Josh Andrés Rivera, Aaron Hernandez.Photo:Jon Kopaloff/WireImage; Michael DeHoog/Sports Imagery/ Getty
Jon Kopaloff/WireImage; Michael DeHoog/Sports Imagery/ Getty
Aaron Hernandez’s life story will be told through a new lens.
American Horror Storyco-creatorRyan Murphywill executive produce the television show, which was first announced in August 2021.
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Rivera, 28, will portray a young Hernandez in the new series.
Josh Andrés Rivera.Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
Eric Charbonneau/Shutterstock
Rivera “stole the part," producer Nina Jacobson toldIndieWire.
“He is a grounded, likable, natural, and compelling presence, super-prepared. 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,” she said of theWest Side Storyactor.
The series is based on theBoston Globeand Wondery podcastGladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.
Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tim Tebow.Amy Sussman/Getty; Jeff Zelevansky/Getty
Amy Sussman/Getty; Jeff Zelevansky/Getty
American Sports Story’s first season will take a deep-dive into Hernandez’s life in today’s world and through multiple perspectives.
“I think a lot of people don’t understand the hard work and discipline that Aaron had to become so successful,” his attorney,Jose Baez, told PEOPLE just three days before his death. “He worked very hard to get to where he was, and he overcame a lot of odds to get there.”
Aaron Hernandez.Otto Greule Jr/Getty
Otto Greule Jr/Getty
Former University of Florida classmate Katie Benson Sears reflected onHernandez’s influenceas a college athlete.
“Aaron stood out, even among the football players,” Sears said in 2017. “You’ve got to understand that the Gator football players were gods here. They weren’t just big men on campus; they were known in the community. If they went to restaurants, the owners would want to take their pictures. Kids would come up for autographs.”
“Aaron walked around the campus and the town like he owned it," she added.
WhenAmerican Sports Storywas announced, FX chairman John Landgraf said in a statement that when Murphy, 57, shared the idea, “We immediately jumped at the opportunity.”
Dana Walden, chairman of entertainment at Walt Disney Television, added, “More than a decade ago, Ryan Murphy expressed interest in expanding theAmerican Horror Storymodel to be able to tell differentAmericanstories, 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.”
Another franchise spin-off,American Love Story, will follow the romance ofJohn F. Kennedy Jr.andCarolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
source: people.com
