Ryan Murphy’s new series, Grotesquerie, has an unlikely character through the NFL’s Travis Kelce. 

As the 10-episode horror crime drama kicked off its first few episodes, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end debuted his acting chops, joining a cast that includes Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance and Raven Goodwin.

All about Travis Kelce’s ‘Grotesqueire’ character

During Episode 3, which premiered on FX on Wednesday, Kelce was introduced to viewers as Ed Lachlan, a person who is recovering from drug addiction and former stripper now taking on the task of being a nurse.

His character connects with Nash-Betts’ Detective Lois Tryon, and the two hit it off pretty strongly, with some heavy flirting involved.

The pair meet as Detective Lois is visiting the hospital, looking to ensure that her comatose husband (Vance) is properly cared for.

In a previous interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Nash-Betts described her character as a “connective tissue” in a whirlwind of fated events.

Throughout the series, viewers find the detective in a dark space, navigating a husband who is no longer fully present, an estranged relationship with her daughter, Merritt Tryon (Goodwin), and workplace woes. 

“Detective Lois, her vibe in all of this, first of all, she’s the connective tissues, she’s the linchpin in all these stories,” said the actress ahead of the show’s premiere. “So, leaning into it, I eat the elephant one bite at a time. What is my relationship with my daughter, my husband, my coworkers, and my partner in crime? You know, all of these things. I think she has to look at the whole, see the part she plays in each of those places so that the performances ends up being very nuanced.”

And speaking of grappling with life’s refinements, often drowning herself in a bottle, Kelce’s character finds Detective Lois during a dark time and offers her some lighthearted advice —“You’re too drunk to drive home!”

While she doesn’t listen (you’ll have to watch the show to see what happens next), her unlikely pairing with Ed Lachlan keeps her from completely going over the edge. He is assigned to be her orderly once she finds herself back in the hospital… this time not as a visitor.

What is Grotesquerie about?

Per the series description, the 10-episode drama series follows “a series of heinous crimes have unsettled a small community. Detective Lois Tryon feels these crimes are eerily personal, as if someone—or something—is taunting her. “

The show also stars Lesley Manville as Nurse Redd, Micaela Diamond as Sister Megan, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Father Charlie and Raven Goodwin as Merritt Tryon.

Episodes air Wednesdays on FX.