Hulu’s upcoming comedy “Chad Powers” might be a story about second chances, but we’re dedicated to helping actors secure their first big break. Although the show’s protagonist might have fumbled his initial chance at a football career, we’ll make sure you don’t drop the ball. Here’s everything you need to know about joining the “Chad Powers” cast, which includes new A-lister Glen Powell as its leading man.
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When Russ Holliday (Powell) derails his college football career due to bad behavior, the quarterback disguises himself as the titular Chad Powers to walk on to a struggling Southern football team and reclaim his future.
The show’s concept was inspired by Eli Manning’s skit on an episode of “Eli’s Places” for ESPN in 2022. (Manning and brother Peyton also serve as executive producers on “Chad Powers.”) For the skit, Manning underwent a makeover—prosthetics and all—to compete during Penn State’s football tryouts under the name Chad Powers. While Manning ultimately revealed his true identity as the former New York Giants quarterback, Hulu’s half-hour comedy promises to explore what could’ve happened if Manning hadn’t been earnest about his walk-on efforts.
“Chad Powers” Season 1 features:
- Glen Powell as Russ Holliday/Chad Powers
- Steve Zahn as Jake Hudson
- Perry Mattfeld as Ricky
- Clayne Crawford as Coach Dobbs
- Toby Huss as Mike Holliday
- Wynn Everett as Tricia
- Colton Ryan as Gerry
- Frankie A. Rodriguez as Danny
- Quentin Plair as Coach Byrd
- Xavier Mills as Nishan
- Keese Wilson as Rod
- Becca Breitfeller as Sasha
Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock
Susie Farris (“Elf”), Erica S. Bream (“Altered Carbon”), and Amanda Lenker Doyle (“The Muppets”) are the primary CDs for “Chad Powers.”
Farris told us she hopes “to provide a warm, safe room for an actor to have trust and do their best job.” She added, “I certainly treat everyone with respect and professionalism, and I think that they need to come in prepared and make choices. It’s important for an actor to know that they’re not going to be right for every role. But they need to put their best foot forward because this is what we do. And if they’re not right for one part and they’re talented, then at least I know what to do with them; and when a role comes up that they are right for, we call them back.”
Powell co-created and co-wrote “Chad Powers” alongside Michael Waldron (“Loki,” “Heels”), so it’s no surprise that the “Hit Man” star also took on the titular role. But how should others prepare for an audition with Farris? “Come in with some choices and make them memorable,” she told us.
“It’s always appropriate to ask questions if you need more information about a direction or a tone. I need to be able to see who [actors] are. I admire that someone comes in and wants to be the role, but you can’t be every role; so you need to come in and do a great job trying to just show your best self and be malleable,” Farris said. “It’s also important for an actor to be flexible with taking direction. I’m hearing [the scene] 30 times a day—have a bit of faith that if I give you a direction, it’s because I know that this is what my team is looking for. Be open-minded and fluid enough to be able to take the direction. It could be a total 180 from what you were thinking about in terms of the character, but my goal is always to try and get them the job. I think that’s a big misconception about casting directors.”
Doyle echoed this notion, telling us, “The best auditioners are the ones that walk into the room and are full of joy and just love what they do. You have to understand what you can give, and sometimes that’s not necessarily what’s right for that part and that’s OK. There’s a part for you out there somewhere. It’s waiting for you and you have to be OK with not booking everything.”
“The best actors,” Doyle said, “are the actors who really commit to the craft and don’t look at it as: I’ve learned something; now I know how to do it and I don’t have to work on it anymore. It’s a continuous job whether or not you are actively on a project. You have to continue to work on your craft.”
According to Collider, “Chad Powers” Season 1 wrapped filming in October 2024 and is set to debut in fall 2025. This means we will have to wait a little longer to see if the show gets renewed for another season. In the meantime, we suggest bookmarking our main casting page—and this guide—for updates on what’s to come for “Chad Powers.” We also recommend exploring our guide on how to audition for Hulu ahead of time, as there’s no harm in being prepared should an opportunity come knocking.
For those hoping to boost their acting résumés, these casting roundups are also a great resource and are updated weekly:
- The Best Gigs to Kick-Start Your Acting Career
- New York casting calls
- Background casting calls
- Nationwide casting calls
- Voiceover casting calls
Lie to yourself. Finding success as an actor isn’t always easy, but as Powell told Vanity Fair, you have to ignore the rejections or discouraging thoughts and convince yourself that you are simply going through a phase—a variation of the “fake it till you make it” mantra. “Even at the darkest moments in that town, when I really didn’t have anything happening, you sort of have to lie to yourself, at least a little bit, and act like this is that chapter of the story where things just aren’t going right,” said Powell. “You have to believe in the Hollywood legends of those people that you admire, the people that you’re chasing, that had those long stretches of famine as well.”
Appreciate the “luxury” of auditioning. Powell might be an A-lister now, but he remembers what it’s like to struggle. That’s why he believes it’s important to maintain a grateful, positive attitude in the face of adversity. “In L.A., you are really just hustling to just try to be a part of the experiment at all. People are like, ‘Oh, man, auditioning must be tough.’ And I’m like, ‘No, auditioning is a luxury.’ Finding an agent, finding anybody to talk to you at a damn party, having enough money to pay for headshots—these are the things that no one talks about,” Powell emphasized. “Trying to pay for acting class, and trying to get better. Auditioning feels like you’re at the party. You’ve gotten past the velvet rope. You may not be able to afford a drink at the party, but you’re in it; you can taste it. But so often in Hollywood, most of the time you are outside that velvet rope. Most of the time the bouncer is not even allowing you anywhere in the vicinity.”
Keep learning. Whether you’re starting out or between jobs, Farris recommends training. “I think that you really need training, and that’s why I feel like a lot of actors do benefit from some time in New York in the beginning, [working] in little black box theaters. I think you get incredible experience,” she told us. “If you’re not in New York, try to do some theater; it’s very helpful, and it does definitely carry over to film and TV, especially with multicams. I think theatrical training is super important. In this day and age, it feels very different from when I first started. A big way for people to land representation, jobs, or actually create shows is to make material for themselves. Write it and shoot it with a friend. It seems like the outlets for actors starting today are much more focused on that in terms of helping them at least get representation. Do something that stands out and gets a following, because I don’t think agencies are working as hard to develop clients. I think that a lot of actors are developing stuff for themselves and then they’ll get an agent to come along.”
