Steve Zahn ‘Broke’ Character Seeing Glen Powell in Prosthetics for ‘Chad Powers’ (Exclusive)

Steve Zahn is reflecting on his experience filming Chad Powers with Glen Powell — and seeing the actor’s altered appearance for his titular role.

In the Hulu sports comedy series, Powell, 36, plays Russ Holliday, a washed-up college quarterback who torpedoed his football career and public image just as he led his team to the national championship. He dons a disguise to become Chad Powers and mount a comeback eight years later as a walk-on player for a struggling college team.

Russ steals some latex molds from his movie makeup artist father and transforms himself into Chad with a shaggy wig, a mustache, buck teeth and chin, lip and nose enhancements.

Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE at the show’s Sept. 25 premiere at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Zahn — who plays the struggling team’s coach — reveals that he often “broke” character while seeing Powell in the prosthetics.

“I could barely keep my … I broke a lot with him. Oh, yeah, it’s ridiculous,” the White Lotus star, 57, says.

“You know, it’s crazy. When we were shooting, I was with him more when he was Chad,” he continues. “So when I saw Glen, it was always very kind of unique — like, ‘Oh, here’s the guy I never see. I always see, you know, the odd guy.’ ”

Zahn described Powell’s performance in the series as “remarkable.”

“He’s brilliant in this part and he’s an incredible human being,” he says. “He was a joy to work with, and I hope we get to go back and shoot his second season.”

Zahn recalled reading the script for Chad Powers — which Powell co-created with Michael Waldron — and wondering, “How are you gonna pull this off?”

“I mean, it’s a big swing,” he explains. “[The] prosthetics — how are you going to pull off that? How are you gonna pull off the football? How is that gonna be real?”

But in the end, Zahn says, the show nailed it.

“I was really pleased. I think it’s gonna be a hit,” he tells PEOPLE. “This show is awesome.”

To prepare for his own role as Coach Jake Hudson, Zahn says he shadowed Mark Stoops, head coach of the University of Kentucky Wildcats, for several days.

“It really was helpful because, you know, everybody kind of thinks that you understand what a coach [does]. Coaches, they just yell and they’re on the side. But there’s a lot more to it,” he says, also noting that the experience showed him that “college football is a big business and there’s a lot of pressure” on student athletes.

Chad Powers, which premieres on Hulu on Tuesday, Sept. 30, is inspired by a 2002 Eli’s Places video starring former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, in which he goes undercover at Penn State Football’s walk-on tryouts. Eli and brother Peyton Manning are both executive producers on the series.

During Powell’s appearance on The Eli Manning Show in May 2024, Eli, 44, joked to the Top Gun: Maverick star, “I don’t know if I like 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 try to outdo you, I’m really gonna try to honor your legacy, but this is what I do.”

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