Following His Passion: Rye’s Zicherman Found Hollywood Success – and His True Self

A successful TV writer, Zicherman has written on the popular FX spy drama “The Americans,” HBO dramedy “Divorce,” and Apple’s dark comedy “The Shrink Next Door.”

October 2, 2024
6 min read
Stuart Zicherman
Photo Alison Rodilosso

When Stuart Zicherman moved to Rye from Brooklyn four years ago, he had just made a deal with FX to be the head writer and executive producer on “American Sports Story” — the newest spin-off of the hit “American Stories” anthology that has covered the assassination of Gianni Versace, the legend of Roanoke, and 14 other tales.

When the pandemic started, that process slowed down. Now, finally, the show is coming to the TV screen, and Zicherman’s friends and neighbors will see the results of all his hard work.

“I’m excited for people to see that I really do have a job,” he joked.

Zicherman has had a few jobs, in fact.

A successful television writer and showrunner, he has written on the popular FX spy drama “The Americans,” HBO dramedy “Divorce,” and Apple’s dark comedy “The Shrink Next Door,” to name a few. “American Sports Story” has been one of his most challenging undertakings, and has had one of the longest gestations from inception to release.

He became interested in the project, which tells the story of NFL tight end turned murderer Aaron Hernandez, when the network initially put out an “open writing assignment,” inviting writers to come in and pitch their vision for the story. (FX had already acquired the rights to the “Boston Globe” Spotlight team’s six-part series about Hernandez, as well as the podcast version that was created by Wondery.)

Tragic Tale: Zicherman is head writer and executive producer on “American Sports Story,” which is now airing a series on NFL tight end turned murderer Aaron Hernandez.

When he went into FX to try to win the job, he had constructed an elaborate timeline — “on a scroll,” he recalled with a laugh — that practically covered the conference table as he unfurled it for them. “Just so I could show them how much I had thought through the entire season. That scroll now lives in infamy.”

At first, it wasn’t easy for the father of two to find an emotional connection to Hernandez’s life.

“Do I really know how to write a show about a football player? Someone violent, drug-using, confused about sexuality, a legacy of violence — do I really know that story?” he asked.

On the surface, no.

Zicherman grew up on Long Island, with a teacher mother and a father who worked in finance. But where he found emotional truth in Hernandez’s story was in the football player’s quest for authenticity.

Although when Zicherman was young he had no connections in the entertainment world, his parents encouraged his interest in writing and creativity. What if he hadn’t been given that encouragement?

“We all, at different times in our lives, are trying to figure out how to be authentic, to be who we really are,” he said. “Some of us are given the latitude and the liberty to really explore that, and Aaron was not. Aaron was never able to be his authentic self. Once it boiled down to that idea, that was something I thought I could write about.”

One of the most interesting parts of working on “American Sports Story,” Zicherman said, was working alongside the famous Boston Globe Spotlight team as his “research touchpoints.”

Stuart Zicherman smiling
Stuart Zicherman has made a name for himself in Hollywood while living in Rye.
Photo Alison Rodilosso

“They’re the most incredible journalists,” Zicherman said. “They were so helpful. I got to go up to Boston and spend time in the newsroom, ask them questions about their research. They came to the writers’ room a few times to answer questions.”

Zicherman’s journey to screenwriting started simply enough — he was a kid who loved films.

“Everything I learned about life, I learned from going to the movies,” he said. He also enjoyed writing, but he didn’t plan on combining the two interests until he took a History of Drama class at Skidmore College.

“One professor just blew my mind, the way he talked about these plays, going back to Aristophanes and all the way to Brecht,” he said. “I was so inspired by how people were writing about the things that mattered to them, as far back as, well … ever! I just thought it was really exciting, and it got me sort of interested in writing scripts.”

After going to USC film school in Los Angeles, Zicherman moved back to New York and found work as a production assistant on the film “City Hall,” which starred Al Pacino and John Cusack.

“It was just the best experience,” he said. “I knew all the jobs people did on set, knew a gaffer from a grip.”

What excited him was the community of people who all came together for a common goal.

“You’d get all these people together, almost like summer camp, and work really, really hard for however many months, and then it ends,” he said.

But the contacts Zicherman made on the film stuck with him. Two of his co-workers invited him to work with them on another project, a film called “A Day in November,” which Zicherman re-wrote.

“One of them knew an agent, they got the script to an agent, and that movie sold to Warner Brothers,” he said. “All of a sudden I was a professional writer.” “A Day in November” was never made, but it was enough to get Zicherman started as a screenwriter.

Now that he’s been in Rye a few years, Zicherman and his wife, Chanel PR professional Ruthie Vexler, are finding their place in the community. Their two children are both enrolled in the Rye schools: their daughter is a sophomore at Rye High while their son is in the sixth grade at Rye Middle School.

He enjoys going for runs on the Playland boardwalk — “I can’t help but think of ‘Big!’ Rye, for me, ties into the history of cinema” — and coaching his daughter’s softball team. He has embraced the transition from Brooklynite to suburbanite, while still being close enough to work out of his office in New York City.

Hernandez was convicted for the 2012 murder of Odin Lloyd. He spent five years in prison before killing himself.

While he’s been surprised at how small Rye’s creative community is — “I found it hilarious that the most popular club at Rye High School is the Finance Club,” he laughed — he’s excited to see that community grow, and he’s offering his help along the way.

“The more I’ve met people and talked to other parents, I’ve found a surprising number of younger people who are interested in writing and filmmaking and the creative arts.”

Answering questions for those young artists, watching them grow and explore has been a standout experience of Zicherman’s time in Rye so far.

“It’s really great to meet people who are trying to break the mold a little bit, and chase things that aren’t easy for them,” he said.

After all, chasing a dream from Long Island to L.A. and back to New York worked out quite well for Zicherman.

His advice to young creators?

“You just have to write and write and have the confidence to keep going,” he said. “Show it to people, take hard notes, and eventually, get lucky and get a job.”

Zicherman fans should keep an eye on FX, ABC, and Netflix, where he is developing a few TV series and writing an American adaptation of popular French film “Papa Ou Maman.”

“American Sports Story” airs on FX on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m., and also is available to watch on Hulu.

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