Actor Josh Rivera, who plays disgraced NFL star Aaron Hernandez in FX’s new biopic History of American Sports, tell Newsweek that contacting someone from the New England Patriots franchise or the late tight end’s family in anticipation of the controversial role may have “complicated” things.
Ahead of the premiere of the first two episodes of Ryan Murphy’s drama on Tuesday, Rivera, 29, said Newsweek that he had limited knowledge of Hernandez’s fall from grace before accepting the role in the series, which “charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez and explores the various aspects of his identity, family, career, suicide and their legacy in sports and American culture.”
When asked if the West Side Story A former student reached out to anyone who knew Hernandez personally or professionally, and Rivera responded, “I didn’t have that resource.”
“I also felt like there were elements that could have made it a little more complicated, because when you already have advisors and consultants for a story that’s that complicated, it’s almost like you have people involved in the game who want it to be presented in a certain way,” he continued.
FX/Getty Images
“It was kind of nice not really having the opportunity to do that, because it allowed me to take all the information that I had and try to shape it the way I saw it,” Rivera explained, admitting that he was initially “very nervous” about taking on such a scrutinized character.
“I looked at it as objectively as I could. I didn’t really know a lot about it going into it, so it was the first time I was seeing a lot of this information, which I think was helpful to have that experience in isolation, without the input of people who are really passionate about this topic.”
Rivera continued: “The way I look at it is, I’ve been given all this information and I’ve learned about this person, and my job is just to do my best to tell that story. That’s kind of the beginning and the end of it for me. I just hope people understand that I did the best I could.”
Aaron Hernandez Story
Hernandez was one of the most promising tight ends, forming one of the most dangerous tandems in NFL history with Rob Gronkowski, who caught passes from the legendary Tom Brady on the Patriots. But his football career came to an abrupt and shocking end in 2013 when he was arrested and charged with the murder of his former friend Odin Lloyd, who may have known Hernandez’s dark secret: he was attracted to men. After his arrest, the Patriots released Hernandez from the team.
In 2015, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Two years later, Hernandez was acquitted of double homicide charges related to a 2012 case, but days later he was found dead in his jail cell, having committed suicide.
Hernandez was implicated in the July 2012 murders of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado, who were shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Boston. Hernandez was eventually charged with the murders in 2014, but he was acquitted in April 2017, days before his death. Prosecutors argued that Hernandez shot the men after one of them accidentally spilled a drink on him at a nightclub.
Social Media and Aaron Hernandez
Social media was not as prevalent as it is today when Hernandez committed his crimes. There was simply no mention of social media in the full preview screenings of American Sports History provided to Newsweek.
When asked how the footballer’s life might have been different in the age of social media, Rivera speculated: “I would imagine he probably would have been suspended a little bit more often from college and professional games.”
“People might have been a lot less shocked and confused by the whole thing if there had been more people around the whole time to record the facts,” he continued. “I think that’s a big part of what made the story so complex: no one seemed to suspect that something like this was possible, much less probable.”
“Judging by the impulsiveness of the character, I don’t know if it would have changed his actions much, but I think the public perception of it all might have been a little different,” Rivera concluded.
Similarities with Aaron Hernandez
“We both smile a lot. I realized early on that I used smiling as a kind of defense mechanism. That’s about it,” Rivera smiled, adding that he channeled “a real childlike side” in his portrayal of Hernandez.
New episodes of American Sports History: Aaron Hernandez airs on FX at 10 p.m. every Tuesday until the season finale on November 12. Episodes can also be streamed on Hulu.
Do you have a story? Newsweek Have questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
