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Glen Powell leads the upcoming Hulu original series Chad Powers, a sports comedy inspired by a 2022 ESPN+ sketch from Eli Manning’s docuseries Eli’s Places. The show centers on a disgraced quarterback who reinvents himself under a new identity. Powell plays the dual role of Russ Holliday aka Chad Powers, portraying a character who disguises himself to gain a second shot at collegiate football. The show premieres on Hulu with its first two episodes on September 30, 2025.
Created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, the series expands on Manning’s original viral concept with a fictional storyline set in the world of Southern college football. With executive producers including Powell, Waldron, Eli, and Peyton Manning, and a cast featuring Steve Zahn, Perry Mattfeld, and Toby Huss alongside Powell, the show blends sports-themed storytelling with comedy.
Glen Powell’s transformation for the role includes a long wig, mustache, and prosthetic nose, contributing to his “unrecognizable” new look. His portrayal of the character has generated interest since the teaser dropped during Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
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Glen Powell plays Chad Powers
In Chad Powers, Glen Powell plays Russ Holliday, a former star college quarterback whose reckless behavior abruptly ends his athletic career. Determined to make a comeback, Holliday assumes the alias of Chad Powers and enrolls in a different university under a disguise.
Using a prosthetic nose, shaggy wig, and thin mustache, he infiltrates a struggling Southern football team as an anonymous walk-on. This dramatic physical transformation was revealed on August 22, 2024, through Hulu’s promotional images, drawing comparisons to the original sketch’s appearance.
The character Chad Powers originated in 2022 when Eli Manning went undercover at Penn State for his ESPN+ docuseries Eli’s Places. Manning developed an elaborate persona, a substitute teacher and carpenter attempting to try out for the team, complete with prosthetics crafted by professional makeup artists. The comedic sketch gained viral popularity due to its absurdity and Manning’s awkward performance during tryouts.
Inspired by the viral success and narrative potential of the character, Powell and Michael Waldron created a fictional series expanding on the concept. Glen Powell expressed his enthusiasm for taking on the role of Chad Powers, a character first created and portrayed by Eli Manning. During an appearance on The Eli Manning Show in May 2024, Manning and Powell talked about the latter taking on the role.
"I don't know if I like you playing Chad Powers. Like, I'm Chad Powers," Manning joked.
In response, Glen Powell said that he just wanted to honor the Chad Powers created by Manning.
"Look, I'm not gonna try to outdo you, I'm really gonna try to honor your legacy, but this is what I do," he said.
Everything we know about Chad Powers
Chad Powers will premiere on Hulu on September 30, 2025, with the first two episodes released immediately, followed by weekly Tuesday releases. The show was given a series order in February 2024 and began filming in August 2024. The series is a production of 20th Television, Anomaly Pictures, ESPN, and Omaha Productions. Tony Yacenda, known for American Vandal, directed the pilot.
The cast includes Glen Powell as Russ Holliday/Chad Powers, Steve Zahn as Coach Jake Hudson, Perry Mattfeld as Ricky, Toby Huss as Mike Holliday, Wynn Everett as Tricia, and Frankie A. Rodriguez as Danny. Other cast members include Quentin Plair, Clayne Crawford, Colton Ryan, Keese Wilson, and Xavier Mills. Natalie Holt composed the score, and Patrick Tuck served as editor.
According to the official synopsis, the series follows Holliday as he walks onto a struggling team while in disguise, attempting to reclaim his past football success. The plot is directly inspired by Eli Manning’s undercover segment at Penn State, where he assumed the same alias and persona. Glen Powell’s portrayal of Powers is intended to reflect both comedic absurdity and emotional reinvention, consistent with the original sketch’s tone.
Powell and Waldron shared their enthusiasm for the show in a joint statement published by Deadline in February 2024. It read:
"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."
Glen Powell’s role in Chad Powers bridges the gap between a viral football sketch and a scripted television comedy. As both co-creator and star, he takes on the challenge of reviving the now-iconic persona with new narrative depth.
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