Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez

Josh Andrés Rivera plays Aaron Hernandez in the FX limited series. He previously portrayed Sejanus Plinth in 2023’s The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes.

The actor has been preparing mentally and physically for the role of Hernandez, adding to his build and examining the mentality of the former NFL star turned convicted murderer.

“It’s a story with a lot of factors, as I’m sure everybody with familiarity towards it knows. There’s the mental health factor, the crime factor, the money, the fame, all of these things,” Rivera told Deadline in November 2023. “As an actor, it’s kind of like it’s a dream to have something so, so juicy to dive into it.”

Rivera is currently dating actress Rachel Zegler, whom he met while costarring in West Side Story.

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow

Patrick Schwarzenegger plays Tim Tebow, Hernandez’s teammate at the University of Florida and former NFL quarterback.

Schwarzenegger is the son of the legendary actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and has been most known for his role as Golden Boy in GenV as well as starring opposite Colin Firth in the HBO miniseries The Staircase.

Patrick is a long-time football fanatic and knew of Hernandez and Tebow when they were just collegiate athletes.

“[He] recognized that Aaron was struggling and was trying to be this good force and utilize faith in his love of Jesus and churchgoing and the values that come as a Christian man to help Aaron. Unfortunately, [he] wasn’t able to fully succeed,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly of Tebow. 

In December 2023, Schwarzenegger announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Abby Champion.

Tammy Blanchard as Terri Hernandez

Tammy Blanchard comes into the series as Hernandez’s mother Terri, who played a pivotal role in his upbringing.

Blanchard has won one Primetime Emmy for outstanding supporting actress for her role as a young Judy Garland in The Life of Judy. The actress is also well known for her role as Florinda in the 2014 film Into the Woods.

Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick

American actor and singer Norbert Leo Butz portrays NFL coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick coached Hernandez during his tenure with the New England Patriots, and American Sports Story is expected to touch on the inner relationship between coach and player.

Butz is most known for his work on stage and has won two Tony Awards.

Tony Yazbeck as Urban Meyer

Tony Yazback plays Urban Meyer, who coached Hernandez at the University of Florida.

A Tony-nominated actor and director, Yazbeck has appeared in Billions, Smash and The Good Fight.

Jaylen Barron as Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez

Jaylen Barron plays Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, Hernandez’s fiancée and mother to daughter Avielle Janelle Hernandez.

Barron played Zoe in Netflix’s Free Rein and Dominique Winslow in Shameless.

Ean Castellanos as D.J. Hernandez

Ean Castellanos stars as Hernandez’s D.J. Hernandez.

He has previously appeared in the TV series Five Days at Memorial, Tommy and High Maintenance and has also portrayed roles on stage.

Lindsay Mendez as Tanya Singleton

Lindsay Mendez portrays Tanya Singleton, Hernandez’s cousin.

The actress is best known for her roles in television series such as Station 19, Modern Family and The Grotto.