Glen Powell, star of Hulu’s new comedy ‘Chad Powers,’ recently opened up about the exhilarating and intense experience of being booed by 92,000 Georgia football fans during filming at Sanford Stadium. He described the moment as feeling “ready to run through a wall,” highlighting the production’s deep commitment to achieving unparalleled football authenticity for the series.
The journey to bring Eli Manning’s viral alter ego, Chad Powers, to the small screen as a full-fledged Hulu comedy series was anything but conventional, and star Glen Powell can attest to its electrifying realism. In a revealing interview with Variety, published on October 29, 2025, Powell detailed a pivotal moment during production that left him with an unforgettable jolt of adrenaline: being booed by a stadium filled with 92,000 fervent Georgia Bulldogs fans.
The ‘Run Through a Wall’ Moment
The scene, staged during halftime of the Georgia vs. Mississippi State game on October 12, 2024, at Sanford Stadium, was a testament to the show’s ambition. A public-address prompt and scoreboard messaging cued the massive crowd to unleash their loudest boos as Powell, in his disguise as Russ Holliday’s alter ego “Chad,” led a fictional squad onto the field. Powell vividly recounted the experience:
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been so ready to run through a wall. But when I went out there, to literally have an entire stadium booing you, I got off the field and I told Waldron, ‘I don’t know if I’ve ever been so ready to run through a wall in my life. Like, that was crazy!'”
The quote captures the essence of the authenticity that executive producers Eli and Peyton Manning, along with co-creators Powell and Michael Waldron, sought to inject into the series. This wasn’t just a soundstage production; it was immersive, leveraging genuine SEC environments and real fan engagement to make the football action palpable.
Behind the Scenes of a Staged Spectacle
Local reporters present at the stadium confirmed the deliberate nature of the boos, noting that fans were explicitly asked to “practice your boos” and make them “very loud.” This meticulous staging ensured the crowd’s reaction for the cameras would appear as a genuine game moment, even though the animosity was directed at Powell’s fictional character, not the actor himself.
Eli Manning later emphasized the production’s philosophy, stating that the goal for ‘Chad Powers’ was to make the football feel as real as possible, extending to the use of actual SEC venues and orchestrating fan interactions like the booing incident. This commitment to realism mirrored Powell’s experience on projects like ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ where filming on active aircraft carriers brought an undeniable authenticity to the screen.
Powell clarified the context of the viral clip that emerged from the filming, which some fans initially misinterpreted as genuine disdain for him. As he told Entertainment Weekly on September 4, 2025, he personally requested the announcement on the jumbotron:
“Out of context, it seems like, wow, Georgia f—ing hates Glen Powell. . . . I put up on the jumbotron, I said, ‘Please make an announcement that I — Glen Powell, Texas fan — am shooting a new show called Chad Powers, and to boo him as loud as humanly possible while he’s on this field.'” He added, “but no, the Georgia fans did exactly what we asked them to do.”
From Viral Sketch to Hulu Series
The series, which premiered on Hulu on September 30, 2025, and concluded its six-episode run on October 28, centers on Russ Holliday (played by Powell), a disgraced quarterback who adopts the “Chad Powers” disguise to walk on at a struggling Southern college football program, the fictional South Georgia Catfish. The comedic premise builds on Eli Manning’s original viral sketch from “Eli’s Places,” where he humorously attempted to walk onto the Penn State team under the same alter ego.
The show’s cast includes talented actors such as Steve Zahn as Coach Hudson, Wynn Everett as a booster, Perry Mattfeld as Coach Ricky, Frankie A. Rodriguez as mascot Danny, and Quentin Plair as Coach Byrd. The blend of humor, heart, and hyper-realistic football sequences, often shot in actual college facilities, has garnered significant attention from fans and critics alike, though some, like Variety’s review, suggest it’s still finding its footing.
The Future of ‘Chad Powers’ and Fan Expectations
The season finale left audiences with several unanswered questions, setting the stage for a potential second season. Fans are eager to see if the underdog Catfish can defeat the formidable Dawgs, whether Chad’s true identity will remain a secret from all, especially now that Coach Ricky knows the truth, and if Danny the mascot will finally achieve his Deuxmoi dreams.
Both Powell and Waldron have expressed their enthusiasm for continuing Chad’s story, with Powell playfully insisting on the inclusion of his beloved University of Texas football program in future seasons, a friendly rivalry with Waldron’s Georgia Bulldogs that mirrors the show’s on-field drama. The creative duo’s palpable chemistry and shared passion for college football have been key drivers in bringing this ambitious project to life, promising more authentic and hilarious moments for fans should the series be renewed.
