'Moonbase 8': Who is Superbowl star Travis Kelce? Kansas City Chiefs' TE to feature in Showtime's space comedy
Kansas City Chiefs' Tight End (TE) Travis Kelce will be a guest star in 'Moonbase 8', which will premiere on the Showtime cable network this Sunday. The new half-hour comedy stars Emmy nominee Fred Armisen (known for 'Portlandia'), Tim Heidecker ('Tim and Eric Awesome Show', 'Great Job!') and Golden Globe and Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly ('Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story') and is described as a workplace comedy. The six-episodic series follows the trio as subpar astronauts living at NASA's Moon Base Simulator with high hopes of being chosen to travel to the moon.
Early press access images show that the first episode has Kelce sitting at a table with Heidecker and Reilly as Armisen and telling them that they have a shortage of water. According to the official synopsis of the first episode, "Stationed at NASA's Moon Base Simulator in Winslow, Arizona, three dedicated astronauts - and one football champion - attempt to qualify for their first lunar mission; faced with a water shortage, the team comes up with an unorthodox solution."
So who is Travis Kelce, the real-life footballer who stars in the space comedy?
American football Tight End for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League is a five-time Pro Bowler and a two-time first-team All-Pro selection. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive seasons with 1,000 yards receiving by a Tight End.
Born and raised in Ohio, he is the younger brother of Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce. This is not his first tryst with television. In January 2016, he starred in the E! Entertainment Television dating show 'Catching Kelce'. The winner picked by Kelce was Maya Benberry, and they started dating after the show ended in April 2016 until their break up shortly afterward. In May 2017, Kelce was confirmed to be in a relationship with internet celebrity Kayla Nicole, but they broke up in 2020.
For his real acting debut though, Kelce plays himself on Showtime comedy. He told People magazine that it was a "dream" to work with Reilly, Armisen and Heidecker. Kelce says the actors even gave him "pointers here and there" during their time together on set. He plays a bossy astronaut character on the show, for which he says the co-stars helped with. "They saw it in me that I was in uncharted territory. I had never been in a scene trying to portray a certain image like that on camera." He added that the role was "a real eye-opener for me".
Created, written and executive produced by Armisen, Heidecker, Reilly and Emmy nominee Jonathan Krisel (known for 'Baskets'), 'Moonbase 8' six episodes teases to be a complete package as it seems to pack a heady dose of mystery and drama. "While working vigorously to complete their training, a series of unexpected circumstances force the astronauts to question their own mental sanity, trust in each other and whether or not they’re cut out for space travel," the official synopsis say.
'Moonbase 8' premieres on Sunday, November 8, 2020, at 11 PM ET/PT.