Why Glen Powell Had to ‘Give Up Alcohol’ for His Role in ‘Chad Powers’ (Exclusive)

Glen Powell had to make some concessions when it came to taking on the role of Chad Powers.

In the new Hulu comedy series, the 36-year-old actor — who also serves as the show’s co-creator and executive producer — stars as former star quarterback Russ Holliday, who is “trying to resurrect his dreams by disguising himself as Chad Powers — a talented oddball who walks onto the struggling South Georgia Catfish” eight years after a catastrophic mistake costs his college football career, according to an official synopsis.

During a joint interview with costar Steve Zahn at the show’s press junket earlier this month, Powell exclusively tells PEOPLE about transforming into Chad, complete with a shaggy wig, a mustache, buck teeth and chin, lip and nose enhancements.

When asked how he had to change his diet and fitness routine to play a college football player, the Anyone But You star admits, “What was probably helpful to my diet is that I can’t drink alcohol when I’m wearing that mask because the face will fall off. So I’ll sweat out [the] alcohol.”

“My face will fall off,” he adds. “So I had to give up alcohol.”

“You did acid,” Zahn, 57, teases his costar, to which Powell jokes, “It’s not just an acid.”

“Yeah, just the whole time. It was just hard drugs. Hard drugs. No, I’m kidding,” he quips.

Powell noted that not being able to drink allowed him to “stay in some pretty good shape,” adding, “Also, all the football is legitimate. I mean, I’m facing off. I’m squaring up with guys who played pro ball. I mean, these are real.”

The actor recalls being rushed by a 6’7″, 350-pound football player “play after play” while filming the series.

“I was like, that is the biggest thing that’s ever run at me at this speed,” he shares. “And so you get to start learning how to be pretty fast, and you definitely burn some calories that way. But it was all practical football; I wasn’t hitting the gym or anything.”

Another challenge of the prosthetics was filming in the “Atlanta heat.” Powell admits, “I’m a sweater. And especially when I laugh, my face sweats a lot. And that’s not good for a mask.”

“And especially when you’re laughing in Atlanta heat all the time,” he adds. “I was always worried about my face falling off, but these guys made it great. Again, we have the best of the best in these prosthetics.”

Despite some obstacles with the prosthetics, Powell shares that it was nothing but a joy to take on the role of Chad Powers, which 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.

“I’ve just always liked playing pretend,” the Top Gun: Maverick star says when asked what draws him to roles like Chad Powers and Gary Johnson in Hit Man. “I think anybody in this job sometimes feels more comfortable putting on a character and playing around and doing all that stuff. And I think, with this one, this is the joy of going to work and just getting to be goofy with your friends.” 

“I mean, we’re getting to be in a world that I love, which is college football, and we’re getting to collaborate with your pals and make something really fun that I think the world’s going to love. So there’s nothing not to love,” he adds.

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Chad Powers premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 30, on Hulu.