When word got out that Travis Kelce had been cast on Ryan Murphy’s upcoming horror series Grotesquerie, fans of the beloved showrunner were less than enthused.
Sure, Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift has made him one of the most famous people on the planet, and yes, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end was a well-liked figure even back when he was mostly unknown to non-football fans.
But can he act?
Well, if you’re one of the Murphy fans who’s feeling a little anxious about his unexpected foray into stunt casting, perhaps you can take some solace in the latest remarks from one of his most frequent collaborators, Niecy Nash.
Nash, of course, is coming off an Emmy for her work on another Murphy project, Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
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So she knows a thing or two, both about acting and about what makes a Ryan Murphy show work.
And she says Travis has skills that go well beyond his ability to get open downfield and catch a ball.
In a recent conversation with Entertainment Tonight, Nash revealed that Travis’ acting chops caught her off-guard.
“You know what, I’m pleasantly surprised. He’s doing really well,” she told the outlet.
Nash added that she’s been helping Travis run lines in preparation for his time on camera, explaining that the process usually consists of “us sitting around eating In-N-Out reading words off a piece of paper.”
Asked if she ever inquires about his relationship with a certain blonde billionaire, Nash demurred.
“Well now, I don’t ask and tell! Let me just say that,” she joked.
Nash was the first to reveal that Kelce had joined the cast of Murphy’s latest project when she posted an Instagram video of the tight end on set.
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“Guys, guess who I’m working with on Grotesquerie,” she said to her followers before panning the camera over to Kelce.
Shortly thereafter, Kelce discussed his first meeting with Murphy on an episode of his New Heights podcast.
“He seemed very confident that I’d be able to do this, and he kinda injected that in me the first conversation that we had,” Kelce recalled.
So hopefully I don’t bomb this for him.”
Well, if Niecy Nash’s assessment is accurate, then we guess Murphy’s prediction panned out! We can’t wait to see the results of this collaboration!
What do you think, TV fanatics?
Are you excited to see Kelce show off a new set of skills?
Hit the comments section below to share your thoughts!
Tyler Johnson is an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic and the other Mediavine O&O sites. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, watching TV. You can Follow him on X and email him here at TV Fanatic.