[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 activities Story: Aaron Hernandez is surprisingly one he sought. “I want they only got here to me and mentioned, ‘you need 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 a great ole audition.”
The small measurement of the position in the 10-episode restricted sequence in regards to the troubled NFL star whose fall from grace concerned homicide and suicide didn’t deter Schwarzenegger, who admits he takes a unique strategy to appearing than his very well-known father.
“It’s humorous, as a result of I’ve a unique principle 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 huge, huge, huge.’ I at all times strive to consider ‘what are my targets’ relating to changing 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 completely different than what I’ve completed earlier than.”
He continues, discussing his position, “And for me, this hit all these completely 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 gorgeous [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 an enormous 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 might 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 essential to him displaying 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 enthusiastic 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 might go and cross 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 load he really carried, that willingness to assist with out realizing the circumstances shines by means of. All of Schwarzenegger’s analysis helped him convey why Tebow “notices Aaron abusing medicine, partying, alcohol and so forth” and “would attain out and assist somebody by means of their struggles to be this humanizing mild for Aaron [because] that’s the sort of chief Tim was at Florida,” he says.
The small however impactful position 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 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 tasks which might be fascinating to me, and I get to strive one thing new [that is] a problem for me on the appearing facet.”
In terms of divulging particulars about White Lotus’ extremely anticipated third season, Schwarzenegger laments that “there’s not a lot I can say” however teases that “there’s a number of enjoyable parts, and it’s gonna be wild.”
He’s not mum about welcoming a chance to observe in his dad’s footsteps in a single plum position, nonetheless. “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 pictures of him in his Mr. Freeze outfit and I feel 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 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 completed 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 might be a dream come true to work on these in any capability.”
American Sports activities Story: Aaron Hernandez releases new episodes Tuesdays at 10 p.m. on FX and Hulu.