Glen Powell Shares How His Role as Chad Powers Reflects Our Shared Human Experiences – Contenders TV
Glen Powell Faces Personal Challenges in Hulu’s "Chad Powers"
Glen Powell is stepping into a unique role in Hulu’s new series, Chad Powers, navigating the complexities of co-creating and starring in a project that requires him to confront his fears—often literally hidden beneath layers of prosthetics.
In a recent conversation, Powell reflected on his initial discussions with co-creator and executive producer Michael Waldron. “The greatest ‘first date’ I ever had was with Michael Waldron on Zoom,” Powell shared. “We just kind of talked about the movies that we were drawn to and especially inspirational sports stories, which are rarely made these days. … The idea of a guy who puts on a mask and enters the world of college football … if anybody’s a college football fan here, you know it’s one of the most high-stakes worlds you can possibly enter.”
Waldron, who also led the creative vision for Disney+’s Loki, emphasized the thematic parallels between the two projects. “At first it seems pretty different, but like Loki, it is a redemption story. I do think probably what drew me to it was a story about the lengths that people will go to—maybe especially men— to just not take accountability, to not say, ‘I’m sorry and I messed up and please forgive me.’ In some ways it seems easier to just put on prosthetics and become a whole new person. That was just a really fun jumping-off point.”
The show delves into the deeper implications of adopting a false identity. Waldron explained, “We are interrogating the Mrs. Doubtfire plot for real. What’s the real fallout of something like that? If you do that for real, I think our show seeks to go past the moment in Mrs. Doubtfire to see what happens afterward.”
Both Waldron and Powell agree that the character’s concealed journey is what makes the story compelling. “The more that Waldron and I really wrote and marinated on what this character was and the heart beneath it, you just sort of uncovered a really human story, something really nuanced,” Powell said. “It was the craziest, weirdest swing we possibly could have done, but it became a very human thing that I got very excited about as an actor and as a writer.”
Powell concluded, “I think it’s universal, oddly enough. Everyone has regrets. Everyone has a moment they would just like to do over. This is watching somebody get that moment and how they deal with it, however flawed the character may be. It’s such a unique concept that I think anyone in this audience could probably relate to.”
A panel video featuring more insights will be available on Monday.
