Steve Zahn Says He Often ‘Broke’ Character While Seeing Glen Powell in Prosthetics for “Chad Powers” (Exclusive)

Steve Zahn is reflecting connected his acquisition filming Chad Powers pinch Glen Powell — and seeing nan actor's altered quality for his titular role.

In nan Hulu sports drama series, Powell, 36, plays Russ Holliday, a washed-up assemblage backmost who torpedoed his shot profession and nationalist image conscionable arsenic he led his squad to nan nationalist championship. He dons a disguise to go Chad Powers and equine a comeback 8 years later arsenic a walk-on subordinate for a struggling assemblage team.

Russ steals immoderate latex molds from his movie constitution creator begetter and transforms himself into Chad pinch a shaggy wig, a mustache, subordinate teeth and chin, articulator and chemoreceptor enhancements.

Speaking exclusively pinch PEOPLE astatine nan show's Sept. 25 premiere astatine nan Rose Bowl successful Pasadena, Calif., Zahn — who plays nan struggling team's coach — reveals that he often "broke" characteristic while seeing Powell successful nan prosthetics.

"I could hardly support my … I collapsed a batch pinch him. Oh, yeah, it's ridiculous," nan White Lotus star, 57, says.

"You know, it's crazy. When we were shooting, I was pinch him much erstwhile he was Chad," he continues. "So erstwhile I saw Glen, it was ever very benignant of unsocial — like, 'Oh, here's nan feline I ne'er see. I ever see, you know, nan overseas guy.' "

Zahn described Powell's capacity successful nan bid arsenic "remarkable."

"He's superb successful this portion and he's an unthinkable quality being," he says. "He was a joyousness to activity with, and I dream we get to spell backmost and sprout his 2nd season."

Zahn recalled reference nan book for Chad Powers — which Powell co-created pinch Michael Waldron — and wondering, "How are you gonna propulsion this off?"

"I mean, it's a large swing," he explains. "[The] prosthetics — really are you going to propulsion disconnected that? How are you gonna propulsion disconnected nan football? How is that gonna beryllium real?"

But successful nan end, Zahn says, nan show nailed it.

"I was really pleased. I deliberation it's gonna beryllium a hit," he tells PEOPLE. "This show is awesome."

To hole for his ain domiciled arsenic Coach Jake Hudson, Zahn says he shadowed Mark Stoops, caput coach of nan University of Kentucky Wildcats, for respective days.

"It really was adjuvant because, you know, everybody benignant of thinks that you understand what a coach [does]. Coaches, they conscionable outcry and they're connected nan side. But there's a batch much to it," he says, besides noting that nan acquisition showed him that "college shot is simply a large business and there's a batch of pressure" connected student athletes.

Chad Powers, which premieres connected Hulu connected Tuesday, Sept. 30, is inspired by a 2002 Eli’s Places video starring erstwhile New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, successful which he goes undercover astatine Penn State Football's walk-on tryouts. Eli and relative Peyton Manning are some executive producers connected nan series.

During Powell's quality connected The Eli Manning Show successful May 2024, Eli, 44, joked to nan Top Gun: Maverick star, "I don't cognize if I for illustration you playing Chad Powers. Like, I'm Chad Powers."

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Powell replied, "Yeah, Chad v. Chad, man. Look, I'm not gonna effort to outdo you, I'm really gonna effort to grant your legacy, but this is what I do."

Chad Powers besides stars Toby Huss, Perry Mattfeld, Wynn Everett, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Clayne Crawford and Quentin Plair.