The key player inAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandezis, of course, the titular one, so casting Hernandez correctly was critically important as it is his character who is the focal point for the true-crime series.Aaron Hernandez was a former NFL football playerfor the New England Patriots,who played for three seasons on the team up until he was arrested and convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 and died by suicide in his cell in 2017.
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandeztells his story. The series is thelatest installment within theAmerican Storymedia franchise, which also includesAmerican Horror StoryandAmerican Crime Story.American Sports Storypremiered on September 17 and will continue to air episodes weekly on Tuesdays up through November 12. TheAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandezcastincludes a number of key actors playing real people, and the debut of the actor who plays Hernandez is impressive.
Josh Andrés Rivera Plays Aaron Hernandez In American Sports Story
A Younger Actor Also Plays A Young Version Of Hernandez
Aaron Hernandez is played by Josh Andrés Rivera inAmerican Sports Story. Rivera himself is 29 years old, making him slightly older throughout the events depicted than the real-life Hernandez, who died at age 27. Rivera plays Hernandez from the time when he was early in his football career to the time of his criminal behavior, but his boyish looks help him to play younger, adding to the realism of his portrayal of the infamous tight end, no matter where he was in his life.
Aaron Hernandez’s Odin Lloyd Murder Trial Timeline: Arrest, Conviction, & Death
FX/Hulu’s new series American Sports Story will dive into the troubling murder of Odin Lloyd at the hands of former NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez.
While Rivera plays Hernandez throughout the majority of the series, he is not the only actor to play the former football player. The first episode ofAmerican Sports Storyshows Hernandez growing up, and includes a younger version of Hernandez.Young Aaron is played by actor Leyson Andreck, whose other credits includeThe Cleaning LadyandTrail of Ashes.
What Movies & TV Shows You Recognize Josh Andrés Rivera From
As for Rivera, the star is an up-and-coming actor who only has a few credits to his name. He had his breakout role playing Chino in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation ofWest Side Story. After that, he played Dave in the psychological romance thrillerCat Person, as well as a character named Ramiro in one episode of the TV seriesSugar Baby. Prior toAmerican Sports Story, Rivera’s most recent role was asSejanus Plinth inThe Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.Playing his first lead role,American Sports Storymay help catapult Rivera’s career forward.
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American Sports Story
Cast
American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.
