Aaron Hernandez FX Show Cast, Side by Side with Real People

The turbulent rise and fall of former football star Aaron Hernandez made him one of the most notorious NFL players in history.

Hernandez’s journey from a turbulent childhood to football stardom and his astonishing murder conviction are dramatized in the new series “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,” premiering on FX and streaming on Hulu on September 17.

The 10-part series detailing Hernandez’s fall from grace is based on the podcast “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.” from The Boston Globe and Wondery.

It features actors portraying legendary football figures such as Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer and Bill Belichick, as well as Hernandez and his family members.

Below you can see the cast and the real-life characters they portray in the film.

Josh Andres Rivera as Aaron Hernandez

Josh Andrés Rivera, 29, made a splash in his acting debut in 2021 as Chino in Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” He also appeared in last year’s “Hunger Games” prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.”

In “American Sports Story,” Rivera appears to have bulked up for the role of Hernandez, who was a star tight end for the University of Florida and then for three seasons for the New England Patriots. Hernandez was listed as 6’1″ and 250 pounds during his playing career.

Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in 2015. Two years later, he committed suicide in prison.

Jaylen Barron as Shayanna Jenkins

Jaylen Barron, 26, is best known for her role as Dominique Winslow in the Showtime series “Shameless,” which she played in 2016. She has also starred in the Netflix series “Free Rein” and most recently in the Starz series “Blindspotting.”

Barron plays Shayanna Jenkins, who was engaged to Hernandez when he was convicted of murdering Odin Lloyd, who was dating Jenkins’ sister.

Ean Castellanos as DJ Hernandez

Ean Castellanos has appeared in the series “Tommy,” “High Maintenance,” and “Arcadia.”

He will play Aaron Hernandez’s older brother, Dennis “DJ” Hernandez, a former football player himself who played at the University of Connecticut in the mid-2000s. The elder Hernandez has also run into legal trouble in the years since his brother’s death.

Thomas Sadoski as Brian Murphy

48-year-old Thomas Sadoski plays Aaron Hernandez’s agent Brian Murphy.

Sadoski appeared in the 2014 Reese Witherspoon film “Wild” and has appeared in two of the “John Wick” films with Keanu Reeves. He has been a regular on the HBO series “The Newsroom” and the CBS series “Life in Pieces” and “Tommy.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow

Schwarzenegger, 30, is an actor and model who had a recurring role on Amazon’s “Gen V,” a spinoff of the superhero hit “The Boys.” He will also join the cast of the next season of HBO’s hit “White Lotus.”

Schwarzenegger, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, will play against football star Tim Tebow, the former quarterback who became a college football legend at the University of Florida, where he was paired with Hernandez for three years.

Tebow later played for the Patriots himself in 2013. He called the Hernandez murder trial “heartbreaking and sad.”

Tony Yazbeck as Urban Meyer

Tony Yazbeck, 45, is a Broadway actor who has also appeared in the shows “Billions” and “Smash.”

He plays former University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who was Hernandez’s college coach. In 2013, after Hernandez was charged with murder, Meyer denied reports that Hernandez had failed several drug tests at Florida but was allowed to play anyway. “Hernandez was subject to the same drug testing as any other player,” he said at the time.

Meyer led teams to three national championships between Florida and Ohio State during his Hall of Fame coaching career. He is currently a college football studio analyst for Fox Sports.

Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick

Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz, who starred in the Netflix series “Bloodline” and appeared in last year’s “Justified” spinoff “Justified: City Primeval,” will play one of football’s most legendary coaches.

Butz profiles former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who led the team to a record six Super Bowl titles during his tenure and has the second-most wins of any coach in NFL history.

Belichick was Hernandez’s head coach during his time with the Patriots. He released a statement in 2013 after Hernandez was charged with murder.

“As the coach of the team, I am primarily responsible for the people we bring into the football operation,” Belichick said at a press conference, according to NFL.com. “Overall, I am proud of the hundreds of players who have come through this program, but personally, I am disappointed and hurt in a situation like this.”

Belichick parted ways with New England after the 2023 season and has since become a media personality with appearances on “Inside the NFL,” the “Manningcast” and “The Pat McAfee Show.”