[This story contains spoilers from episode three of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez, “Pray the Gay Away.”]
Patrick Schwarzenegger's brief but much-talked-about portrayal of college football great Tim Tebow in Ryan Murphy's latest production American Sports History: Aaron Hernandez is surprisingly what he was looking for. “I wish they'd come to me and say, 'Do you want to play Tim Tebow?' I'm not at that level yet,” he says. The Hollywood Reporter“It came into my inbox like a good old audition.”
The small size of the role in the 10-episode limited series about the embattled NFL star whose fall from grace came via murder and suicide didn’t deter Schwarzenegger, who admits to taking a different approach to acting than his famous father.
“It's funny, because I have a different theory than someone like my dad,” he explains, without naming megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger. “My dad always says, 'Aim for the main title, aim for the leading man, aim for all these different things, think big, big, big.' I always try to think about 'what are my goals' when it comes to being an actor. For me, that means continually learning and growing as an actor. It means surrounding myself with great talent and great directors and producers and teams. And then it also means playing something completely different than what I've done before.”
He continues, speaking of his role, “And for me, this ticked all those different boxes. I got to work with someone like Josh [Rivera, the show’s star]who is a very good emerging actor who I think has a beautiful [career] horizon before us.”
Other positives include admiration for producer Murphy, who was also behind Scream Queensin which Schwarzenegger also appeared in 2015, and his team. Then there's Tebow himself.
“I was a big Tim Tebow fan,” Schwarzenegger admits. “We met once before, years ago, and that was it. So I'm not his friend.”
And while Schwarzenegger realized early on that “this show isn’t about Tim and he’s just a small part of the story,” he still learned everything he could about Tebow’s personal background, including surprising details about the miracle surrounding his conception and birth, as well as why the Philippines is his birthplace. Delving into his sermons, reading his books, and listening to his interviews were key to showing Tebow’s relationship with Hernandez, both as a teammate at the University of Florida who wanted to win and as a man of faith.
“I needed to understand why he was so passionate about religion and Jesus and faith,” she says. “It was my job to understand how he talked about Jesus, how he talked about faith and what his relationship was to all of these things, so I could go and pass that on to Aaron.”
Josh Rivera as Aaron Hernandez with Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow in American Sports Article: Aaron Hernandez.
While there is no evidence that Tebow, like so many others, was aware of the extent of Hernandez's struggles or the burden he was actually carrying, that willingness to help without knowing the circumstances shines through. All of Schwarzenegger's research helped him convey why Tebow “notices that Aaron is abusing drugs, partying, drinking, etc.” and “would reach out and help someone through their struggles to be this humanizing light for Aaron.” [because] “That’s the kind of leader Tim was in Florida,” he says.
The small but impactful role is another significant professional milestone for Schwarzenegger. “I'm continually progressing in my career. The next thing with White Lotus it's obviously a more important role than this. [The Boys spinoff] Generation V it was just a couple of episodes and The ladder before it was all eight episodes. So it goes up and down,” he explains. “But I just like to be a part of really great quality projects that interest me, and I get to try something new [that is] a challenge for me from an acting point of view.”
When it comes to disclosing details about White Lotus Much-anticipated third season, Schwarzenegger laments that “there's not a lot I can say” but teases that “there's going to be a lot of fun stuff and it's going to be crazy.”
However, he’s not a quiet type when it comes to embracing the opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps in a killer role. “Man, I would love to be Mr. Freeze,” he exclaims. “I think it would be so funny and so cool. I have such fond memories of visiting my dad on set. I’ve seen pictures of him in his Mr. Freeze costume and I think it was a hilarious movie. I always make fun of my dad for his jokes, especially in that movie.”
Despite some Internet rumors, Schwarzenegger says there has been no movement on his part. “I haven't spoken to anyone,” he says. “I don't have any relationships, but I think what Matt [Reeves] has done and what they are building in DC as a whole right now with Penguin go out, The Batman “If I had to deal with Robert Pattinson, it would have been a dream come true, in any capacity.”
American Sports History: Aaron Hernandez releases new episodes every Tuesday at 10pm on FX and Hulu.