Glen Powell‘s lead character in Hulu’s “Chad Powers” has his sights set on becoming a successful football player, but Powell has his eyes set on a potential Season 2 cameo: Taylor Swift.
“I’m working my way to her,” joked co-star Perry Mattfield during a conversation moderated by Variety’s senior entertainment writer Angelique Jackson. “We’ll make sure she sees the series and she’ll get it. I’m hoping because of Travis [Kelce], she’ll watch and then we’ll connect and talk offense.”
“You already got me thinking about Season 2 cameos. T-Swift comin’ in hot,” said Powell, opening the door for the singer to visit the Georgia set.
“Chad Powers” follows the story of Russ Holliday (Powell), a former college football quarterback who publicly disgraced himself and his team during a championship game. After years of being taunted by his past, Holliday hatches a plan to become Chad Powers, a walk-on player in an attempt to redeem his failing career. As Chad becomes a success, Holliday may be the key to reviving a dying football team, all while maintaining his secret identity.
“Chad Powers” was created by Powell and Michael Waldron, based off of Eli Manning’s ESPN+ series “Eli’s Places.” Manning went undercover at Penn State’s walk-on tryouts in a viral video, which served as the inspiration for the series.
Quentin Blair, who plays Coach Byrd, spoke about the creation of the show. “Glenn said football and the [entertainment] industry in particular don’t go together too often. Some of my favorite movies are always sports movies, and whenever I need a lift, that’s what I go to watch. They have heart, they have comedy, they have pain, loss, and suffering. This creation [of the character] was a mix of all these coaches that I had loved in the past.”
With an ensemble cast playing up the absurd stakes thrown to Holliday throughout the series, Powell hopes viewers fall in love with each character and what they add to the college football world. “The only way this show works is that every single cast member has to be grounded in reality,” said Powell. “The fact that we got our pick of this insane cast that just brings that not only hilarity, but grounds all that comedy in a way that makes the entire conceit work. If anybody is tonally off, it just all falls apart. Going to work with this gang every day was just such a treat and I don’t think I could have had a better time.”
The first two episodes of “Chad Powers” will premiere on Sept. 30, with episodes dropping weekly.