Travis Kelce: ‘SNL’ Was Hard Because I ‘Can’t Really Read That Well’

Going live from New York on Saturday night is easier said than done.

Although Travis Kelce’s hosting gig on Saturday Night Live may have looked painless, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end said there were some obstacles he faced before the show began.

“The writers’ rooms were fun because you’re just getting pitched ideas,” Kelce, 35, shared on the Tuesday, July 1, episode of the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast. “The table reading — for a guy that can’t really read that well — it was kind of a f*** situation. I felt like I was just trying to get through the reading instead of actually acting out and giving it a voice and giving it a character and things like that.”

Instead of savoring the moment, Kelce joked that he was just focused on “don’t f***ing skip this line.”

“I’m more of an audio guy,” he added with a laugh. “The table read was the hardest f***ing part.”

In March 2023, Kelce made his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live and appeared in a variety of sketches, including “Garrett from Hinge,” “Straight Male Friend” and “American Girl Cafe.”

Looking back on the experience, the NFL player called it one “crazy ride.”

“It was just a fun roller-coaster,” he told hosts Will Compton and Taylor Lewan. “You’re there all week, up to 2 and 3 in the morning just trying to knock stuff out, do some of the prerecorded stuff. That was insane. That was a crazy ride. That was fun.”

Before the NFL kicks off a new season in September, Kelce will make a guest star appearance in Netflix’s highly anticipated movie Happy Gilmore 2.

While some fans are speculating that this could be the start of Kelce’s long acting career, the Super Bowl champion said he’s much more interested in small roles.

“That’s where I see myself kind of, those fun cameos where I get a role that’s not necessarily my name in a movie or something like that, and I’ll just kind of play a role,” he explained. “In Happy Gilmore, I’m a waiter. That’s a fun-ass f***ing role in a movie with guys like Adam Sandler, who I’ve loved my entire life. I’d kill to do movies like that for the rest of my life.”

When asked whether he’d like to sign up for a big TV show, Kelce acknowledged he’s not ready to commit given it’s a “lot of work.”

“It’s a career field I haven’t gotten comfortable with yet,” he added. “The silly stuff, the funny stuff, I just feel so much more comfortable.”