Was Jim Irsay in American Primeval? Colts owner entertainment career explored as he dies at 65

Jim Irsay, the longtime owner and CEO of the Indianapolis Colts died on May 21, 2025, at the age 65. Though football enthusiasts know him as the man who helped turn the Colts into a Super Bowl organization.

Apart from his sports background, his surprise appearances in acting in recent years have piqued interest, particularly his brief appearance earlier this year in the Netflix limited series American Primeval.

Jim Irsay did indeed appear in the Western drama set in 1857. According to an article by Men's Health, he has a quick cameo in the first episode as a whiskey slurping, half bathed character known as “Bathing Mountain Man,” who taunts another character for stealing a knife. The part is also credited under his full name.

His cameo for American Primeval was supposedly first hinted at in April of 2023 as he shared a series of photos from the set with Colts staffer Tex Randall.

It should not come as a surprise that Irsay played a role in American Primeval, because he has often dabbled in the entertainment industry over the years. Reports by IMDB suggest that he had cameo roles in the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire and appeared twice on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, as himself.

More about Jim Irsay’s fascination with the entertainment world and his early career as a businessman

Jim Irsay’s fascination with the entertainment business made him an avid collector, he had supposedly amassed a great number of famous guitars in the world, with instruments and memorabilia associated with legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Prince and The Beatles.

He had also bought culturally significant items like the original “On The Road” manuscript by Jack Kerouac, Muhammad Ali’s ”Rumble in the Jungle” title belt and even several historical documents and artifacts.

"It’s a lot of fun to have these pieces, and guitars are always kind of the most interesting, in some ways, because you can play them, unlike a book, a manuscript or a painting," He had stated in 2016 according to AP News.

Irsay’s father, Robert Irsay, bought the Baltimore Colts in 1972, and Jim supposedly grew up around the team, attending training camps in the summer and traveling with the players. According to Forbes, he played football at Southern Methodist University and studied broadcast journalism before going to work for the Colts in ticketing, P.R. and operations.

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Jim Irsay was named general manager and executive vice president in 1984. Upon his father's death in 1997, Irsay became the prime owner of the Colts, which made him one of the youngest NFL team owners at that time.

But beyond the fame and glory, Jim Irsay reportedly fought personal struggles, including an addiction to prescription drugs and health problems. His death came after a series of poor health conditions, accompanied by a fall at his home in December 2023 and subsequent respiratory illness.

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