[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 school 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 mentioned, ‘you wish to play Tim Tebow?’ I’m not on that degree but,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It got here to me simply in my inbox as an excellent ole audition.”
The small dimension of the function 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 special method to performing than his very well-known father.
“It’s humorous, as a result of I’ve a special idea than somebody like my dad,” he explains, with out naming megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger. “My dad is all the time like, ‘go for the principle title, go for the lead, go for all these various things, suppose massive, massive, massive.’ I all the time attempt to consider ‘what are my targets’ in terms of turning into an actor. For me, it’s repeatedly studying and rising as an actor. It’s to encompass myself with actually nice expertise and nice filmmakers and producers and group. Then it’s additionally to play one thing completely totally different than what I’ve finished earlier than.”
He continues, discussing his function, “And for me, this hit all these totally different necessities. I set to work with somebody like Josh [Rivera, the show’s star], who’s a really nice up-and-coming actor who I feel has a phenomenal [career] horizon forward.”
Different pluses embody an admiration for producer Murphy, who was additionally behind Scream Queens, on which Schwarzenegger additionally appeared in 2015, and his group. 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 associates with him.”
And although Schwarzenegger realized early on that “this present is just not about Tim and he’s solely a really small a part of the story,” he nonetheless realized all the things he may about Tebow’s private background, together with shocking particulars in regards to the miracle surrounding his conception and delivery, together with why the Philippines is his birthplace. Delving into his sermons, studying his books and listening to his interviews was important to him displaying Tebow’s relationship to Hernandez, as each his College of Florida teammate who needed to win and a person of religion.
“I wanted to grasp why he was so captivated with 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 move that off onto Aaron.”
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 via. 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 via their struggles to be this humanizing gentle for Aaron [because] that’s the form of chief Tim was at Florida,” he says.
The small however impactful function is one other significant skilled notch for Schwarzenegger. “I’m repeatedly making strides in my very own profession. The subsequent factor with White Lotus is clearly a much bigger function 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 tasks which can be fascinating to me, and I get to attempt one thing new [that is] a problem for me on the performing aspect.”
In relation 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 a whole lot of enjoyable parts, and it’s gonna be wild.”
He’s not mum about welcoming a possibility to observe in his dad’s footsteps in a single plum function, nevertheless. “Man, I might like to be Mr. Freeze,” he exclaims. “I feel it’d be so enjoyable and so cool. I’ve the very fondest recollections of going to see my dad on set. I noticed photographs of him in his Mr. Freeze outfit and I feel it was a hilarious film. I all the time make enjoyable of my dad for his one-liners, and particularly in that film.”
Regardless of some Web rumors, Schwarzenegger stories there was no motion on his finish. “I’ve not talked to anyone,” he says. “I’ve no relationships, however I feel what Matt [Reeves] has finished and what they’re constructing at DC as a complete proper now with Penguin popping out, The Batman arising with Robert Pattinson, after all, it will 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.