“Like all great sports stories, it was really a cool way to investigate identity and why people chase these competitive endeavours“: Michael Waldron and cast on Chad Powers
Michael Waldron’s Chad Powers takes a satirical swing at the myth of the American quarterback, following former college star Russ Holliday (Glen Powell), who, after being banned from football over a cheating scandal, reinvents himself – literally – donning prosthetics and a new name to pose as Chad Powers, a walk-on hopeful at a small-town college. What begins as a desperate stunt turns into a clever comedy about the cult of athletic heroism.
Ahead of the series’ premiere on Disney+, Michael Waldron spoke to The Upcoming about how the history, tradition and geographical ties of college football make it such an interesting subject and revealed the intense training undertaken by Powell to portray a collegiate-level quarterback.
Quentin Plair and Perry Mattfeld, who play Coach Byrd and assistant coach Ricky Hudson, shared how their experiences as a college football player and cheerleader helped their understanding of the Chad Powers universe, as well as the involvement of Eli Manning and NFL coaches at training camps to ensure authenticity.
Wynn Everett and Frankie A Rodriguez, who play booster trust chair Tricia and mascot Danny Cruz, discussed their research into the worlds of college boosters and professional football mascots, as well as the unexpected challenges of filming in Georgia’s intense summer heat.
Christina Yang
Chad Powers is released on Disney+ on 30th September 2025.
Watch the trailer for Chad Powers here:
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