Double duty.
You’ve likely heard of type-casting, but have you ever heard of an actor being tight-end-casted? That appears to be what’s happening to Laith Wallschleger, who has locked down two roles back-to-back where he’s portraying an NFL tight end. Wallschleger has actually been the highlight of a new show called American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, where the actor plays Hernandez’s New England Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski.
I’ll admit, he’s got the Gronk vibes down pat, and the real Gronkowski has come out and said that Wallschleger is actually his stunt double and they know each other very well:
Rob Gronkowski says the actor playing him in the #AaronHernandez FX show is his stunt double and good friend in real life
"He definitely went over the top … it's hilarious though … He does have the laugh down" pic.twitter.com/yAdeCcrG7M
— Culture Crave 🎃 (@CultureCrave) October 11, 2024
Close your eyes and listen to that… that’s Rob Gronkowski.
Social media has loved all the clips of him coming from the FX show, and now the internet is perplexed because it appears that Laith Wallschleger has secured another TV tight end role. If you remember hearing about Lifetime making a Travis-Kelce-Taylor-Swift-inspired Christmas movie, it’s coming out later this year.
And guess who will be portraying the Kansas City Chiefs tight end? Laith Wallschleger.
Lifetime‘s Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce-inspired holiday movie 'Christmas in the Spotlight'–centering on a pop star who hasn’t found Mr. Right, until she meets a professional football player backstage at one of her shows–has released its first look https://t.co/TRQvqdDWGz pic.twitter.com/ZAp5l40z4C
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) October 15, 2024
To be clear, he’ll be playing a “Travis-Kelce-type.” Wallschleger will actually be playing a character named Drew, while the “Taylor Swift” character he’ll be opposite of will actually be called Bowyn, played by an actress named Jessica Lord. I’m sure Christmas in the Spotlight will be an instant holiday season hit.
Though for the select TV watchers that plan on watching the FX show and the Lifetime movie, it’ll probably be a little weird seeing the same guy play two very different tight ends. But maybe I need to give some credit to Wallschleger and wait and see how he’s able to capture Travis Kelce as a character.
Until then, the internet is just trying to wrap their heads around one person playing Gronk and Kelce:
Wait a second…Fake Gronk is also gonna play Fake Kelce? I’m calling the police https://t.co/aWmbJUEftn pic.twitter.com/wmKGLMfDlg
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 15, 2024
Buddy at the casting meetings pic.twitter.com/u0gtRDOLIO
— VΞRDICT4489 (@Verdict4489) October 16, 2024
Some may say this guy is the greatest fake tight end of all-time
— Colby Guy (@ColbyDGuy) October 15, 2024
In his defense, the dude has Tight End face big time
— 👤 (@tedsnuz) October 16, 2024
The Tony Gonzalez story is next for him
— Marco Polo Ralph Lauren (@nobodyisonthis) October 16, 2024
