Glen Powell is definitely having a moment, and we couldn’t be happier about it. After charming audiences in big movies like Top Gun: Maverick and Anyone But You, Powell is now flexing his comedy muscles even more. He stars in a new Hulu original series that’s getting a lot of buzz.
In this exciting new show, Powell takes on the role of Russ Holliday. Russ is a college athlete whose career took a nosedive. He desperately wants to get back in the game. To do this, he comes up with a wild plan: he puts on a detailed disguise and transforms into — you guessed it — Chad Powers. People are already raving about the series’ humor and the great acting. It’s quickly become a standout for many viewers. Let’s dig into why Chad Powers is a show you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
A Viral Sketch Grows Up
While Chad Powers might feel like a totally fresh and zany idea, it actually started somewhere unexpected. The show spun out of a hilarious comedy sketch featuring former football star Eli Manning. In that super funny video from Omaha Productions, Manning went undercover. He joined a tryout at Pennsylvania State University. He wore big, goofy facial prosthetics and pretended to be a walk-on player named “Chad Powers.” He was just trying to make the football team.
That video exploded online, becoming a huge viral hit. It sparked the idea for a whole series about a football player trying to join a team while pretending to be someone else. The name Chad Powers stayed, but the story changed a bit. Powell’s character, Russ Holliday, was a star quarterback who messed up his reputation. He’s itching for a comeback. So, he puts on a silly disguise, calls himself Chad Powers, and joins a football team at a smaller school. The script is truly laugh-out-loud funny, but the story also grabs you. Powell is absolutely perfect in the role. Chad Powers is truly a prime example of how a simple sketch can turn into a fantastic series.
Powell’s Perfect Play for Comedy
True fans know that Glen Powell has had comedic talent for a while. Back in 2015, he played the clumsy football player Chad Radwell (yes, another Chad!) in Ryan Murphy’s horror-comedy series, Scream Queens. That was long before Powell became a huge star. But the Top Gun: Maverick actor has a real knack for comedy. He’s shown it off in other films too, like Anyone But You, Set It Up, and Hit Man.
Chad Powers lets Powell dive headfirst into two of his comfort zones: "athlete" and "himbo." It truly feels like Chad Powers is the role he was born to play. Critics agree with this sentiment. The series has received lots of praise, especially for Powell’s captivating and sometimes awkward performance. People highlight his incredible charisma and confidence. The role also hilariously hides one of his most famous features: his good looks. There’s just something extra funny about watching a handsome guy act completely ridiculous.
More Than Just Laughs
If you worried that a show based on a six-minute sketch couldn’t fill a whole TV season, those fears will disappear fast. Chad Powers manages to build a long and engaging story from a simple idea. Plus, it features a main character who isn’t always easy to like, which makes the plot even more interesting.
It’s really cool when a show or movie makes you care about someone who is, well, kind of a scoundrel. The situation gets even more complicated as the line between Russ and Chad starts to blur. Russ struggles with who he really is and if he can truly make up for his past mistakes. The series asks a big question: Can you find redemption if you started with a lie? In the end, Chad Powers turns out to be much deeper than many might expect.
The Hawk Tuah Girl’s Big Moment
Yes, it’s true: Haliey Welch, famously known as the Hawk Tuah Girl, makes her on-screen debut. Technically, her first "debut" was her viral "hawk tuah" video. That video took over TikTok and then the rest of the world. But it often happens that when someone gets that kind of viral fame, Hollywood comes calling. And that’s exactly what happened for Ms. Welch.
We won’t give away too much about her appearance. Welch has a short cameo as herself. She runs into Russ, who is in his Chad Powers disguise, at a nightclub. The two have a somewhat "tense" moment where Russ acts like a huge fan. It doesn’t quite end well for him. If you want to know how it all plays out, and how Welch does in her acting role, you’ll just have to watch the series yourself.