Ryan Murphy Eager to Collaborate with Taylor Swift: “I Would Do It in a Heartbeat”

Credit: Unsplash

Acclaimed television creator Ryan Murphy, known for his hit shows American Horror Story and Glee, has revealed that he has been trying to collaborate with global superstar Taylor Swift for years. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Murphy opened up about his longstanding desire to work with Swift, while also discussing his latest project, Grotesquerie, which stars Swift’s NFL star boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

“I’ve talked to Taylor’s people about various things through the years, and all I will say is that I think she’s great, and if she ever has time to do it, I would do it in a heartbeat,” Murphy shared. “I think she’s one of the greats.”

Although Swift has not yet worked with Murphy, the pair seems to be a perfect fit given her history of television and film appearances, including cameos on New Girl and CSI, and roles in Valentine’s Day, Cats, and Amsterdam. Fans of both Swift and Murphy’s work have long speculated about what a collaboration between the two creative powerhouses could look like, and Murphy’s public admiration for the pop icon has only fueled that excitement.

Murphy also touched on his experience working with Kelce, who makes his acting debut in Grotesquerie. Kelce plays Eddie Laclan, an orderly in a hospital that houses Det. Lois Tryon’s (Niecy Nash-Betts) comatose husband. “I always knew Travis could do it,” Murphy said. “A star is a star is a star. He rolled up his sleeves and said, ‘OK, let’s do this.’”

As for the highly-publicized relationship between Swift and Kelce, Murphy admits that he was too shy to bring up Swift while on set but noted Kelce’s grace and respect regarding the subject. “They are a pop-culture phenomenon. It’s a very interesting dynamic, the way they’ve captured the imagination of the world.”

Murphy even slipped a fun Easter egg into Grotesquerie as a nod to Swift, noting a scene in episode 3 where Kelce and Nash-Betts hop into a red getaway car, an intentional reference to Swift’s album Red and her song “Getaway Car.”

Though no project with Swift has materialized yet, the door seems wide open for a future collaboration. Fans will have to wait and see if Murphy and Swift eventually bring their creative forces together, but as Murphy made clear, he’s ready whenever Swift is.