Besides being one of the most popular NFL players, Travis Kelce became a household name ever since he began dating America’s beloved pop star, Taylor Swift. After showing off his wit and comedic talents on his podcast New Heights with brother Jason Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight-end is set to showcase another side of himself with his upcoming acting projects. With his mother Donna Kelce bagging a movie role and Travis himself gearing up for a full-fledged acting debut, here is a look at all the Kelce family appearances in films and TV shows.
Travis Kelce has landed his first major acting job in Ryan Murphy‘s upcoming FX horror series Grotesquerie. The NFL player has been cast alongside actors like Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, and Lesley Manville. Currently in production, the series is slated to release on September 25, right around the start of the football season, which will see Kelce return to his post as tight end for defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. While fans got a glimpse of Kelce in the teaser of the show, little is known about his role.
It is widely known that Ryan Murphy changed the course of Lady Gaga’s career by offering her a major role in American Horror Story. Likewise, it will be interesting to see if Grotesquerie will mark a new era for Kelce’s entertainment career.
Kelce presumably knows the world of acting “all too well”, especially as his resume includes a starring role in a reality show along with several other TV appearances. Before his full-fledged debut as an actor in Grotesquerie and his much-anticipated hosting gig for Amazon’s Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? game show, here is a look at all the Kelce family members and their film and TV appearances.
Given Taylor Swift’s dating history, which comprises fellow musicians like Harry Styles and actors like Tom Hiddleston, one could have hardly imagined that she would end up with an athlete who once lead a reality dating show. While Travis undoubtedly harbours hopes of leaving Catching Kelce in the past, the show has enjoyed renewed interest as have Swifties hurriedly flocked to binge it for a peek into his pre-Taylor days.
Unlike The Bachelor, Kelce wasn’t handing out roses or getting engaged on the show. Instead, the E! dating show’s gimmick had 50 women — one from each state — competing for the footballer’s affection. Guiding him on this romantic journey was also his brother and fellow NFL player, Jason Kelce and his manager Aaron Eanes. At the end of the seven-episode series, Maya Benberry of Kentucky won the athlete’s affection.
Not a reality show but far closer to actual reality, Kelce focused on Jason Kelce’s journey as team captain of the Philadelphia Eagles at a crucial point in his career as he contemplated retirement. It also chronicled one of the most exciting sports seasons in the Kelce household, with the siblings set to face one another in the championship game. Several personal and professional milestones made it into the documentary, including the debut of the chart-topping podcast New Heights which Jason famously hosts alongside his brother — who in recent times has brought in a massive audience thanks to his relationship with Taylor Swift.
The documentary also featured the emotional moments of other Kelce family members, including Jason’s wife Kylie Kelce who was pregnant with their third baby at the time and mom Donna Kelce. From cute home videos of young Jason and Travis playing in their backyard to Jason’s sweetest dad moments, the documentary, which was directed by Don Argott, has it all.
If you think Travis Kelce has only just caught the acting bug, think again. Remember seeing him on a Showtime space comedy starring Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker and John C. Reilly? Yes, Travis indeed guest-starred on Moonbase 8 where he played himself. The absurd comedy series saw the Kansas City Chiefs tight-end making a cameo on a fictional space assignment to facilitate cross-promotion between NASA and the NFL as pointed out by Skip (played by Fred Armisen) in the show’s first episode.
It is unknown how much Kelce was offered for this role. The series was shot before he won the 2020 Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs. However, it is likely that he would have been paid more had it been filmed later. Playing to this, Heidecker has jokingly told Ringer that, “His rate would’ve skyrocketed if we asked him afterward.” While the show is one of Kelce’s earliest attempts at acting, he nonetheless stands his ground among veteran comedic stars like Armisen with his intimidating alpha male act.
Landing a Saturday Night Live hosting gig is no easy feat but being a Super Bowl champion and NFL star player like Travis Kelce opens doors like no other. Kelce made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on March 4 2023, in the fourteenth episode of Season 48, with country music singer Kelsea Ballerini as a musical guest. With his SNL debut, Kelce joins an elite list of athletes who have hosted the renowned comedy show, including Olympic greats like Michael Phelps and LeBron James among others.
In his hilarious monologue, Travis recalls the “awkward” moment at home after beating his brother at the Super Bowl. With Jason watching him in the audience and pretending to pout, Travis said, “You know, people keep asking me what it was like to beat my brother in the Super Bowl, and it was pretty awkward. Especially because after the game, we had to ride home together. Our mom drove us there in her minivan.” In one of the sketches from the episode, Jason also made a cameo as cast member Heidi Gardner’s “totally ripped” new boyfriend.
