Instead of relaxing after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, Travis Kelce decided to apply for other jobs – this time in Hollywood.
“Grotesquerie” co-creator and director Ryan Murphy said at a virtual press conference Monday that he had a general meeting with Kelce in which the NFL star “said he was interested in acting.”
“We were talking about his future and what he wants to do after football season, and I just gave him some fatherly advice,” Murphy said. “In my world and in my work I always have a motto: a star is a star is a star, it doesn’t matter in which field you are a star. If you have that charisma, you are going to bring it to whatever you do.”
Murphy said it was a “nice” meeting, which he ended by telling Kelce, “I’ll keep you in mind, and maybe we’ll come up with something,” to which Kelce backed down and said, “No, I want to to do now. I have three months now and I would really like to have something.”
At the time, Murphy had just begun pre-production on “Grotesquerie,” his latest limited series for FX about a detective, played by Niecy Nash-Betts, who uncovers a series of gruesome crimes that feel eerily personal to her. Murphy told Kelce, “I have this one part, and if you’re interested, I’ll write and tailor it specifically for you.”
Once Kelce agreed, it was “off to the races,” Murphy said. “The thing about Travis is I directed the first episode he did with Niecy, and Niecy and I loved him right away and took him by the hand and let him know that he wouldn’t, couldn’t fail. And he was really great.”
Murphy added that Kelce worked with an acting coach for “several months” leading up to the shoot, which took place between football seasons.
“He came off the book, he knew everyone’s lines,” Murphy said. “He was so professional. He was so dedicated. He kept telling me, ‘I’m really coachable, coach me, coach me.’ So I did, and ultimately he was a delight, and I would love to continue working with him on this and other things. I can’t say enough about him as a leader. He’s just the nicest, sweetest… everything you think about him is true.”
“Grotesquerie” premiered on September 25 on FX. The series also stars Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Raven Goodwin.