Hunter King Says Holiday Touchdown Has “Easter Eggs” For Swifties

Hunter King knows that Swifties will be watching her latest project, Hallmark’s Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story. While the film isn’t a replica of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s IRL love story, there are plenty of ties to the real-life couple: Donna Kelce has a part in the film, some of Travis’ teammates are featured, and Chiefs coach Andy Reid makes a cameo, too. Plus, the 31-year-old actor, who is the older sister of fellow actor Joey King, thinks some of the plot points could be related to the Tayvis lore.

The Christmas rom-com, out Nov. 30, follows the relationship between longtime Chiefs fan Alana and Derrick, the team’s newbie director for fan engagement. The duo connect over Alana’s bid to win the Fan of the Year Award to honor her family’s legacy. Plus, there’s a magic Santa hat and a cat dressed like Patrick Mahomes to keep things interesting.

Fate plays a big role in the movie, so much so that you could say an invisible string connects Alana and Derrick (played by Tyler Hynes). According to King, the focus on kismet may or may not be a nod to Taylor and Travis. “Everyone at Hallmark paid attention to every single little detail. Nothing is by accident. Everything was so thought-out and curated,” the Los Angeles native says. “It was perfectly planned.”

At another point in the film, the camera zooms in on Alana and Derrick’s first time holding hands. For Swift fans, this might seem reminiscent of the media frenzy surrounding Taylor and Travis’ handholding — and as a self-proclaimed Swiftie, King sees the vision. “If you’re a Swiftie, you’re so used to being on the lookout for hidden Easter eggs in all aspects of life,” she says. “Maybe that played into me looking at things with a different lens, like, ‘Was that a reference to Taylor, or is it just me?’” In true Swiftie fashion, King sees it as a bonding opportunity. “I hope that Taylor Swift fans watching the movie feel like I was in on it with them. Even if it wasn’t intentional from the writers, I see it.”

Even before she got cast in the project, King was keeping tabs on Taylor and Travis’ romance. “I feel like I’m with the rest of the world right now, just rooting for them,” she says. “I love the love they have for each other, and I love that whenever I get to watch football with my fiancé now I get to see little clips of Taylor.”

As a longtime fan of Swift’s music, King went to the Eras Tour twice, once in Kansas City, so working on the movie felt very full circle. “Her Kansas City show was almost one year to the day of when we started filming,” she says. “It was so surreal going from seeing the stadium filled with her fans to seeing it filled with Chiefs fans when we filmed at Arrowhead at the opening day game.”

That was only one highlight of working on the film. The celeb appearances were another. “You don’t know what to expect with a cameo, but they were all so talented and so prepared,” she says. “I would get lost watching them, especially Donna. I’m just in awe.”

King’s favorite Mama Kelce moment? “I love when she had her 87 jersey on. It’s signed by Travis. She’s such a proud mom,” she says. “People watching are going to eat it up. You can feel her joy and excitement through the screen. I’m so excited for fans to see her shine in this.”

Here, King discusses her go-to comfort shows, her favorite holiday tradition, and her prediction for her top artist on Spotify Wrapped.

Elite Daily: What are you watching right now?

Hunter King: I’m a big Survivor fan. My fiancé and I never miss an episode. We’re also really big into Shrinking right now. It’s so heartfelt. It makes me feel so warm and happy.

ED: What is your comfort movie?

HK: I just got into Harry Potter. I don’t know what was wrong with me all the years before this, but finally, at 31, I can say I’m a Harry Potter fan. Now I’m telling my fiancé that we have to watch them all during Christmas.

ED: Do you have a favorite sport?

HK: Football. Hands down.

ED: Do you have a favorite NFL team?

HK: I know this sounds like a fake answer, but now I really am a Chiefs fan. I don’t know how you could experience all that we did and not become a Chiefs fan.

ED: Do you have a favorite holiday tradition?

HK: Spending time with my family. I love getting to cook with my grandma. My mom usually will make a big batch of fried matzah. I love being in the kitchen with them for hours.

ED: Who do you think will be your top artist on Spotify Wrapped?

HK: Taylor Swift.

ED: What’s the last thing you Googled?

HK: I play Connections, Wordle, and Strands every day. A lot of times I don’t know what certain words are on Connections, so I Googled one of them.

ED: What’s your favorite way to de-stress?

HK: There are few things in life I love more than sleeping.

ED: What’s your best hot take?

HK: My hot take is that the Christmas tree Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups taste way better than any of the other ones. Clearly, they’re better than the regular ones, but they’re also better than the pumpkins or the Easter eggs or anything.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.