Glen Powell apparently has the arm strength, and now, it sounds like the swagger, to bring Eli Manning’s beloved Chad Powers to life in the new Hulu series. After Manning created the character during an episode of Eli’s Places on ESPN+, fans quickly loved the wig and prosthetics the longtime New York Giants quarterback wore at an open tryout while leaving the Penn State football staff and fellow players in awe.
Aside from Penn State head coach James Franklin, who was in on the joke, no one knew it was Manning “trying out” for the Nittany Lions. To those watching the man known as “Chad Powers” sling it all over the field, he looked like anything but a young quarterback attempting to become a walk-on for the Big Ten program. Now, Powell will be tasked with creating a new and more detailed story around that character.
Glen Powell’s Transition Into a Standout QB for ‘Chad Powers’
The good news for Powell is that, when he was cast for the lead role in Chad Powers, it sounds like he managed to pick up the football side of things quickly. As Manning, who co-produces the series with his brother Peyton, admitted, the Top Gun: Maverick actor “throws it well,” calling him “an athlete,” as he told The Hollywood Reporter.
Although Peyton and Eli had to fix Powell’s ability to take a snap out of the shotgun, the rest of it came together after the actor put in a ton of work to prepare to play Powers, whose real name in the show is Russ Holliday, a former Oregon Ducks quarterback. In the show, Holliday attempts to make a comeback as Powers eight years after blowing the national championship and losing his cool by punching out the father of a cancer-stricken child.
So, when Powell had to reinvent Powers as an entirely new character, and one that could electrify the college football world, he did so by channeling none other than former Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel.
Glen Powell Channeled Johnny Manziel While Creating His ‘Chad Powers’ Character
As The Hollywood Reporter described it, Powell’s “North Star” for the Holliday/Powers character was Manziel. And his reasoning for channeling one of the most explosive college football players in history was spot on.
“[Manziel] was so exciting to watch, and he was dynamic,” Powell says.
Powell described Manziel as “a complicated figure,” but explained why the inspiration for the character in Chad Powers made so much sense.
“We wanted Russ Holliday to be extremely likable, but also a guy who represented a really fun, charismatic, wild character to watch that would give in to his best instincts on the football field and his worst instincts off the field,” Powell says, “and I think Johnny definitely represented that.”
To make it an even more perfect approach, Powell met Manziel after playing in the Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro-Am.
“I went out with Johnny, and I was like, ‘This guy is such a blast,’ ” says Powell, recounting their night having dinner at Mastro’s before ending up at Casa Amigos, a nightclub and bar. “Anytime you catch me at the club, it’s always research,” he adds with a smile.
It’s hard not to appreciate the approach from Powell, and it’s fair to say that if he’s able to bring even glimpses of the on-field swagger and ability Manziel showcased at Texas A&M, fans will be more than impressed.
We’ll find out soon enough, as Chad Powers is set to debut on Hulu on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
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