FX is set to release an anthology series about former Florida Gators and New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Patrick will play the role of Tim Tebow, Hernandez's quarterback during their time at Florida.
Patrick Schwarzenegger has been cast as Tim Tebow in ?AMERICAN SPORTS STORY,? which will focus on the rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez (played by Josh Andrés Rivera). pic.twitter.com/H6mTduE8rv
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) November 3, 2023
Deadline reported the news earlier this month.
The first installment of Ryan Murphy?s ?American Sports Story? anthology series for FX will star Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow (click photo below for story) https://t.co/PltODQCOJZ
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) November 3, 2023
"The first installment of Ryan Murphy's 'American Sports Story' anthology series for FX will star Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow," Deadline Hollywood posted.
Schwarzenegger took to X to give his thoughts on the role.
Also. Pumped to formally announce that I?m playing Tim Tebow in the FX series on Aaron Hernandez. Wild & insane story.
Thankful to @ryanmurphyprod for giving me opportunity & believing in me ! pic.twitter.com/HeAEOSHCNz— Patrick Schwarzenegger (@PSchwarzenegger) November 11, 2023
"Also. Pumped to formally announce that I'm playing Tim Tebow in the FX series on Aaron Hernandez. Wild & insane story. Thankful to @ryanmurphyprod for giving me opportunity & believing in me!"
The show Schwarzenegger is part of will be based on the podcast "Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc." from the Boston Globe and Wondery. The series covered the tight end in detail, including his rise to fame and his downfall, eventually being convicted of murder.
Hernandez killed himself in his prison cell.
The castings were done in early 2023; but according to The Spun, the actors' and writers' strikes held up the announcement.
During the Netflix series "Untold: Swamp Kings," which covered the Gators, Tebow recounted a time when he and Hernandez were out at a spot near campus.
"One night, me and Aaron are in The Swamp Restaurant," Tebow said. "As we're leaving, the stuff that was being said to him was awful. And it was all racist comments."
"It was one too many names called," Tebow continued. "Unfortunately, then somebody got injured."
In the series, Tebow said he regretted that night, expressing how he wished he had done more.
"I blame myself as much for that, too," he said. "I should've got him out easier, I should've got him out faster. I should have done more."
It's unclear when the series will be released on FX.
