[This story contains spoilers from episode three of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, “Pray the Gay Away.”]
Patrick Schwarzenegger’s temporary however buzzy portrayal of faculty soccer nice Tim Tebow in Ryan Murphy’s newest manufacturing American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez is surprisingly one he sought. “I want they only got here to me and stated, ‘you wish to play Tim Tebow?’ I’m not on that stage but,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It got here to me simply in my inbox as a superb ole audition.”
The small dimension of the position in the 10-episode limited series in regards to the troubled NFL star whose fall from grace concerned homicide and suicide didn’t deter Schwarzenegger, who admits he takes a distinct strategy to performing than his very well-known father.
“It’s humorous, as a result of I’ve a distinct concept than somebody like my dad,” he explains, with out naming megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger. “My dad is at all times like, ‘go for the primary title, go for the lead, go for all these various things, assume massive, massive, massive.’ I at all times strive to consider ‘what are my objectives’ on the subject of turning into an actor. For me, it’s constantly studying and rising as an actor. It’s to encompass myself with actually nice expertise and nice filmmakers and producers and workforce. Then it’s additionally to play one thing completely totally different than what I’ve achieved earlier than.”
He continues, discussing his position, “And for me, this hit all these totally different necessities. I started working with somebody like Josh [Rivera, the show’s star], who’s a really nice up-and-coming actor who I believe has a good looking [career] horizon forward.”
Different pluses embrace an admiration for producer Murphy, who was additionally behind Scream Queens, on which Schwarzenegger additionally appeared in 2015, and his workforce. Then there’s Tebow himself.
“I used to be a giant fan of Tim Tebow,” admits Schwarzenegger. “We’ve met as soon as earlier than, years in the past, and that’s it. So I’m not buddies with him.”
And although Schwarzenegger realized early on that “this present shouldn’t be about Tim and he’s solely a really small a part of the story,” he nonetheless realized all the pieces he may about Tebow’s private background, together with shocking particulars in regards to the miracle surrounding his conception and beginning, together with why the Philippines is his birthplace. Delving into his sermons, studying his books and listening to his interviews was vital to him exhibiting Tebow’s relationship to Hernandez, as each his College of Florida teammate who wished to win and a person of religion.
“I wanted to grasp why he was so keen about faith, about Jesus and about religion,” he says. “It was my job to grasp how he talked about Jesus, how he talked about religion, and what his relationship was to all these issues in order that I may go and go that off onto Aaron.”
Josh Rivera as Aaron Hernandez with Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow in American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez.
Whereas there’s no proof that Tebow, like so many others, was even conscious of the extent to which Hernandez struggled or the burden he truly carried, that willingness to assist with out realizing the circumstances shines by. All of Schwarzenegger’s analysis helped him convey why Tebow “notices Aaron abusing medication, partying, alcohol and so forth” and “would attain out and assist somebody by their struggles to be this humanizing mild for Aaron [because] that’s the type of chief Tim was at Florida,” he says.
The small however impactful position is one other significant skilled notch for Schwarzenegger. “I’m constantly making strides in my very own profession. The following factor with White Lotus is clearly an even bigger position than this was. [The Boys spinoff] Gen V was solely a pair episodes and The Staircase earlier than that was all eight episodes. So it goes up and down,” he explains. “However I simply like to be a part of actually nice high quality initiatives which are attention-grabbing to me, and I get to strive one thing new [that is] a problem for me on the performing aspect.”
Relating to divulging particulars about White Lotus’ highly anticipated third season, Schwarzenegger laments that “there’s not a lot I can say” however teases that “there’s plenty of enjoyable parts, and it’s gonna be wild.”
He’s not mum about welcoming a possibility to comply with in his dad’s footsteps in a single plum position, nonetheless. “Man, I might like to be Mr. Freeze,” he exclaims. “I believe it’d be so enjoyable and so cool. I’ve the very fondest reminiscences of going to see my dad on set. I noticed pictures of him in his Mr. Freeze outfit and I believe it was a hilarious film. I at all times make enjoyable of my dad for his one-liners, and particularly in that film.”
Regardless of some Web rumors, Schwarzenegger studies there was no motion on his finish. “I’ve not talked to anyone,” he says. “I’ve no relationships, however I believe what Matt [Reeves] has achieved and what they’re constructing at DC as a complete proper now with Penguin popping out, The Batman developing with Robert Pattinson, after all, it could be a dream come true to work on these in any capability.”
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez releases new episodes Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX and Hulu.
