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Legendary Actor Praises Travis Kelce For His Acting Skills

Originally posted on The Spun | By Kameron Duncan | Last updated Mar 12, 2025 2:31 PM ET

Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce recently decided to come back for at least one more NFL season, looking to finish business after the Chiefs' loss in the Super Bowl.

The longtime star expressed hesitated and mulled over the decision for a few weeks before deciding to return, and some believe it's because of the opportunities he now has outside of football.

Kelce was one of the most popular players in the NFL due to his performance on the field, but his relationship with Taylor Swift has turned him into a household name all around the world.

Kelce has appeared in several commercials and in many acting roles since dating Swift, and one top actor believes Kelce has a real future in the business.

Henry Winkler - famous for playing "Fonzie" in "Happy Days" - praised Kelce's acting skills in a recent interview with TMZ.

Kelce made his formal acting debut in the FX series "Grotesquerie," which was directed by Winkler's son Max.

"My son directed Mr. Kelce, Trav, and said he was a wonderful actor," Henry said. "I saw the show. He was great."

Winkler's words build on a previous compliment he paid Kelce in September, during an appearance on Sirius XM's "The Spotlight with Jessica Shaw."

"I got an autographed picture and I made him a video of, I said, ‘Max, I want to tell him how great he is,'" Winkler said about the football star after learning he would be appearing in his son's new show.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 09: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs arrives prior to Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)Cooper Neill/Getty Images

"'Cause you really think he's just a football player. He's really good. He's a natural, and he talked to me about it on his podcast with his brother."

Kelce's co-star on "Grotesquerie," Niecy Nash-Betts, also had complimentary remarks about the tight end after their time on the show together.

"Travis was very open. He was very open on if there was a note given or a suggestion given. So amenable. 'Tell me what I don't know. Tell me what your thought is on this,'" Nash-Betts said.

"I love that he didn't come in trying to act like, 'I know everything and I know it all.'"

Kelce's acting skills and his coachable attitude appear to be pathways to success for a lucrative career after football. We'll see if Kelce becomes the latest football star to make a successful transition into acting after he decides to retire.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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