Sartaj Singh
Created by Stuart Zicherman, ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ centers on the promising New England Patriots player whose struggles with a troubled past and injuries lead him on a dark path ending in murder. The FX show season is based on The Boston Globe and Wondery’s podcast, ‘Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.’ It follows Aaron Hernandez’s journey from his childhood home to the roaring crowds of the Gillette Stadium and his final poignant moments in the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center. As the impactful recreations of the true events unfold, we are left with questions regarding the actual filming locations behind the show.
Where Was American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Filmed?
Season 1 of ‘American Sports Story’ was filmed in various locations throughout New Jersey, including Essex County, Tinton Falls, and Morristown. Some sequences were also captured in Orlando, Florida. Tentatively titled ‘American Sports Story: Gladiator,’ principal photography for the debut season began on April 3, 2023, and was interrupted by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike in July. Shooting resumed again in December 2023 and was wrapped up in early March 2024. Actor Josh Rivera underwent a significant physical transformation for the role of Aaron Hernandez, weight training and packing on 30 pounds to portray the football player’s physique. It would take two hours for temporary tattoos to be applied to Rivera before shooting.
The prolonged shooting period reportedly weighed on and exhausted the production team, but their high standards of authenticity were maintained regardless. “I can’t believe that I have been working on this 10-episode series for over a year,” wrote cinematographer Elie Smolkin on Instagram after filming wrapped. “I’m so thankful and in awe of the incredible cast and crew on this one. There were so many kind, talented, and hard-working people on this show. From the PAs, to the ADs, to the art team, to costumes, to HMU. Every department brought their best every single day.”
Essex County, New Jersey
Much of the filming for ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ took place in and around Essex County in northeastern New Jersey. The production team built numerous sets within a 65,000-square-foot studio outside the urban sprawl, providing backdrops and a controlled environment for a majority of sequences shot in interior locations. The studio included sets for the courtroom where Hernandez’s trial is depicted, his childhood home in Bristol, Connecticut, the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center’s visiting room, and the prison. The emotional scene between Hernandez and Lindsay Mendez, with the two separated by glass and talking through phones, was shot on the abovementioned constructed set. The team also ventured to around 100 shooting sites outside the studio in New Jersey.
Tinton Falls, New Jersey
‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’ was filmed in Tinton Falls, a borough in Monmouth County, in June 2023. The production crew set up shop at Capelli Sport Complex on Wayside Road. The complex features in some of the matches seen in the show and as the background for Hernandez and his teammates’ training area. It has a full-sized indoor synthetic grass field and courts for volleyball, pickleball, and basketball under 120,000 square feet of air dome. It also boasts five full-sized outdoor fields. According to reports, the filming team seems to have rolled cameras indoors and outdoors at the complex.
Morristown, New Jersey
The film crew ventured to the town of Morristown, the county seat of Morris County, in June 2023 as well as January 2024. Shooting was carried out inside Roots Steakhouse at 40 West Park Place. The elegant establishment offered a traditional backdrop to the team filming in Downtown Morristown. Morristown’s proximity to major urban centers like Jersey City allows filmmakers access to the town’s quieter atmosphere without major logistical challenges. Productions looking for serene suburban settings or smaller-town aesthetics can benefit from Morristown’s residential areas, parks, and quaint downtown streets. Other films shot in the town include ‘Our Man From Jersey,’ ‘Insidious: The Red Door,’ ‘Dumb Money,’ ‘Cocoa,’ and ‘A Good Person.’
Orlando, Florida
In the last leg of filming ‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,’ the cast and crew headed to the bustling city of Orlando in Florida. They employed the Camping World Stadium for filming which stood in for the Gillette Stadium, with more than 500 background cast and crew involved. Situated at 1 Citrus Bowl Place, the stadium is also known as the Tangerine Bowl and has served as a filming location for ‘The Waterboy’ starring Adam Sandler.
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