Hollywood has a place for everyone, at least according to its myths, and that rings true for the most talented people as well as the nepo babies, for the people with the right connections, right alongside those striving to make it. One category of actors includes former athletes, and some of them have proven to be great on the screen.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was named the highest-paid actor two years in a row in 2019 and 2020, respectively, and many of his films received critical and commercial acclaim. Other big athletic names include Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is easily one of the most beloved and famous athlete-turned-actors, as well as Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Dave Bautista, and John Cena, among many others.
Another huge athlete is looking to make his debut in Hollywood — three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end, and Taylor Swift’s boyfriend. The athlete made his interest in acting known earlier this year on an episode of New Heights, the podcast he hosts with his brother, Jason Kelce, and also shared his interest in joining the cast of Happy Gilmore 2. That came true as he scored a cameo in the sequel, and so much more, because he got a Gladiator-inspired Pepsi ad and a role in Ryan Murphy‘s new series.
Travis Kelce stars in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie
The actor has a substantial role in Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie, and he stars alongside frequent Murphy collaborators Niecy Nash, Nicholas Chavez, Micaela Diamond, Lesley Manville, Courtney B. Vance, and Tessa Ferrer. Ahead of the horror series premiere on Sept. 25, Murphy told Entertainment Tonight he was “moved” by Kelce’s determination to get a role in his show.
“It was very unexpected,” Murphy explained. “I did not know Travis, and I thought we were just having a general meeting.” However, that turned out to be a pitch to cast him, and Murphy explained that the Kansas City Chiefs star “was so passionate about wanting to try [acting], and I always have a theory which is, ‘A star is a star is a star.’ And he’s a big star — in every arena.”
He continued, “I was just moved by him and his ambition and he wanted to try it and he’s a guy who likes to do new things,” Murphy said. The creator wrote the part in Grotesquerie specifically for Kelce, whom he calls “the most delightful person.”
After getting the role in the new show, Travis Kelce couldn’t have been more prepared, like a student on their first day. “He showed up off-book. He knew all his lines, he knew all Niecy [Nash-Betts]’s lines,” Murphy recalled. “And he was a little nervous at first — as, I mean, I would be too.”
Niecy Nash-Betts had kind words to say about her co-star, too, and that she was impressed by his willingness to take feedback. “Travis was very open,” she told People. “He was very open on if there was a note given or a suggestion given. So amenable. ‘Tell me what I don’t know. Tell me what your thought is on this,'” she recalls. “I love that he didn’t come in trying to act like, ‘I know everything and I know it all.'” She teased, “I just think that fans are going to find him very charming in this role.”
Grotesquerie premieres on FX on Sept. 25, and will be available to stream the next day on Hulu.
Published: Sep 24, 2024 06:09 pm