Starring in a holiday film inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s romance is no small feat — and Christmas in the Spotlight stars Jessica Lord and Laith Wallschleger made sure they were up for the challenge.
“I watched the Eras Tour, like, so many times to get into that pop star spirit,” Lord, 26, exclusively told Us Weekly. “And I just have such a high level of respect for Taylor as an artist, as a person in the industry, the way that her dedication to her craft and her fans and her nonprofit work. Like, I can really see why we all are so passionate about her and her music.”
Lord portrays Bowyn Sykes in the Lifetime film, the world’s biggest pop singer who is gearing up to release her Christmas breakup banger. Despite her career thriving more than ever before, her recent breakup — and genuinely terrible ex-boyfriend — has her battling rumors and slander about her personal life.
Wallschleger, 32, plays Drew Bonville, a wide receiver for the (fictional) NFL Bombers who has a history of being both lovable and a total party animal. The two cross paths when Drew takes his niece to one of Bowyn’s concerts, and sparks begin to fly — but their relationship is put to the test under the spotlight of public scrutiny.
If that all sounds familiar, it should; the story is inspired by Swift and Kelce’s real-life romance, which began in a similar fashion in summer 2023 and has been a global sensation ever since. While Lord and Wallschleger aren’t playing Swift and Kelce exactly in the movie, it’s impossible not to see the similarities — and both actors understood the responsibility that came with being likened to two American treasures.
“I went to see [Swift] live when I was younger. I was obsessed with [her songs] ‘Love Story’ and ‘Our Song,’” Lord told Us. “I have some core memories with my girls when I was younger to those songs. So it’s kind of nostalgic and a full circle moment to even be part of a project like this.”
Wallschleger, meanwhile, praised Swift for what she’s done for burgeoning artists over the years.
“One thing I love about Taylor Swift, and I’ve seen this on a few occasions, she really steps up for other ladies in the music industry,” he told Us. “When they’re going through a tough time and she’s got their back when maybe nobody else is showing up for them. So I really respect that a lot.”
The film itself works hard to highlight that aspect of Swift’s legacy through the portrayal of Bowyn, ensuring the character is seen as a strong business woman who is in control of her own life.
“I think that’s a huge part of who [Bowyn] is,” Lord explained. “I think that it was important to show that she does call the shots. She is in, constant business chat with her manager. And that’s really what her life is.”
Lord credits Bowyn’s career driven attitude toward her estranged relationship with her parents in the movie — a plot point that steers away from Swift’s own close bond with her family.
“I think because of that family background, it’s forced [Bowyn] into being her own boss and taking the lead, being this strong woman that’s very independent and career driven,” Lord said. “Because that is really where all of her energy goes. … For me personally, I’m really close with my family and I make so much time for them, and when she doesn’t have that time, she can put it all into herself.”
Enter Drew, who becomes a “refreshing, lighthearted” — and certainly unexpected addition — to Bowyn’s life. Someone, Lord said, that’s able to bring the “fun” she’s been missing back into her world.
“She admits to Drew that she has been losing that joy a little bit,” Lorde explained, “and I think that him really bringing that back for her just allows her to fall in love, not only with Drew, but with the passion for what she does again.”
Fans would agree that dynamic parallels what Kelce has brought to Swift’s life, as well. Christmas in the Spotlight is filled with those type of nods to the couple, from recreating milestones in their romance to working Swift song titles into the dialogue.
“The writer of this movie, [Eirene Tran Donohue], is a huge fan of Taylor Swift,” Wallschleger told Us. “So for those Swifties out there, she left little Easter eggs within the script that was a little nod to them.”
There are plenty of tributes to Kelce in the film, too. Drew is not only an all-star football player (albeit not a tight end and not on the Kansas City Chiefs), he’s sharing the NFL space with his brother and has a close relationship with his Midwestern family — particularly his mom and niece.
Lord and Wallschleger, for their parts, are slightly less well-versed in Kelce’s legacy than they are of Swift’s. Lord, being from the U.K., confessed she really doesn’t “know much” about football. And while Wallschleger’s brother-in-law is a “huge Chiefs fan,” he’s yet to attend a game. “They have season tickets, so I’m gonna have to fly my butt out there and go with them one day,” he quipped.
As for Swift and Kelce’s romance, the pair were really only aware of the couple from a periphery.
“I mean, I watch a lot of football just because I’m a fan and I always see [Taylor] at the games, you know, she was at the Super Bowl and you kind of see their dynamic a little bit. But I didn’t have any idea what their story was of the early beginnings because that was kind of, like, shrouded in mystery.” (Editor’s note: We didn’t tell Wallschleger that he actually quoted a Swift lyric here, but it’s worth noting!)
While the actors may not be die-hard Swifties crowning members of Chiefs Kingdom, having space from Kelce and Swift actually worked in their favor. While Lord and Wallschleger were aware of the film’s inspiration when taking on their roles, they were also set on creating something new.
“I felt like with our movie we had an opportunity to kind of create our own path and, and discover what that could be.” Wallschleger said. “I feel like in general we made it our own. We especially tried to put ourselves into the character as well. Like, Jessica and Laith into Drew and Bow. So I think we mostly were just focused on Bowyn and Drew’s story as we were filming and every day on the way to set, we were going through our lines, making sure we were on the same page.”
Despite wanting to make their own mark on the character, it’s impossible not to see the parallels between the two couples; what makes Bowyn and Drew so great together is similar to why Kelce and Swift are so beloved.
“I think the foundation of every really great relationship is you have to be best friends, and you have to be able to play with one another,” Wallschleger noted. “We’re just people at the end of the day. So when [Bowyn and Drew] get to escape together and kind of just be who they are, they can be stupid and playful.”
Lord echoed Wallschleger’s sentiments, adding that Drew provides a “sense of normality” that Bowyn typically “never gets to experience.”
“It’s comfortable, it’s vulnerable,” she said. “Honestly, the keyword for me with Bowyn and Drew is, like, refreshing; it’s authentic. And I think in a world of that high level of fame, it’s really hard to find people and things and anything like that.”
There are two very famous people who probably couldn’t agree more.
Christmas in the Spotlight premieres on Lifetime Saturday, November 23, at 8 p.m. ET.
