.
If you want to keep up with his latest projects, keep an eye on the upcoming 2026 production schedules. There are rumors of a return to the "gritty thriller" genre, which is exactly where he belongs. For now, go back and re-watch his turn in The Leftovers. You’ll see why he’s more than just a 1980s relic—he’s a legend who actually got better with age.
Next Steps for Fans: Check out the 4K restoration of The Right Stuff if you haven't seen his early work. It provides the necessary context for why his "mentor" roles in modern TV carry so much weight. Additionally, verify your streaming subscriptions for Max and Disney+, as those platforms currently house the majority of his most significant television contributions.