Aaron Hernandez Cast & Character Guide

The new FX limited series American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez features a strong ensemble cast led by Josh Andrés Rivera as the titular protagonist. Created by Stuart Zicherman, whose previous television credits include The Americans, The Affair, Sweetbitter, and Alaska Daily, American Sports Story re-examines one of the most chilling off-the-field true stories in the history of the National Football League. The series is set up as an anthology, similar to American Horror Story, with each season chronicling a different real-life narrative from the broad world of professional sports. Ryan Murphy is an executive producer on the new TV franchise.

The true story of Aaron Hernandez had previously been chronicled in the 2020 3-part Netflix documentary series Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. American Sports Story will become the first series to tackle the difficult subject matter in a dramatized format for entertainment purposes. American Sports Story season 1 will span a total of 10 episodes with new weekly episodes released every Tuesday from September 17, 2024, until November 12, 2024. Hernandez played college football for the prestigious University of Florida and helped legendary quarterback Tim Tebow win the National College Championship in 2009 before playing three seasons in the NFL for the 6-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots from 2010 to 2012.

Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez

Actor: Josh Andrés Rivera, 29, is best known for starring as Chino in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 Oscar-nominated remake of West Side Story, which was remarkably his feature film debut. Rivera has a background and education in musical theater and stage performance and was part of the original cast during the first national tour of Hamilton. Rivera then starred in the 2023 psychological thriller Cat Person before starring in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Rivera has appeared in two major Hollywood blockbusters with Rachel Zegler, who he has been dating since 2021. He will be making his television debut in American Sports Story.

Notable Films/TV Shows:

Character: Rivera will portray the titular protagonist Aaron Hernandez in American Sports Story.

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow

Actor: Patrick Schwarzenegger, 30, is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. He made his first appearance on film in the 2006 comedy The Benchwarmers at the age of 10. Schwarzenegger has also appeared in Grown Ups 2 (2013), Moxie (2021), The Staircase (2022), The Terminal List (2022), and Gen V as Golden Boy. He is also a member of the Kennedy family and graduated from USC. Schwarzenegger also recently appeared as himself in an episode of Shark Tank and has been in the recent movies Warning (2021) and Stowaway (2022). He is set to join the cast in HBO’s celebrated series The White Lotus season 3.

Notable Films/TV Shows:

Character: Schwarzenegger will portray Heisman winner and former Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow in American Sports Story.

Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick

Actor: Norbert Leo Butz, 57, is a widely accomplished screen and stage actor who has starred in dozens of films and television series. He has starred in many notable recent Hulu series such as Justified: City Primeval and The Girl from Plainville. He has a recurring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Bloodline as Kevin Rayburn as part of an exceptional ensemble cast. Some of his most recognizable performances in movies include Dan in Real Life, Fair Game, Give or Take, and Disconnect. Butz rose to prominence as Roger in the 1997 Broadway version of Rent, replacing Adam Pascal. He won a Tony Award for his lead role in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Notable Films/TV Shows:

Character:​​​​​​​ Butz will portray former New England Patriots head coach and 8-time Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick in American Sports Story. ​​​​​​​

Thomas Sadoski as Brian Murphy

Actor: Sadoski, 48, is best known for his role as Don Keefer in the HBO series The Newsroom. He made his professional debut on Broadway in Kenneth Lonergan’s stage play This Is Our Youth. Since then, he has performed in several plays, the most recent of which was 2022’s Wedding Band. Sadoski also has a wide range of credits in film and television, his most notable being the CBS sitcom Life in Pieces, Reese Witherspoon’s road movie Wild (2014), and Keanu Reeves’ popular action flick John Wick (2014). Sadoski has also appeared in The Crowded Room, The Slap, and Devotion, and will appear in Jon Goldfarb’s upcoming film Lilly.

Notable Films/TV Shows:

Character: Sadoski will portray Aaron Hernandez’s former sports agent Brian Murphy in American Sports Story. ​​​​​​​

American Sports Story’s Supporting Cast & Characters

Tammy Blanchard as Terri Hernandez: Blanchard will portray Terri Hernandez in American Sports Story, the mother of Aaron Hernandez. Blanchard’s most notable credits include Into the Woods, The Invitation, and The Good Shepherd.

Ean Castellanos as DJ Hernandez: Castellanos will portray DJ Hernandez in American Sports Story, the brother of Aaron Hernandez. Castellanos’ most notable credits include Tommy, High Maintenance, and Arcadia.

Lindsay Mendez as Tanya Singleton: Mendez will portray Tanya Singelton in American Sports Story, a cousin of Aaron Hernandez. Mendez’s most notable credits include Modern Family, Station 19, and The Grotto.

Jaylen Barron as Shayanna Jenkins: Barron will portray Shayanna Jenkins in American Sports Story, the fiancé of Aaron Hernandez. Barron’s most notable credits include Shameless, Blindspotting, and Good Luck Charlie.

Tony Yazbeck as Urban Meyer: Yazbeck will portray Urban Meyer in American Sports Story, a prolific college head coach who coached the Florida Gators between 2005 and 2010 and has been the head coach of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars since 2021. Yazbeck’s most notable credits include Billions, The Good Fight, and Smash.

Jerry Levine as Robert Kraft: Levine will portray billionaire Robert Kraft in American Sports Story, the owner of the New England Patriots since 1994. Levine’s most notable credits include Born on the Fourth of July, Teen Woif, and K-9.

Ross Jirgl as Tom Brady: Jirgl will portray Tom Brady in American Sports Story, the greatest NFL quarterback of all time who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles. Jirgl’s most notable credits include Butch vs. Sundance and My One True Love.

Laith Wallschleger as Rob Gronkowski: Wallschleger will portray Rob Gronkowski in American Sports Story, one of the greatest NFL tight ends of all time who played for the New England Patriots from 2010 to 2018. Wallschleger’s most notable credits include Operation Dragon and 9-1-1.

Jonathan Walker as Roger Goodell: Walker will portray NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in American Sports Story, who has been the head of the NFL since 2006. Walker’s most notable credits include Michael Clayton, Bridge of Spies, and Man on a Ledge.

Brett Tomberlin as Wes Welker: Tomberlin will portray Wes Welker in American Sports Story, a wide receiver for the New England Patriots from 2007 to 2012. Tomberlin’s most notable credits include American Hero and Kill File.

Phede Celestin as Vince Wilfork: Celestin will portray Vince Wilfork in American Sports Story, a former NFL defensive tackle who played for the New England Patriots from 2004 to 2014. Celestin’s most notable credits include From the Outside.

​​​​​​​J. Alex Brinson as Odin Lloyd: Brinson will portray Odin Lloyd in American Sports Story, who was murdered by Aaron Hernandez in 2013 in Massachusetts. Brinson’s notable credits in Travelers and All Rise.

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American Sports Story Trailer

The new trailer has been released for the FX series American Sports story, which will tell the true crime story of football player Aaron Hernandez.