The NFL’s in their Swiftie era #SNLPremiere pic.twitter.com/DZ1F1bomol
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 15, 2023
While Travis’ 2023 hosting gig was a success, it’s his cameo appearance from the Season 49 premiere that is more memorable to fans. To give some context, this episode marked an appearance by not only Travis, but also Taylor Swift. While she introduced her close friend Ice Spice as the musical guest on the show, her NFL player boyfriend appeared in a comedy sketch that showed NFL broadcasters discussing the Kelce-Swift romance rumours. Later, the couple went viral for holding hands during their joint appearance at the Saturday Night Live afterparty. It’s no wonder that this epic SNL gig stands out among all of the films and TV shows of Kelce family members.
Besides playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Jason Kelce also won the love of Philadelphia locals by making an appearance on the popular comedy series — It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Created by Rob McElhenney who was born and raised in the city, the show’s humour is rooted in the city’s spirit, sharing a strong connection with natives. In Season 13, Jason made a guest appearance in a hilarious episode that sees Charlie (Charlie Day) hallucinating about the Eagles’ player telling him about superstitious sporting rituals. “Every single thing that every fan does, at home or at the stadium, makes a direct impact on the game,” Jason says in his cameo.
Jason Kelce’s cameo is among the most popular the show has seen. However, as per a funny Instagram video shared by McElhenney, Jason also reportedly stepped in as a body double for “fat mac” on Season 7 of the series.
The season 3 premiere of Abbott Elementary was packed with celebrity cameos, with actor Bradley Cooper and the Philadelphia Eagles’ Brandon Graham, Jason Kelce, and Jalen Hurts all making appearances. As a part of career day at the fictional Abbott Elementary school, fans saw Eagles’ Jalen Hurts surprising students and teachers via a Zoom interaction. During his virtual talk with the students, Hurts gets interrupted by Graham and Kelce who call him out for being late to practice.
Despite Jason having merely two lines in his guest appearance, Travis, like a proud brother, gushed about his cameo on an episode of their New Heights podcast. Praising Jason’s appearance, he said, “Jason on the ‘Abbott Elementary’ premiere.” Travis further added that he had been bingeing the show, adding, “I love that show, man. I’ve just started binge-watching the first season, so I haven’t even gotten to the second.”
Beyond her successful athlete sons, Donna Kelce, who is better known among fans as Mama Kelce, has become a superstar in her own right. Be it her famous chocolate chip cookies or her adorable celebratory moments from NFL games with Taylor Swift — everything that Mama Kelce does goes viral. Fulfilling her dream to appear on The Price is Right, Donna Kelce, who is a longtime fan, joined host Drew Carey on a special NFL-themed episode that aired on February 7 2024.
Impressively, she also earned one of the best TV introductions as her sons Jason and Travis appeared in a special message. The winning introduction saw her sons calling her “America’s mom” and the “first lady of football.” In the popular game show episode, Mama Kelce was invited as a guest of honour, later introducing the biggest prize of the evening.
Travis Kelce: Apart from Ryan Murphy’s Grotesquerie, Travis Kelce will also be able to flaunt his golfing skills in a cameo in Adam Sandler’s much-awaited Happy Gilmore 2. The NFL player is also being considered for an action comedy in development at Lionsgate titled Loose Cannons. However, before the release of his films, the Chiefs tight-end will first showcase his hosting skills with Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? which premieres on October 16.
Donna Kelce: Travis Kelce’s mom is set to make her acting debut in Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. The film, which will be produced in collaboration with the Kansas City Chiefs, follows a Chiefs fan’s romance with the team’s Director of fan engagement. According to People, Donna will be playing the role of the manager of Kansas City BBQ restaurant Norma & Nic’s in the movie. Since filming for the Hallmark movie has just commenced in July, its release date has yet to be confirmed.
(Main and featured images: IMDB)
After doing cameos in shows like Moonbase 8 and hosting Saturday Night Live, Travis Kelce is venturing into acting with Ryan Murphy's forthcoming FX series, Grotesquerie.
Travis Kelce has starred in Fred Armisen starrer Showtime series Moonbase 8, he was also the lead of the dating reality show, Catching Kelce which released in 2016.
Jason Kelce is the former Philadelphia Eagles player and older brother of Travis Kelce. He has starred in cameos in the shows It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary.
According to US Weekly, Travis Kelce has finished shooting for Ryan Murphy's upcoming show Grotesquerie in May 2024.
Senior Digital Writer, People, Entertainment and Fashion
Surabhi Redkar is a pop culture enthusiast with a keen interest in celebrity fashion and beauty trends. A post graduate in multimedia journalism from Birmingham City University, she has worked with several ..Read More
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