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Turns out fans might have Taylor Swift to thank for Travis Kelce‘s appearance in FX series Grotesquerie.
The show’s creator, Ryan Murphy, revealed that Swift, 34, encouraged her boyfriend, also 34, to pursue his interests — like starring in a new TV series. “The only thing that [Travis and I] talked about was that she’s very supportive of him, and if he has an interest, she wanted him to try it,” Murphy told E! News at the Grotesquerie premiere on Monday, September 23.
The American Horror Story creator said that Swift’s advice “thrilled” him, and he heard nothing but “sweet, lovely things” about the pop superstar from Kelce, before adding, “I love her, too.” Speaking of only “lovely” things to say, Murphy couldn’t help but gush about the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs attend the Men’s Singles Final match between Taylor Fritz of the United States and Jannik Sinner of Italy on Day Fourteen of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 08, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. In September 2024, Ryan Murphy revealed Swift encouraged boyfriend Kelce to pursue acting.
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“He’s so charismatic, and he’s so smart, he’s lovely. He had a window of time. He asked me to work up something for him. I did. It was an honor,” Murphy said, noting that Kelce came more than prepared, knowing not only his lines, but also everyone else’s.
“He had a great discipline, and he is everything you want him to be,” Murphy said, calling Kelce a “sweet” and “charming” leader, who was a hard worker, arriving “first on the set” and “last to leave.” The showrunner also shared an anecdote that proved Kelce’s commitment.
Murphy said that one day he rewrote an entire scene that he felt wasn’t working, and Kelce managed to “memorize it in 10 minutes.” He praised the athlete for working through being vulnerable in front of the camera, even though he knew it would be “a little scary” for him.
As for whether the New Heights podcaster can act, Murphy said the star can “do anything,” noting that for Kelce, “the world is his oyster.” Kelce will next appear as a host for the Prime Video Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? spin-off, Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? when it debuts on Wednesday, October 16.
Kelce — who has been publicly linked to Swift since September 2023 — is also making an appearance in the highly-anticipated sequel to Adam Sandler’s golfing classic, Happy Gilmore. No details are known yet about this role.