Prosthetic Make-Up Designer Vincent Van Dyke, Department Head Make-Up Alexei Dmitriew, and Department Head Hair Ally Vickers Discuss the Process
Football is a team sport—and creating the character Chad Powers was no different. Bringing Chad to life required the talent and collaboration of an extraordinary crew, from the artisans at VVDFX Studios who sculpted and fabricated the prosthetic appliances, to Ally Vickers and her hair department, who completed the transformation and helped anchor the character in a believable physical reality. Every department played a vital role and every detail mattered.
From the very beginning, the tone of the show called for something more than a simple disguise. The producers and Glen Powell (Chad Powers) were deeply committed to building a version of Chad that felt authentic, grounded, and truly memorable—a character that honored the original Eli Manning-Chad Powers sketch while expanding it into something emotionally real, comedic, and surprisingly human.
Vincent Van Dyke
I was brought on as the prosthetic make-up designer on Chad Powers early in the process to start having conversations about the approach to his look. I tend to start sculpture right away on projects like this and have multiple busts of the talent going at the same time for different iterations.
My lead sculptor, Daniele Tirinnanzi, and I handled these 5-6 looks at the same time so that we could then present them to the showrunners and Glen for their feedback. The great thing about this process is also allowing for a live creative session where these sculptures can be worked on in the moment to really dial in and gain approval quickly—this was crucial for us to get this work done in the time frame we had. It also allowed for the general silhouette to be looked at here as well, because we are blocking in sculpted hair, just in a very loose gestural way—but this helps narrow down the broad strokes of hair concept early on as well.
Once we had a good idea of the parameters we were going for in design—we started to break down three looks for make-up tests. We had three consecutive days to do this with Glen and explore each look per day. It was also a crucial time for where I brought in Alexei Dmitriew and Kevin Kirkpatrick to do the prosthetic make-up on Glen for the run of show—having them be there to establish these looks with myself. Ally Vickers, the amazing Department Head Hair, was also present for these tests, and could go over the different options we were creating at the studio by our department hair lead artist and designer Sasha Camacho Van Dyke. Sasha could also test the variety of eyebrow and mustache options here that would complement the wig choices. A variety of different dentures were also tested—small baby teeth, overbites, crooked etc. … these were created by our dental artist at the studio, Jason James.
Once these tests were completed, we moved into the final chosen Chad look and could start creating the hero work for this. Mold shop supervisor Carl Lyon headed up the team—with Rob Freitas and Adele Wurl. Silicone prosthetic supervisor William Thornton and silicone lead Stephen Imhoff Jr. got into casting all the prosthetic pieces for the run of show. Sasha then created the hero wigs, while keeping in tight communication with Ally who did all the final cutting and styling.
With the focus of this show being the disguise, there is a lot that has to be taken into consideration—creating something that you know the audience knows is fake. It was important to me for it to still feel like a very realistic transformation. I knew that Alexei and Kevin would execute this. They also both have a great background in working at shops and understanding the whole process, which for a show like this was crucial. Especially when coming up with gags on the fly and working them out—this was something I really left up to the guys to do on the ground in Atlanta for every new mishap he would get himself into each episode. They pulled these off incredibly well every time.
Alexei Dmitriew
Kevin Kirkpatrick and I were responsible for applying Chad’s prosthetic make-up throughout the run of show. What began as a 90-minute application, gradually evolved into a streamlined process that now takes just under an hour—a small but meaningful victory on a fast-moving set.
Chad’s make-up is built from a multi-piece silicone prosthetic: a nose, cheeks, forehead, and upper lip, carefully blended into the skin. The look is completed with lace eyebrows, a mustache crafted by Sasha and her team, and custom dentures. Each application is painted entirely by hand and airbrush using translucent layers of Golden Ochre, pastel yellow, teak, light and dark mauves, and a custom beard stubble mix to recreate the subtle tonal shifts of real skin.
For lace application, we use Super Baldies combined with a matting agent to ensure both secure wear and seamless edges. I prefer to airbrush my final seal with a Paasche H fitted with a #5 tip, applying a 60/40 blend of Final Seal and Bluebird Matte Sealer to create a soft satin finish that replicates natural skin sheen under camera lights.
Throughout the shoot, we navigated a variety of practical gags, including water effects requiring hidden bladders and tubing concealed beneath the prosthetics—all of which Kevin and I fabricated in the trailer. In Episode 3, Chad’s prosthetics became waterlogged during filming, presenting additional challenges that required careful repair and reapplication on the fly.
Episode 6 offered one of the most rewarding moments of the season. During a scene in which Russ is shown being “made up” by his father and Danny, Kevin and I were actually applying and blending prosthetic pieces on camera while walking the actors and crew through the real application process. The producers were deeply invested in portraying the transformation authentically—avoiding the familiar “pull-over mask” trope—and it was incredibly fulfilling to help bring that realism to life.
What made Chad particularly special to work on was how much of his personality lived in the details—the way the make-up transformed him into a goofy but lovable character and quietly reshaped how Glen moved and spoke. It was a reminder that good prosthetic work doesn’t just change a face; it helps an actor morph into someone entirely new.
