Jason Kelce’s Abbott Elementary cameo wasn’t just memorable to Us but also to star Lisa Ann Walter.
“Jason, I will say, out of everybody, was so vocal about being honored to participate in our show because he wanted to be a part of something that helped shine a light on what the public school system was like in Philadelphia,” Walter, 60, exclusively told Us Weekly at Gurus magazine’s #30Voices30Days launch party on Saturday, June 1. “It was so meaningful to him and he was thrilled to be there. And it’s for the kids, so of course [he was] gonna be there. He was lovely.”
Kelce, 36, and his former Philadelphia Eagles teammates Jalen Hurts and Brandon Graham made brief appearances on the Abbott Elementary season 3 premiere, which aired in February. The trio of NFL stars — Kelce ultimately retired in March — were enlisted to help Gary (Bruno Amato) propose to Walter’s Melissa via a Zoom call in the middle of the school day.
“Jalen Hurts was there for the entire time and then the others joined in,” Walter recalled at the Saturday festivities, which was held at the Godfrey Hotel Hollywood, noting that Kelce particularly impressed her. “He’s also a handsome hunk of a man, I don’t mind saying.”
Melissa is a big Eagles supporter, just like Walter herself.
“I’m an NFL fan in real life. I’m truly a fan and I’ve actually become a big fan of the Eagles over the last years,” she gushed to Us, calling Kelce “the real deal” and adding, “It even predates the show.”
At the end of the Abbott scene, Melissa rejected Gary’s proposal, and they broke up even though she appreciated his grand gesture of bringing in the Eagles to assist.
Jason isn’t the only Kelce with acting chops. His younger brother, Travis Kelce, made his Saturday Night Live debut in 2023 and is set to star in Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series Grotesquerie. Walter also wouldn’t mind Travis, 34, stopping by Abbott.
“Any of the Kelces are welcome,” Walter said on Saturday. “The mother [too], all the Kelces, every Kelce!”
The Parent Trap star further pitched Jason and Travis’ mom, Donna Kelce, for a future role.
“She could be a teacher. Let her come in and be a gym teacher,” Walter quipped. “[She could say], ‘You call that blocking? Put your body into it!’”
Abbott Elementary, which has already been renewed for a fourth season, aired its season 3 finale last month. In the final moments, Janine (creator Quinta Brunson) and Gregory (Tyler James Williams) finally got together after a slow-burn romance. Despite leaving Janine’s party early, Gregory ran back and fixed her broken porch light before they shared a steamy kiss.
“Wasn’t it beautiful? It’s nice to bring all the other characters back and then at the end of it, just the sexiest moment,” Walter gushed to Us. “We did not know they had it in them. They were hot.”
She continued, “I asked Quinta that week, ‘Are you going into a rom-com soon?’ And she said, ‘I’m thinking about it’ and then she started talking about writing it and making it. And I was like, ‘No, dummy. Like, are you gonna star in a studio movie romcom and leading lady?’ And she was like, ‘Oh! I don’t know. Maybe.’ It has to happen.”
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
