Catfish Jean (To Leslie) is set in key recurring role in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology series, “American Sports Story.”
The scripted limited series, an extension of Murphy’s “American Story” franchise, takes a closer look at significant sports events through a contemporary lens and told through multiple perspectives. The first season, based on the Gladiator podcast and written by Stu Zicherman, explores the story of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez, played by Josh Andrés Rivera. It will explore Hernandez’s identity, family, career, suicide, and legacy in sports and American culture.
During the 2013 offseason, Hernandez was arrested and charged for the murder of Lloyd, a semi-professional player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée. Following his arrest, Hernandez was immediately released by the Patriots. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. While on trial for Lloyd’s murder, Hernandez was also indicted for the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado; he was acquitted after a 2017 trial.
Days after being acquitted of the double homicide, Hernandez was found dead in his cell, which was ruled a suicide.
Jean will portray Ernest “Bo” Wallace, a friend of Hernandez implicated in his narrative. In reality, Wallace was convicted in 2016 for accessory to murder after the fact in the 2013 shooting death of Odin Lloyd, receiving a 4 1/2 to 7 years prison sentence.
The series features a cast including Tony Yazbeck, Lindsay Mendez, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and recurring actor Josh Cannavale. Cannavale has been tapped to play Aaron Hernandez’s love interest and Schwarzenegger will play former NFL star Tim Tebow.
Executive producers include Stu Zicherman, Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Brad Falchuk, Hernan Lopez, Marshall Lewy, Linda Pizutti Henry, and Ira Napoliello.
Beyond this role, Catfish Jean is set to appear in Joel Silver and Doug Liman’s Amazon MGM Studios reboot of “Road House.” His past credits encompass AMC ALLBLK dramedy series “Send Help,” “All Rise,” “Survivor’s Remorse,” and “The Rookie.”