The actor who went viral for his spot-on Rob Gronkowski portrayal on the new Aaron Hernandez drama is hoping to strike gold again with his upcoming role as Travis Kelce ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to win over the Swifties!!
Laith Wallschleger became an overnight sensation after his scenes as the legendary New England Patriots tight end premiered on "American Sports Story" ... with fans pointing to his perfect impression of Gronk's signature laugh.
As it turns out, Laith has had a while to study the subject ... 'cause he's actually been pretty tight with Gronk over the years -- even partying with the four-time Super Bowl champ on countless occasions.
Wallschleger said it's been a "complete whirlwind" since the show aired ... and he's proud to be the comic relief for such a dark project.
As for what's next, Wallschleger -- who has also been a stand-in and stunt double for other NFLers like the Watt Brothers and Zach Ertz in the past -- is now focused on his upcoming Lifetime movie "Christmas in the Spotlight," which is about a pop superstar and football player falling in love (sound familiar??).
The project clearly took inspiration from Taylor Swift and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end's romance ... and Wallschleger -- a former football player himself -- wants all the Grammy winner's fans to appreciate what he brings to the table.
We also chopped it up with Wallschleger about another interesting gig he had recently -- being a model for Depends -- and he explained why it was something that actually meant a lot to him.