The phenomenon of athletes deciding to dip their toes into acting is not uncommon —fromDave BautistatoJohn CenaandDwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Perhaps the most recent person on the list isTravis Kelce. Apart from being in the headlines lately because of his romantic involvement with famous pop starTaylor Swift, the 34-year-old has achieved numerous career highlights during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs, making him an icon within the American football world. It looks like Kelce is on top of the world — andadding to his already-long resumé by becoming an actor. Unlike those who are just beginning their journey into acting, opportunities for Kelce have already come knocking. This leads to a bigger conversation, especially when considering what the industry is like towards those who are not so privileged, like actors of color.
Travis Kelce Trying His Hand at Acting Is Not Really a Surprise
As Kelce’s name starts to grow in popularity beyond the American football bubble, it’s less of a surprise thathe is attracting big brands as well as the entertainment industryat large. Just a couple of months ago, it was announced thatKelce would hostAre You Smarter Than A Celebrity?,which is set to air later this October. Kelce is also no stranger to participating in reality TV, as he starred inCatching Kelceback in 2016, where 50 women from different states tried to compete for his affection — not to mention he hostedSaturday Night Livefor the first timelast year.
A non-actor hosting a sketch or game show is not that odd, since their role is mainly designed to keep viewers entertained, and the NFL legend is naturally charismatic. However, it is important to note thatreality and scripted TV are differentin a lot of ways; the latter requires a performance of an entirely different nature. When someone like Kelce gets handed these types of opportunities without any previous acting experience, it sends a message to struggling actors that their efforts don’t measure up to those who have powerful connections within the industry.
Not long after landing his upcoming game show gig, Kelce was announced to have been cast in a couple of other projects, includingHappy Gilmore 2,Loose Cannons, andGrotesquerie. Kelce and his brother Jason even alsobagged a $100 million podcast deal with Amazon namedNew Heightswhich continues their sports commentary and all things NFL. For any actor who wishes to break into the industry, having this many opportunities from the get-go is a dream come true; it means that all your hard work has finally paid off. Of course, Kelce might surprise people and actually excel on-screen, butoffering projects to popular figures who are increasingly making headlinesoverlooks actors who have been working and failing to earn the same opportunities for years — chiefly actors of color.
Actors of Color Have To Think of Innovative Ways To Be Acknowledged
Old Hollywood is far from glamorous once you learn about its problem with racism and xenophobia. Though some aspects have vastly improved over the years, the overall problem is still very much alive. Actors from marginalized communities have long been speaking up about an overall lack of job security and acting opportunities compared to their white peers. Lately, there has been a trend of different actors carving their own niche in uplifting the marginalized parts of Hollywood — one of which is bycreating their own production companies— but it’s still a problem that these actors feel as if they have to take matters into their own hands for more jobs to exist in the industry.
Several actors of color have recently decided to create their own production companies — such asTaylor Zakhar Perez,Charles Melton,Simone Ashley, andViola Davis, among many others. It is more heartbreaking to think thatthese actors have starred in breakout roles, yet have not received a line-up of big opportunities after, which happens disproportionately to actors of color. No matter how much change the industry has claimed it has embraced, it hasn’t changed much at all if this issue is still prevalent today.
Travis Kelce Is Hosting Prime Video’s New ‘Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?’
From the people who brought you ‘Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,’ a new game show has been born.
Want To Break Into the Entertainment Industry? You Better Have Connections!
The entertainment industry still has a significant problem with affording equal treatment to actors, with established names often handed roles first before unknown actors — much less actors of color — are even given a chance. Kelce, for instance, already has a pretty big fanbase, so per the industry’s way of thinking, he can bring in a bigger audience if he’s cast in a show. On the other hand,lesser-recognized actors (especially those in the minority) are treated as risky gambles. While being able to draw in an audience is certainly appealing from a studio’s perspective, breakout hits likeBaby ReindeerandShōgunprove that good stories being told by talented professionals isjust as much a recipe for success and viewsas big-name recognition.
It seems like the only way to break into the industry is to have connections (a “nepo baby”) or be someone already famous for their work in another, similarly prominent field. The industry has always had a prejudice against actors of color, even thoughthey deserve to be treated the same as any other actor. Actors of color have so much to give, and it is sad to see them striving to work twice as hard just to be acknowledged by an industry structured to put them at the bottom. How Kelce managed to bag that many roles in a short amount of time really can make one wonder about how the industry thinks highly of those who already have connections or a big reputation.
Grotesquerie
Grotesqueriepremieres on FX on September 25 in the U.S. and will be available to stream on Hulu.
Watch on Hulu
