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Glen Powell brings "Chad Powers" to Texas Moody

Hundreds of students wrapped around the Hogg Memorial Auditorium, some arriving as early as 8 a.m. while others hurried over straight from class. The front rows brimmed with devoted fans clutching printouts of Glen Powell’s most memorable moments and internet-famous memes. The air buzzed with anticipation as everyone waited to hear from Powell following a special, one-night-only screening of his new Hulu show, "Chad Powers".
“It’s nice that he took the time to come and talk to us especially since he went here,” said Kenobi Corrales, a sophomore Radio-Television-Film major “It really shows us the type of opportunities we get by going to this school and where we can be in the future.”
Laughter rolled through the room during the show, and when Powell walked on stage for the post-screening Q&A, the applause thundered. The night felt less like a campus event and more like a Hollywood premiere, with energy that seemed to glow from every corner of the room.
Powell, an Austin native and current Moody College of Communication student, is no stranger to the spotlight. As an actor, producer, screenwriter, and business owner, he’s most known for roles in "Top Gun: Maverick," "Hit Man," and "Twisters," among others. This time, however, he returned to the University of Texas not just as a star but as a creator.
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Leticia Rincon
Photo by Leticia Rincon
As co-writer and executive producer of "Chad Powers", Powell spoke candidly with Moody’s senior associate dean of undergraduate education, Cassandre Alvarado, about the craft of storytelling, the realities of Hollywood and the lessons Moody College instilled in him that guide his work today. Here are some of the highlights of their conversation.
Dean Cassandre Alvarado: You were in this building for orientation. Did you ever imagine you'd be sitting up here on stage?
Glen Powell: This place, and the people I met here, really formed who I am. You guys will go out into the world, but this place is just magic, and the people you meet here are magic. There’s nowhere else like it.
CA: You participated in Moody's UTLA program and then decided to move to LA to pursue your career. In your graduation speech for Moody, back in 2023, you talked about how you didn't believe the ghost stories about not making it in Hollywood. Looking back, what do you think were some of the things that helped sustain you when things were challenging?
GP: It's important to go on your own ride and journey. It’s not all built the same. Especially if you let other people's ghost stories or their journeys affect the way you orient around yours, you'll never do anything. I think the biggest thing that I've realized is to swing and swing big. Occasionally bad things are going to happen. It's inevitable in this life, and anything that's worth doing is going to leave you with a few nicks and scars. I really believe that you can't let other people's journeys change the way you run your race here.
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Lizzie Chen
CA: I want to pivot to talk about your new show. Could you talk a little bit about your collaboration with Eli Manning and others to develop this character?
GP: One of our things that we talk about is Hollywood blind spots. What got you into this business? What are the things that give you a lot of joy? Not the things you tell people are your favorite movies, but the things that are actually your favorite movies, the things that you re-watch when you're feeling sick, the most watched things in your library. And that's what we're trying to make. I feel like this is a show that, as you guys watch more and more episodes, the heart really reveals itself. I'm really proud of how much heart we mined out of it.
CA: You’ve moved beyond acting and are now taking the reins as a writer. Talk to us a little bit about your co-creation of this series for Hulu with Michael Waldron and that creative process of being a writer.
GP: I didn't know if the acting thing was going to work out, it's not necessarily a meritocracy, you just never really know how these things shape up. But I think the one thing that you can do, and it doesn't matter if you're in RTF or any other school in Moody, always try to remember to do the next guy's job. Be proficient, or at least knowledgeable, about everything, whether it's advertising or journalism. In my side of the business, it all comes into play - knowing how the marketing department works, the advertising department. It’s looking for the gaps in the line. Just keep moving forward. You don't necessarily need to run the play that you intended. Just find some daylight on the field and keep running. So, when it’s not working out on the acting side, just keep moving up field, even if it's on the writing side. Even if it's being an intern in an entertainment law office, even if you’ve got to go work in craft services on a set, just keep moving forward, keep being a part of it. You never know where it'll circle back and the education that will give you along the way.
Photo by Leticia Rincon
Photo by Leticia Rincon
Photo by Leticia Rincon
Photo by Leticia Rincon
Photo by Lizzie Chen
Photo by Lizzie Chen
CA: Is it challenging to both write in and star in the same thing?
GP: You have to put on different hats. This one in particular is a big swing. This is a weird move for an actor to make, you know? I'm doing an insane thing, and every time I looked at myself in the mirror after putting that face on, I'm like, “All right, I hope this works.” But what I think is important is you have to surround yourself with a group of people who will shoot you straight. Not "yes" people, people like a good, tough coach. It’s people that you're on the same team with and they want you to win, but they're also not going to let you off easy.
CA: Tell us a bit about your experiences learning those other communication disciplines, those other sides of the industry, through your work.
GP: You guys are getting a world class education at Moody. It's as good as it gets. When you go out and you see the way that Moody supports you, not only the education that you get here, but the way the folks that you meet support each other, and you, in the real world, it's extraordinary. It's amazing. I didn't fully understand it when I was here, but this place is just built different.
As the night drew to a close, Powell left the audience with words that felt both personal and universal.
“Remind yourself to look up, remind yourself you are at the greatest university on the planet,” Powell said. “I’m so grateful I get to be with you guys today. I can’t tell you guys what this means to me. I love you guys.”
“Remind yourself to look up, remind yourself you are at the greatest university on the planet,” Powell said. “I’m so grateful I get to be with you guys today. I can’t tell you guys what this means to me. I love you guys.”
