Producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson explain whyAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandezdoes not feature Tom Brady. The latestAmerican Storymedia franchise seriestells the story offormer New England Patriots football player Aaron Hernandez, in the events leading up to his much-talked-about murder trial. The show featuresJosh Rivera as Aaron Hernandez, with a supporting cast that includes Patrick Schwarzenegger, Ean Castellanos, Lindsay Mendez, and Tammy Blanchard. It premiered its first two episodes on September 17 and will continue to air episodes weekly on Tuesdays through November 12.
Speaking withThe Hollywood Reporter, the producers explained whyAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandezdoes not feature Tom Brady. They were asked why they didn’t feature “larger than life” personalities other than Bill Belichick. Simpson responded that “the real centerpiece of fame here is the teams themselves.” Jacobson added thattheteam “felt like [they] had a lot of human drama,even if the people weren’t as well-known.“They also felt pressure anddidn’t want to throw in a Tom Brady character if no big story was there. Check out the full quotes below:
Simpson: I guess it depends on your perspective. Nina’s much more of an avid sports fan than I am, but I think for a lot of people, Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer are insanely famous. I think the real centerpiece of fame here is the teams themselves: The New England Patriots, the Florida Gators. These are massive institutions that gather insane crowds. Like with all of these stories, what happens when flawed individuals come into intersection with these massive machines and systems of power? In the O.J. case, those lawyers were just normal people who suddenly became the most famous people in America.
NJacobson: We felt like we had a lot of human drama, even if the people weren’t as well-known. But we also felt a lot of pressure, knowing for sports fans and how they look at some of these more iconic figures, to either do it right or not at all. If there wasn’t going to be a big story with a Tom Brady character, we weren’t going to just throw in Tom Brady just for the sake of throwing in some Tom Brady.
What This Decision Means For American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez
The Big Name Appearances Still Work ForAmerican Sports Story.
Jacobson is right that they had to make a tough decision when deciding whether to include morefootball players inAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. In particular, Brady and Hernandez were New England Patriots teammates. However, any inclusions hinged upon the creative team agreeing that a given storyline or person was vital to the new series. This is especially importantsince the series is limited to ten episodes, so the story needs to be tight and focused. This means omitting characters if they are not essential to the main story, which seems to be the case with Brady.
American Sports Story Aaron Hernandez Soundtrack Guide: Every Song And When They Play
FX’s new series American Sports Story features a robust and relevant soundtrack full of 2000s hip-hop classics and collegiate fight songs.
Simpson also makes a good point, noting that the figures they include, like Bill Belichick and Urban Meyer, are huge names for those generally aware of sports history. Though the show may have some crossover appeal to a general audience,American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’s main viewers will likely be those interested in football already. Such audiences will still feel the star power of Belichick and Meyer, even if the viewers would recognize Tom Brady.
Why This American Sports Story Decision Was The Right One
American Sports StoryStays More Focused On Hernandez
Ultimately, I believe theAmerican Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’steam made a good decision. Electing not to include Tom Brady and other iconic football players allows the story to stay much more focused on its protagonist. The first episode of the series, for example, shows a look at Hernandez as a child growing up. Cameos from characters like Tom Brady could undermine this focus, making their omission a sound decision.
American Sports Story
Cast
American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.
