‘American Sports Story’ Stars Josh Rivera and Patrick Schwarzenegger Break Down Their Larger-Than-Life Take on Aaron Hernandez and Tim Tebow

September 24, 2024 @ 8:05 PM

When Patrick Schwarzenegger was cast on “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,” he felt more excitement than trepidation. That may be surprising considering Schwarzenegger plays one of the most publicized and divisive figures in modern football, Tim Tebow.

“Any sort of nervousness or fear [I felt] would probably be from my friends who are all football fans and how they’ll critique it,” Schwarzenegger told TheWrap. “I was super excited to get to be part of this, to work with such amazing other actors and showrunners and producers like Ryan Murphy and to play a character like Tebow, whom I’m a huge fan of.”

Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez played football together for the University of Florida. According to the New York Post, at one point coach Urban Meyer wanted to kick Hernandez off the team for his marijuana use but Tebow changed his mind. The two developed a friendship of sorts, which is depicted in “Pray the Gay Away,” the third episode of “American Sports Story.”

Schwarzenegger emphasized that his character is only a “sliver” of Hernandez’s larger life. “I actually didn’t have any conversations with Tim about his relationship with Aaron or anything like that,” Schwarzenegger said. However, the actor used what he knew about Tebow as person to construct his portrayal of the football icon and his relationship with Josh Rivera’s Hernandez.

“For everything that I know about Tim and the kind of person he was, that’s what he would have done. He would have tried to be a light in anyone’s life, no matter how troubled or not they were. Ultimately, he’s a very selfless individual and always trying to do what’s best for the team and what’s best for everybody,” Schwarzenegger said.

Of course, Schwarzenegger is far from the only actor in this FX series to grapple with a difficult portrayal of a real life player. One of the most complicated aspects of the Hernandez case has always been the late Hernandez himself. Though he was portrayed as a delinquent and a criminal by the media, there was a duality to the athlete who was often described by friends as “easygoing,” “sweet” and even “goofy.” To channel these different facets of Hernandez’s personality, Rivera looked for “triggers” that would change the mood and disposition of his character.

“I tried to find anchors using that information, but then I had a core essence that I would I would switch from,” Rivera told TheWrap.

There was also a physical toll that came with playing the complicated role. For roughly three months during pre-production, Rivera worked with his personal trainer, Brian Kane. “I was just eating tons and working out every day. The phrase I’ve been using is ‘meathead summer,’” Rivera said.

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow, Josh Rivera as Aaron Hernandez in “American Sports Story” (Photo Credit: FX)

Nailing Hernandez’s physique also meant committing to his many tattoos. The team had a whole tattoo timeline for Hernandez to ensure the series was as accurate as possible. “It was quite an undertaking, the whole entire process,” Rivera said. “I had to be there three hours earlier than everybody else. Every time it was a sweater day, I would get so excited. They’d be like, ‘Aaron’s wearing a sweater today.’ I’d be like, ‘That’s awesome. No sleeves.’”

Then there was the football itself. Nailing these scenes was crucial as Hernandez’s stellar performance on the field is what led to his celebrity. To actually film the football scenes, FX worked with a company called Game Changing Films, which hires players who are in-between teams or former professionals for football scenes. Though Rivera has played as a guard and a linebacker before, he had to learn how to be a tight end for “American Sports Story.”

“They taught me a lot about how to play and how to look natural. And I obviously had great doubles too to make me look cool,” Rivera added.

“American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX and streams the next day on Hulu.