Eli Manning has succeeded on the N.F.L.’s biggest stage, winning two Super Bowls in which his teams were heavy underdogs. As the starting quarterback of the New York Giants, he spent nearly two decades playing before a passionate fan base in the country’s largest media market. Since he retired, he has routinely appeared on TV as a sports personality, often with his brother Peyton.
He is familiar with pressure, lights and fame. But Hollywood glamour is something new.
“I’m out of my element right here,” Manning said in an interview last week. “I’ve never been part of a show that has come with a premiere.”
He spoke a few days ahead of the red-carpet debut of “Chad Powers,” a new sports comedy series he executive produced that arrives on Tuesday, on Hulu. The premiere took place on Thursday at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, Calif., near Los Angeles, where organizers transformed the bleacher seats at the end zone of one of America’s most famous sports venues into an outdoor movie theater.
In the show, Glen Powell (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Twisters”) stars as Russ Holliday, a prominent college quarterback who ruined his reputation during a big game. After an eight-year hiatus, he tries to join a struggling program at a rural school by disguising himself, with a wig and prosthetics, as a college student named Chad Powers. Powell also created the show with Michael Waldron (“Loki,” “Heels”), a friend and fellow college football fan.
The source material came from a sketch Manning starred in three years ago on “Eli’s Places,” an ESPN+ show in which he travels around exploring college football towns and traditions. Manning, who retired from the N.F.L. in 2020, sat in a makeup chair for two hours to change his appearance in order to “try out” for Penn State University’s football team under the Powers alias. Manning, then 41, threw passes to unsuspecting college players, shocking them with his distance and accuracy. James Franklin, the Penn State head coach, eventually revealed Manning’s true identity to laughs from players and assistant coaches.
“I thought it’d be pretty funny, and I didn’t know the reaction that we would get,” Manning said.
The video became a viral hit on social media and has received more than 17 million views on ESPN’s YouTube channel. Manning discussed the bit with Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show,” and people dressed their infant children as Powers for Halloween. With momentum for the character growing, Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s media company, shopped a series concept around Hollywood. It was a new frontier for a company that had focused heavily on unscripted television, like its Netflix docuseries “Quarterback” and “ManningCast,” alternative broadcasts during N.F.L. games.
“You want the first one to feel fully in line with your brand values, and this one was pitch perfect for us,” Jamie Horowitz, the president and co-founder of Omaha Productions, said of entering scripted programming. “It’s self-aware comedy with a real dose of heart.”
Waldron, the co-creator, said he was excited to expand Manning’s joke while also amping the tension and stakes as the character attempts to conceal his true identity for months.
“Nobody would really expect a show based on this sketch to be the best show on TV,” Waldron said. “That’s what kind of lights me up.”
Both Mannings were hands-on in the creative process. The brothers were involved in outreach to at least three schools, such as the University of Mississippi, in order to secure the rights to use uniforms, stadiums and other athletic trademarks. One scene in “Chad Powers” was shot during halftime of an actual University of Georgia game, in Athens, Ga.
Powell said that honoring college football was important to him and important to the show, given that the primary plot hinges on a charade.
“When you have such a ridiculous conceit around your show, which is your entry point, you have to make everything else authentic,” Powell said. He added: “That became the interesting exercise — to take something kind of ridiculous and ground it in the most real way possible.”
The Mannings also reviewed footage of Powell, who underwent football training to prepare for the role. Eli Manning said he was particularly focused on Powell’s cadence and stance.
“It’s a very specialized skill set to be a quarterback, especially someone at this level,” Powell said. “The ask is really high to sell it properly.”
Football minutia is Manning’s strong suit, but he is still learning the ins and outs of show business. Whatever the glamour or buzz surrounding the arrival of “Chad Powers,” Manning’s main goal for the show is modest: He just wants people to laugh at it.
“I think when you think sports, it’s got to be serious; it’s got to be big pep talks and all business,” Manning said. “With this, it brings in more of a lighter side.”
Emmanuel Morgan reports on sports, pop culture and entertainment.
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