From a podcast to a number of documentaries, the rise and fall of the as soon as revered NFL star Aaron Hernandez is actually nicely documented. An FX restricted sequence is newest to rehash the saga, trying to transcend the headlines and dig deeper into his story.
“American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez” stars Josh Andrés Rivera because the New England Patriots tight finish. It particulars Hernandez’s troubled childhood with an abusive father who demanded his son play soccer and undertaking masculinity and toughness to the world. Secretly, Hernandez additionally struggled along with his sexuality.
He performed faculty ball on the College of Florida and was drafted by the Patriots. Over time, the sequence exhibits how Hernandez’s habits grew more and more erratic. He was convicted of homicide and died by suicide in 2017 whereas serving a life sentence. After his loss of life, analysis confirmed Hernandez’s mind confirmed proof of power traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
“What we tried to do with this present — is take a tabloid headline, take some story that you simply suppose you already know about Aaron Hernandez … and go behind it and see what it’s wish to stroll within the sneakers of all of the people who find themselves a part of this,” stated Brad Simpson, one of many sequence’ govt producers, in an interview.
Hernandez’s life, crimes and loss of life have been detailed earlier than in long-form writing, documentaries together with Netflix’s “Killer Inside: The Thoughts of Aaron Hernandez,” and the podcast “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Soccer Inc.,” which is the premise for “American Sports activities Story.”
Rivera, recognized for his supporting roles within the latest “Starvation Video games” prequel and 2021’s “West Facet Story,” stated taking part in the previous tight finish was a “duty that it’s a must to method with a sure degree of sensitivity.”
As soon as he began studying extra about Hernandez’s life, diving into recordings of cellphone calls he made out of jail and watching clips from his interviews, Rivera stated he started to see the layered intricacy of Hernandez’s life. And he solely turned extra desirous to play him.
“To lots of people, he was very charming and really charismatic and simple to get together with. There weren’t a small quantity of people that felt that approach, in order that was attention-grabbing as a result of it’s a must to dissect the ‘why,’” Rivera stated. “There’s clearly a magnetism there, disguising an inside life that’s very advanced.”
Rivera stated he loved the problem of that character work, calling Hernandez “a chameleon.”
“There was variations on the quantity of tenderness and even the frankness, or the quantity of swagger he would use from individual to individual, so I attempted to include that to a core essence,” he stated.
Reworking into Hernandez was additionally a bodily dedication for Rivera, who described moving into NFL form as “meathead summer season,” the place he elevated his meals consumption and labored with trainers to construct muscle. The toughest half, although, of the transformation for Rivera, was getting inked up.
His mobility was typically restricted when filming to protect the tattoos, which he stated he initially discovered irritating, however in the end, the “oppressive feeling” of not with the ability to transfer freely was one thing he channeled into his character’s frustration.
Rivera stars alongside Jaylen Barron as Hernandez’s highschool sweetheart and later fiancé, Shayanna Jenkins, Lindsay Mendez as his cousin, Ean Castellanos as his brother and Tammy Blanchard as his mom. Patrick Schwarzenegger performs Hernandez’s faculty teammate Tim Tebow, Tony Yazbeck performs former Florida coach City Meyer and Norbert Leo Butz performs former Patriots coach Invoice Belichick.
With the primary sports-focused season of the “American Story” franchise, producers stated they’re enthusiastic about dissecting the “American faith of soccer.” In addition they hope viewers query the preconceptions they’d about individuals concerned in tales that captured the nation, like that of Hernandez.
“We are able to use this story to problem sure views or to simply add a little bit little bit of nuance for individuals who perhaps don’t know a lot about it or have a hard and fast mindset about it,” Rivera stated. “It’s an attention-grabbing alternative.”
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