By Grant Gordon, Digital Content Editor
Travis Kelce’s IMDB page and his showbiz future are growing.
His onus on football remains foremost, however.
“I still love coming in to work, getting after it, and chasing championships,” the Kansas City Chiefs star tight end told The Associated Press. “That’s what I’ve always dreamt of doing. But in the offseason, I do like to dabble around.”
The dabbling has included a reoccurring role in the FX series Grotesquerie, an upcoming part in the much-anticipated Happy Gilmore 2 and, on Oct. 16, he will debut as the host of Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?
The latter airs on Prime Video, where Kelce has appeared before, but that’s been playing for the Chiefs on Thursday nights or when he was featured in a documentary about his brother Jason, aptly titled Kelce.
Kelce’s star has been on the rise for a while now.
Travis Kelce hosting game show Photo: Adam Rose/Prime Video via AP
His New Heights podcast with his brother has become a juggernaut. After winning his second Super Bowl with the Chiefs, he hosted Saturday Night Live to mostly rave reviews, which he credited as a starting point for his entertainment aspirations.
“I’ve always been genuinely myself. I think I get that from my parents and my upbringing,” Kelce, 35, said. “Just be confident in who you are, knowing that you live by good ethics, good morals, good judgment and things like that. I also had a whole lot of fun hosting SNL a few years ago and I think that kind of catapulted me into where I am.”
Later, he turned the world on its ear when he began dating pop icon Taylor Swift. Now, the nine-time Pro Bowler is kicking the tires of being a TV host with Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?
“Taking control of the atmosphere was probably the biggest challenge,” Kelce said. “You have to make sure that everybody understands the rules and where they’re at in the game.”
One similarity with his new gig and the one that’s going to usher him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is the critical eye in which he’ll see both.
“I’ll definitely watch but I’m actually terrified of watching myself in situations like this but I’ll turn it on to critique myself,” Kelce said. “I’m my own worst critic. I can only see the bad that I do in anything, even on the football field.”
Now in his 12th season, Kelce has been an All-Pro four times, has produced a position-record seven 1,000-yard seasons and has won three Super Bowls with a Chiefs team that is 5-0 this season.
However, their have been ample Kelce critics beyond himself following a slow individual start to the season. He’s come on lately, hauling in 16 receptions for 159 yards over his past two games.
So, he’s still just dabbling in the entertainment world with his HOF football career taking precedent.