How Travis Kelce's Mom Made Her Unlikely Leap to Christmas Movie Stardom

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Donna Kelce is trading touchdowns for twinkle lights.

The 72-year-old matriarch of NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce has officially stepped into the world of acting with not one, but two Hallmark Christmas movies: Christmas on Call and Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

Donna Kelce
Donna Kelce and son Jason Kelce cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fast forward to November, Donna swapped gridiron for... Rob Carr/Getty Images

"It was so awesome," Donna told People at Arrowhead Stadium during a Chiefs game on Friday, November 29. "There were so many fantastic veterans of Hallmark movies, and I just had a blast learning from all of them."

In Holiday Touchdown, set in Kansas City, Donna plays a barbecue restaurant manager who doles out advice to the movie's lead couple — played by Hallmark favorites Hunter King and Tyler Hynes. The film was partially shot at Arrowhead Stadium, a place the leading lady of the Kelce clan has called her second home for over a decade.

"It's so much fun for them to be doing the movie in Kansas City for the first time and being in the stadium that I've been here for the past 11 years," Donna explained. "So it was just really fun."


Just days after filming wrapped, King, 31, was quick to praise her co-star, telling People, "She's just so sweet," adding, "Such a doll and just, it was like having a mom there."

Hynes, 38, agreed with King, pointing out how Donna made everyone feel at home. "She asked us to write her son Travis a note to put in his locker since we were filming at the actual stadium," he revealed. "I wrote the lyrics to 'Friends in Low Places' and said, 'Don't ever change.'" The Young and the Restless star chimed in, "I think I wrote something like, 'Thanks for letting us steal your field and your mom.'"

Donna's grandkids were just as thrilled about her on-screen debut in Christmas on Call. "[They] kept saying, 'Play it back, play it back! We want to see DeeDee!'" she shared. "So that was kind of fun." The proud football mom and her ex-husband Ed Kelce have three grandkids — Jason, 37, and his wife Kylie's daughters, Wyatt, 5, Elliotte, 3, and Bennett, 1. (Jason and Kylie, 32, are expecting their fourth child, another baby girl, next year.)

Catch Donna in Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story, premiering Saturday, November 30, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel.

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