Ryan Murphy Says He Wrote ‘Grotesquerie’ Role “Specifically” For Travis Kelce: “He Really Was Amazing”

Katie Campione
·2-min read

Travis Kelce’s is making his scripted TV debut this month in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series Grotesquerie in a role that the creator says was crafted just for him.

During a press conference Monday, Murphy explained that, in a general meeting that aligned with pre-production on Grotesquerie, Kelce “said he was interested in getting into acting…it ended with me saying, ‘Okay, well, I’ll keep you in mind, and maybe we’ll come up with something.’ And he said, ‘No, I want to do it now. I have three months now, and I really would love to have anything.'”

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The one role Murphy had in mind happened to be for Grotesquerie, he explained, adding that he was open to “specifically write it and tailor it” for the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who immediately accepted.

“I directed the first episode he did with Niecy [Nash-Betts]. Niecy and I just instantly loved him and took him by the hand and let him know that he would not, could not fail,” Murphy continued. “He really was amazing. He worked with an acting coach for several months. He showed up off book. He knew everybody’s lines. He was so professional. He was so committed. He kept saying to me, ‘I’m real coachable. Coach me, coach me.’ So I did, and he ended up being a delight, and I would love to continue working with him on this and other things. I cannot say enough about him as a leader. He’s just the kindest, sweetest…everything you think about him is true.”

Not much is known about Kelce’s character in Grotesquerie, though the trailer for the series does give a small glimpse at him in this undisclosed role.

According to the log line, the series will revolve around Nash-Betts as Detective Lois Tryon as she investigates a series of heinous crimes that have unsettled a small community. Lois feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone—or something—is taunting her. At home, Lois grapples with a strained relationship with her daughter, a husband in long-term hospital care and her own inner demons. With no leads and unsure of where to turn, she accepts the help of Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond) a nun and journalist with the Catholic Guardian.

Sister Megan, with her own difficult past, has seen the worst of humanity, yet she still believes in its capacity for good. Lois, on the other hand, fears the world is succumbing to evil. As Lois and Sister Megan string together clues, they find themselves ensnared in a sinister web that only seems to raise more questions than answers.

The series also stars Courtney B. Vance, Lesley Manville, Raven Goodwin and Nicholas Alexander Chavez.

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