Ryan Murphy’s ‘American Sports Story’ Casts Josh Andrés Rivera As Aaron Hernandez

By Michael Haskoor @Tweetskoor
Published Nov. 4, 2023, 11:08 a.m. ET

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Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes star Josh Andrés Rivera has been cast as the late NFL star and convicted murderer Aaron Hernandez in Ryan Murphy‘s new FX anthology series American Sports Story.

The upcoming series, which was first announced in August 2021, will be executive produced by Murphy.

According to producer Nina Jacobson, Rivera “stole the part.”

“He is a grounded, likable, natural, and compelling presence, super-prepared,” she told IndieWire. “I was thrilled once they brought in a bunch of people, and let Josh rise to the top, which I knew he would. And we had him all tatted out. He was trained to be huge and muscular; he loved lifting weights.”

The series is based on the Boston Globe and Wondery podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.

Hernandez, who had a troubled childhood, achieved success as a tight end for the New England Patriots. Tim Tebow, who knew Hernandez throughout their time together at the University of Florida, will be played by Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Season 1 of American Sports Story will explore Hernandez’s life in today’s world and through multiple perspectives.

He was convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd in 2013 after also being indicted but acquitted in 2017 for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in 2012. The 27-year-old pro athlete committed suicide on April 19, 2017 while in prison.

When American Sports Story was announced, FX chairman John Landgraf said in a statement that the network “immediately jumped at the opportunity” when Murphy first shared the idea.

Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, added, “More than a decade ago, Ryan Murphy expressed interest in expanding the American Horror Story model to be able to tell different American stories, which have long captivated so many of us. It was a brilliant idea. Adding these new installments to the franchise will enable Ryan, Brad [Falchuk], Nina [Jacobson] and Brad [Simpson] and their talented teams to tackle riveting stories outside of the horror and crime genres.”