Glen Powell as Chad Powers. YouTube/Hulu
Glen Powell is nearly unrecognizable in Hulu’s football comedy Chad Powers, which marks his return to the small screen.
The half-hour comedy, which stars Powell in the lead role, is inspired by Eli Manning’s 2022 ESPN+ docuseries Eli’s Places, where the former quarterback participated in Penn State’s walk-on football tryouts in disguise as a character named Chad Powers — complete with prosthetic makeup and a wig.
“We’re both diehard college football fans. When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big, fun story about this world,” Powell and cocreator Michael Waldron said in a February 2024 joint statement. “We’re excited to be part of this team, and can’t wait to get Chad in the game. Think fast, run fast.”
Eli, who serves as an executive producer on the project alongside brother Peyton Manning, previously praised Powell’s portrayal of Chad Powers.
“I thought he looked unbelievable. I mean, he looked terrible, which is hard for Glen to look really bad. He looked bad like I did!” Eli exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2024. “I’ve been talking to him, working with him a little bit in the offseason and to get him ready. And he’s fired up to play quarterback and to play Chad. He’s gonna do a great job. I can’t wait to see him in action.”
Eli admitted he wasn’t expecting his skit to turn into an entire show.
“Who would’ve ever known?” he noted. “I thought it was a funny idea: ‘Go and try out for a Penn State football team. Have a little fun.’ I hadn’t played football in a couple years, and so [I wanted to] see if I can still throw it and go back out there and compete. And now it’s turning into a show on Hulu. I mean, it’s unbelievable.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Chad Powers:
When Will ‘Chad Powers’ Premiere on Hulu?
The 10-episode season is set for release in fall 2025. Chad Powers marks Powell’s return to the small screen. He previously got his start playing Chad Radwell in Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens before transitioning to film with Top Gun: Maverick, Hit Man, Anyone But You and Twisters.
2024 was the year of Glen Powell — period. Yes, Powell has been in Hollywood for years, but nothing solidifies heartthrob status for an actor quite like wearing a white T-shirt while it rains or shotgunning a beer on stage with Luke Combs (a special thank you to the summer blockbuster Twisters for allowing Us to have both iconic […]
What Is the Synopsis of ‘Chad Powers’?
According to the official logline, Chad Powers kicks off when “bad behavior nukes hotshot QB Russ Holliday’s (Powell) college career, he disguises himself and walks onto a struggling Southern football team as the talented, affable Chad Powers.””
How Involved Is Glen Powell Behind the Scenes?
Glen Powell YouTube/Hulu
Powell not only stars in the show but also cocreated and cowrote the show with Waldron. Powell, Waldron, Eli, Peyton and ESPN are also credited as executive producers on the project.
“The love for Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Eli told Variety in February 2024. “I played 16 years in the NFL, but now when I’m in a restaurant or walking through an airport, it’s not uncommon for fans to scream, ‘Hey Chad!’ I’m so excited to team up with my friends Glen Powell, Michael Waldron and Omaha Productions to continue to tell the Chad Powers story and see what he does next.”
Who Else Stars in ‘Chad Powers’?
Steve Zahn, Wynn Everett, Perry Mattfeld, Quentin Plair and Frankie A. Rodriguez make up the rest of the Chad Powers cast.
Several stars took things to the next level when transforming into their roles for 2024’s biggest films. Cynthia Erivo spent several hours being painted green to play Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, in Wicked. “It would take about two hours and 45 minutes to four hours depending on how much we were […]
What Went Into Glen Powell’s Transformation?
Glen Powell as Chad Powers. YouTube/Hulu
In December 2024, Hulu released a first look at the series where Powell transformed into Chad Powers complete with facial prosthetics. Powell previously said the role was “one of the hardest” he has ever attempted.
“He’s like, the worst dude on the planet who puts on the mask of the most genial Southern guy you’ve ever seen,” Powell, who played high school football in Texas, told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2024 before noting he consulted with former Top Gun: Maverick costar Tom Cruise about prosthetics and worked with Patrick Mahomes’ quarterback coach.
