Travis Kelce‘s acting debut on Ryan Murphy‘s Grotesquerie is everything fans were hoping for — and more.
Grotesquerie, which debuted in September, marks Kelce’s first major television role outside of his career as a tight end for The Kansas City Chiefs. He is also set to host Prime Video’s upcoming game show Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity? and will make a cameo in Happy Gilmore 2.
While it is unclear whether Kelce’s character, Ed, is real or not following his first Grotesquerie appearance, his chemistry with Niecy Nash‘s Lois was off the charts. “You are oddly beautiful or beautifully odd,” he said in an October 2 episode. “I can’t figure it out, but I sure want to. [That pickup line works] only when it is true.”
Kelce didn’t just leave an impression on Us, but he also won over his costars. Before his first episode aired in October, fellow Murphy TV universe newbie Micaela Diamond recalled the athlete coming in “so game” to work on the show.
“We all were just like, ‘Let’s make a TV show.’ That’s something Niecy said all the time,” she exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. “There’s part of this that’s just play. We’re just playing and [Travis] can do that.”
Diamond called Kelce a committed “team player” on set, adding, “This was my first big TV show and also his. So we were in it together trying to soak up as much as we could and be inspired by the veteran actors around us and listen and respond.”
Raven Goodwin, meanwhile, referred to Travis as a “great guy” after sharing a scene with him. “Everybody [on set] was FaceTiming their kids like, ‘Look who I’m with,'” she recalled to Us. “But he was gracious and sweet and kind and very tall.”
Scroll down for Kelce’s most iconic quotes from Grotesquerie:
His Highly-Anticipated Introduction
Lois met Ed after a tough day led to her taking a smoke break at the hospital.
“[I am] Ed. But you can call me Eddie,” Kelce’s character said in his first scene on the show. “Something tells me when you are done with your cigarette break, you will want to get out of here and I don’t blame you.”
Ed coined the nickname “sassy pants” for Lois before they parted ways. It didn’t take long for them to reunite — minutes after Ed warned her not to drive drunk, the detective got into an accident and was back in the hospital as a patient.
An Escape Plan
After waking up from her accident, Lois was determined to get out of the hospital. This served as the perfect opening for Ed to come to her rescue.
“I am such a sucker for you problem child types. There’s something about you,” he teased as he helped Lois break free. “I am totally powerless.”
Ed asked if Lois needed “any help” changing back into her clothes before they ran out of the hospital straight into his red convertible.
Not Your Typical 1st Date
Lois offered to thank Ed for his chivalry by baking him a cake. His response?
“You know what I like? Pop-Tarts without the frosting,” he revealed before inviting her to join him somewhere. “We can call it a date.”
The outing might not have been what Lois was expecting, however. Ed took her to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, and the hint was very much received.
Digging Into His Past
“So I was your typical ski bum. I loved the slopes until I tore all my ligaments. And then I hightailed it up to Alaska. I worked at a male strip joint,” Ed shared with Lois in an October episode. “Jiggling it for horny momma’s coming off of cruise ships. I rocked the banana hammock with the name Big Peter and his banana splitter. I thought it was classy.”
Ed admitted it took a while for him to hit a low point.
“I would get drunk with them, take one back to my cabin and if I got a tip I told myself it was for dancing and not all the other stuff. I ended up on the streets. I had ways to go [before my rock bottom],” he recalled. “Long story short, I was just missing my dignity. I had to find stuff to live for. You haven’t lost your dignity. So don’t.”
His Relationship Status
After meeting Lois’ daughter, Merritt (Goodwin), Ed was immediately grilled about his personal life — perhaps because Merritt could sense the chemistry between him and her mother. (Poor Marshall [Courtney B. Vance], who is married to Lois but in a coma.)
“I am very single. No, [I am not gay],” Ed noted. “Not yet, at least. We will see what the future holds, though.”
