Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is moving his talents to the small screen. Kelce, who is also in a relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, as been cast in Ryan Murphy’s FX series “Grotesquerie.”
The series, which began production in February, also stars Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance and Lesley Manville. It is unclear what Kelce’s role will be.
The role is Kelce’s first in a scripted production. The football player hosted “Saturday Night Live” in March 2023.
Kelce signed with CAA for off-the-field representation two months later. In January 2024, he told reporters after a Chiefs football game that his post-retirement plans included exploring acting as a full-time job. After he clarified he had “no reason to stop playing football,” Kelce explained he was inspired by his time on “SNL.”
“I’ve been fortunate to do a few things outside of the sports world that I’ve been enjoying doing, like getting on camera,” Kelce said. “The ‘SNL’ stuff kind of opened up a new happiness and a new career path for me, but it’s funny for me to even say that at this point in my career because I think it’s so much further down the road than it is right now.”
Murphy released the first trailer for the series in February. The all-text video included audio from Nash-Betts’ character, who said, “I don’t know when it started, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s different now. There’s been a shift, like something’s opening up in the world — a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness.”
Kelce is not the first non-actor Murphy has brought on to a production. He previously gave Lady Gaga her first acting role on “American Horror Story: Hotel” and gave reality star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian her first acting role on “American Horror Story: Delicate.”
FX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap. Deadline first reported this news.