When Glen is not in Chad prosthetics, he plays Russ Holliday. We apply Russ’s tattoos using Top Guard for adhesion and seal everything with HookUp Tattoos Matte Sealer for durability and a natural finish. I also handle Glen’s corrective make-up, using Clé de Peau Concealer where needed and subtly darkening his brows with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder.
Ally Vickers
Working with Glen Powell is always a pleasure, and Chad Powers marked our second project together involving disguises and wigs. One of the things I love most about working with Glen is how open he is to trying new ideas—no matter how wild they may seem. That kind of creative trust makes the design process not only smoother, but genuinely fun.
Designing Chad’s hair became a fluid, evolving process. From the beginning, we wanted Chad to feel like the polar opposite of Glen’s other character, Russ Holliday—who would be flashy, edgy, and styled with frosted tips. Chad needed to feel softer, more natural, and unmistakably southern. Working closely with Vincent Van Dyke and Sasha Camacho Van Dyke, we explored a range of colors and silhouettes before landing on what became Chad’s signature look: a warm “ginger biscuit” shade paired with a swooping side bang and a shaggy, razor-cut finish. The longer length and layered bangs gave the hair natural movement during drills and on-field antics, while the subtle mullet peeking from beneath his helmet added just the right amount of playful flair.
Sasha created multiple wigs that endured intense wear on the football field and still held beautifully by the end of each shoot day. Seeing Chad Powers and Russ Holliday side by side confirmed that we had achieved exactly what we were after—two very different characters cut from the same cloth.
On Chad days, whether on the field or off, our routine always began with wig prep. Knowing Glen would be constantly moving and working under the intense Atlanta heat, I kept his prep streamlined and comfortable, spending about 15 minutes preparing his natural hair before sending him to Kevin and Alexei for prosthetic application. We maintained a rotation of three wigs—two hero wigs and one stunt wig—which required constant care and refreshing. Water was my primary styling tool, allowing the wigs to dry naturally overnight and reveal soft waves. Straight pins helped shape the front and preserve Chad’s signature swoop.
Navigating daily helmet gags presented their own challenges. There were frequent scenes involving pulling helmets and wigs on and off, so we were always prepared to reset quickly while maintaining the mystery of Chad’s look.
Russ Holliday lived on the opposite end of the style spectrum. Bold, flashy, and still clinging to the glory of his past, Russ’s look was built around a razor-cut mini-mullet with frosted tips and vivid blond balayage. I refreshed Glen’s color in the trailer about three times throughout the season to maintain brightness and consistency.
This project was especially exciting because it allowed our wig and prosthetic work to be showcased practically on camera—giving our team the freedom to collaborate creatively while bringing these transformations to life authentically.
Alexei
LuAndra Whitehurst and Nicole Sortillon Amos Both shared the responsibility of tackling the coaches’ and teams’ look. For Perry’s role as coach Ricky Hudson, LuAndra kept the make-up natural and unfuss, reflecting a character who doesn’t spend extra time on her appearance. Her golden bronze complexion was softly enhanced with FACE Atelier foundation for a true “no-make-up” finish, while Stila’s Camelia Lip & Cheek added warmth and subtle dimension. Glossier’s brown mascara gently defined the eyes without tipping the look into glamour, resulting in an effortless, authentic beauty moment that stays true to both Perry and her character.
The beautiful Wynn Everett’s make-up was created by Nicole. First by skin prepping to keep her looking hydrated & fresh all day & night. Giorgio Armani luminous silk foundation was applied with a beauty blender & RCMA cream to hide any skin imperfections, along with Dior concealer under her eyes to brighten them up a bit. Her contour was placed just above checkbones to give her an elongated appearance; her blush and highlight followed, along her cheeks keeping that same illusion. We decided to go with a blue smudge for her top eyeliner. This made her eyes pop even more on camera, complementing her mascara black eye lashes. Her brows sculpted with a natural blonde & a bit of light brown feathers in. Let’s not forgot about her signature pink Kat Von D bright lips to enhance her big southern personality. The producers wanted her to have big hair & make-up & that’s we gave them…
Ally
The look of the coaches, the players and cheer squad all played a huge part in the overall visual aesthetic of the show—we had an incredible team in the trailer. Key hair Crystal Broedel took care of coach Hudson, played by Steve Zahn. He needed to be well grooved, but also is going through a stressful time in his life: His imploding marriage and stress on the football field are reflected in the state of his hair underneath his visor. For coach Ricky Hudson, played by Perry Mattfeld, she needed to look all business on the football field, like she was not spending a lot of time on glamour, so we kept her simple with a ponytail and that really lead to a big reveal when we finally see her hair down. Trisha Yeager, played by Wynn Everett, needed to have a very coifed “done” hair style of a well-to-do southern woman. Crystal gave her a gorgeous blowout and roller set that really lasted through our long, hard days in the southern heat. Antoinette Black did a wonderful job taking care of our football players, maintaining locs and twists and was also very involved with our cheerleaders—making them look perfect for game day. Victor Paz barbered our coaches Byrd and Dobbs (Quentin Plair and Clayne Crawford), as well as Danny, played by Frankie Rodriguez—we wanted Danny to look like he put some thought and effort into his style and we reflected that with his gorgeous hair. •
