Josh Rivera (“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”) plays Aaron Hernandez, the title character of the series. The real Aaron Hernandez was physically abused for years by his father, who pushed him to achieve athletic excellence. According to his brother DJ Hernandez, Aaron was constantly abused by a teenager during his childhood. He later played football at the University of Florida and was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In August 2012, the team extended Aaron’s contract for five years and $39.58 million, but later released him when his arrest for the murder of Odin Lloyd became known. In June 2013, Hernandez was charged with premeditated murder. In April 2017, he was found dead in his prison cell after committing suicide.

Ross Jirgl (“Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch”) plays Tom Brady, the legendary Patriots quarterback who many football fans consider to be the greatest player of all time. Brady and Aaron Hernandez were teammates on the Patriots from 2010 to 2012. “The bar for a Patriots tight end was pretty low back then: block, catch, don’t kill,” Brady joked in his Comedy Central Roast in May 2024.

Laith Wallschleger (“Operation Dagon”) plays Rob Gronkowski, the former tight end of the New England Patriots and teammate of Hernandez. Gronkowski played 11 seasons in the NFL for the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his career, he won four Super Bowls with Brady. “Aaron was a great player,” Gronkowski said on the podcast “10 Questions with Kyle Brandt.” “He was a great football player. But … I get questions like that all the time, about him and everything. And given the current situation, I was definitely shocked when I heard that.”

Patrick Schwarzenegger (“Gen V”) is Tim Tebow, the former NFL quarterback who played for the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars. Tebow and Hernandez were roommates and teammates at the University of Florida. “It’s just heartbreaking and sad, and all of my thoughts and prayers are with all of the families involved,” Tebow said of Aaron Hernandez’s murder conviction in July 2013.

Norbert Leo Butz (“The Exorcist: Believer”) plays Bill Belichick, the Patriots’ former coach and general manager. Belichick coached Hernandez from 2010 to 2012. As general manager, Belichick reportedly denied a request from Hernandez to be traded to a West Coast team during their tenure together. After the former NFL tight end’s arrest, Belichick banned the team from discussing Hernandez.

Tony Yazbeck (“Billions”) plays Urban Meyer, Aaron Hernandez’s former coach at the University of Florida. Meyer’s tenure as coach at Florida lasted from 2005 to 2010. Meyer reportedly warned NFL teams against signing Hernandez, saying, “Look, this guy’s a damn good football player, but he’s fucking lying to game the system and teaching all our other guys to game the system. We’ve never caught this guy with the marijuana stuff, but we know he’s doing it. … Don’t you fucking touch this guy.”

Jerry Levine (“Hawaii Five-0”) plays Robert Kraft, the owner of the New England Patriots. The real-life Kraft was very close to Aaron Hernandez and has admitted that their relationship may have influenced his judgment regarding his off-field behavior. “Aaron and I had a real sense of connection – and love. Every time he saw me, he would kiss me on the cheek,” Kraft said in “At All Costs,” the sixth episode of “The Dynasty” on Apple TV+. “I mean, that’s something I do with my sons. I think he saw me, you know, as a kind of loving father figure.”

Jaylen Barron (“Blindspotting”) plays Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, the ex-girlfriend of Aaron Hernandez and the mother of his child. The two met in elementary school but did not start dating until Hernandez played for the Patriots. They were engaged before their daughter was born and were planning a wedding in 2014 before Hernandez was arrested. Jenkins-Hernandez condemned jokes at Hernandez’s expense by Brady and others at Tom Brady’s Comedy Central Roast. In 2023, she was accused of financially squandering funds set aside for her daughter for self-care, including visits to hair salons and nail salons.

Tammy Blanchard (“Into The Woods”) plays Terri Hernandez, Aaron Hernandez’s mother. The real Terri Hernandez now lives in Connecticut and is still in a relationship with Jeff Cummings.

Ean Castellanos (“Five Days at Memorial”) plays Dennis John “DJ” Hernandez, the brother of Aaron Hernandez. Dennis played football for five seasons at the University of Connecticut. He then coached at Southington High School in Connecticut, was an assistant at Miami, and briefly served as quarterback coach at Brown University and tight ends coach at the University of Iowa. In 2018, he published a book under the name Jonathan Hernandez called “The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understanding My Brother.” Dennis allegedly threatened to kill his estranged wife and her divorce lawyer. He was arrested and charged with second-degree breach of peace in 2023.

Lindsay Mendez plays Tanya Singleton, the older cousin of Aaron Hernandez. She was said to be very close to Aaron and was accused of helping him and his accomplices murder Odin Lloyd. She was charged with aiding and abetting murder, but all charges against Singleton were eventually dropped. At the time of the trial, she was battling cancer. One of Aaron Hernandez’s cousins ​​has gone on record as saying that his mother, Terri, had an affair with Singleton’s husband, Jeff Cummings. Singleton divorced her husband and Cummings later married Terri.

Scot Ruggles (“All American”) plays Steve Addazio, Urban Meyer’s former assistant coach at the University of Florida. Addazio managed to convince Hernandez to return to the University of Florida from the University of Connecticut during his high school recruiting cycle. Addazio now works at ESPN.