Glen Powell Says He “Took Some Hits” While Filming Chad Powers Season 2 Ahead of the 2026 Golden Globes

Glen Powell is feeling “a little bit of pain” at the 2026 Golden Globes — and he means that literally.

The 37-year-old actor revealed on Variety’s Golden Globes Red Carpet Pre-Show that the physical toll of filming season 2 of his Hulu comedy Chad Powers is already catching up with him.

“I took some hits yesterday,” Powell admitted. “If I’m walking a little weird, it’s because I’m in a little bit of pain.”

Powell stars as a washed-up football player who disguises himself to chase his championship dreams and join a struggling team. The show’s first season earned him a nomination for best performance by a male actor in a TV series — musical or comedy.

And the football is only getting more intense.

“We’re leveling up on the football, we’re leveling up on every part,” Powell teased of season 2. “I’m just really excited about what this season has in store.”

He added that the upcoming season takes a darker turn after season 1’s finale. “It ended on sort of a darker note, and I think that’s what season 2 is definitely going to represent,” he said. “It’s really the chaos that Russ Holliday is bringing into the world. It’s all coming crashing down in the best way.”

Ahead of the show’s first-season premiere, Powell told PEOPLE that the football scenes are entirely real.

“All the football is legitimate,” he said. “I’m facing off, squaring up with guys who actually played pro ball.”

One of those opponents was a 6-foot-7, 350-pound athlete — an experience Powell didn’t forget. “That is the biggest thing that’s ever run at me at that speed,” he recalled.

“You learn how to move pretty fast, and you definitely burn some calories,” he added. “It was all practical football. I wasn’t hitting the gym or anything.”

Chad Powers was inspired by a 2002 Eli’s Places video in which former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning went undercover at Penn State football walk-on tryouts. Eli and his brother Peyton Manning both serve as executive producers on the series.

For Powell, who says he’s “always liked playing pretend,” the project has been a dream.

“We get to live in a world I love — college football — collaborate with friends, and make something really fun,” he said. “I think the world’s going to love it.”

The 83rd annual Golden Globe Awards take place Sunday, Jan. 11, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, airing at 8 p.m. EST on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.