We still don’t know much about Travis Kelce’s role in “Grotesquerie,” but we finally know how it came to be. During a press conference for the upcoming FX horror drama, series creator and executive producer Ryan Murphy revealed he wrote the role “specifically” for the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
The role came about after Kelce had a general meeting with Murphy to discuss the football star’s interest in acting. During that meeting, Murphy gave Kelce some “fatherly advice.” Murphy described the meeting as “lovely” and said that it ended with the showrunner telling Kelce he would keep him in mind and that maybe the two would come up with something down the road.
That’s when Kelce pushed back.
“He said, ‘No, I want to do it now. I have three months now, and I really would love to have anything,’” Murphy recalled on Monday.
“We were starting to get in pre-production for ‘Grotesquerie,’” Murphy continued. “I said, ‘Well, I have this one part, and if you’re interested, I will specifically write it and tailor it for you.’ He said, ‘I would love that,’ so we were off to the races.”
Murphy didn’t share more about Kelce’s “Grotesquerie” character, but he did reveal that he directed Kelce’s first episode himself, which the player appeared in alongside series star Niecy Nash. The showrunner behind such mega-hits as “American Horror Story,” “American Crime Story” and “Nip/Tuck” had nothing but praise for Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.
“I instantly loved him and took him by the hand and let him know that he would not, could not fail,” Murphy said, calling Kelce “amazing.” “He worked with an acting coach for several months. He showed up off-book. He knew everybody’s lines. He was so professional. He was so committed. He kept saying to me, ‘I’m real coachable. Coach me, coach me.’ So I did, and he ended up being a delight. I would love to continue working with him on this and other things.”
Murphy also noted that he “cannot say enough about him as a leader” and praised Kelce as “the kindest” and “sweetest.” “Everything you think about him is true,” Murphy said.
Bringing in a football star for a high-stakes horror drama may seem like an odd move — but for Murphy, it was a sure bet. “I always have a motto in my world and in my work, that a star is a star is a star,” Murphy said. “It doesn’t matter what field you’re a star in. If you have that charisma, you are going to bring it to whatever you do.”
“Grotesquerie” premieres on FX Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes will be available to stream on Hulu.
