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Love Story's Sarah Pidgeon Reveals Surprising Way She Tapped Into Carolyn Bessette (Exclusive)
For most people, taking on the roles of late American icons John F. Kennedy Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy would be daunting, to say the least.
But for model turned actor Paul Anthony Kelly—who portrays the legendary president’s son in Ryan Murphy's new limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette on Hulu—the gig was the chance of a lifetime, and a job he didn't take lightly.
“The opportunity presented itself, and it was a big one," the Canadian-born star told Harper's Bazaar earlier this month. "I just had this feeling like I could relate to him. I still think I do. I understand who he was at his core, and I think our values are aligned. It was something I knew I was capable of doing and I could have fun with and explore."
Despite having JFK's dashing good looks and a head of hair that rival's the Prince of Camelot's, the 37-year-old admitted, "It was definitely a challenging role—and there were a lot of similarities that I could find myself in with him that I think eventually became a truthful characterization. But I’m still processing it. I still can’t believe it’s me.”
The scripted series retells (with artistic license) how JFK Jr. met, courted and married Carolyn before the couple tragically died on July 16, 1999 when the Piper PA-32R-301 Saratoga II HP John was piloting crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on their way to Martha's Vineyard.
For Pidgeon, "I wanted to do Carolyn justice in this interpretation of her story," she told the outlet, before giving credit to the show's writers for painting her a stunning portrait of who the fashion PR maven was behind the scenes of her super private life.
Creator and writer Connor Hines “wrote such an incredible character," Pidgeon told Harper's. "That was evident in even just the two scenes that I had first read in my audition. I was familiar with Carolyn Bessette, but I did not know even a drop in the bucket of knowledge compared to what I know now.”
FX/Disney
Along with JFK Jr. and Carolyn, Love Story also depicts the influences the couple's inner circles had on their timeless romance. From John-John's ex flame Daryl Hannah (played by Dree Hemingway) to his mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (portrayed by Naomi Watts), the cast is studded with stars channeling the real people who lived through John and Carolyn's fairytale-turned-nightmare.
Keep reading for a closer look at how the cast of Love Story transformed into their TV characters.
New episodes of Love Story drop Thursdays on Hulu.
FX; Justin Ide/Newsmakers via Getty Images
Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr.
With that full head of hair and timeless good looks, it was almost as if Canadian model turned actor Paul Anthony Kelly was born to play the Prince of Camelot, who tragically died in a 1999 plane crash alongside wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette.
Eric Liebowitz/FX; Araldo Di Crollalanza/Shutterstock
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
The production paid close attention to every aesthetic detail when recreating the wardrobe and styling of the '90s fashion icon, who worked for years under designer Calvin Klein. However, it wasn't the superficial characteristics of the late star that actress Sarah Pidgeon really embraced throughout filming.
"It's incredible just to learn so much about Carolyn in preparation for the show," Sarah told E! News at The Actor Awards March 1, 2026. "And, on top of that, being able to embody her. She has so much power and such strong convictions. Her humor, her kindness, I just felt very grateful to be able to literally and figuratively walk in her shoes every day."
Kurt Iswarienko/FX; Sonia Moskowitz/IMAGES/Getty Images
Naomi Watts as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Naomi Watts went brunette to take on the role of JFK Jr.'s mother Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who reportedly disapproved of his romance with Hollywood film star Daryl Hannah.
Of course, this isn't the first time the Australian actress has channeled real-life historical figures. She portrayed the late Princess Diana in the 2013 film Diana and, more recently, starred as Babe Paley in Ryan Murphy's Feud.
FX; Eric Robert/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images
Dree Hemingway as Daryl Hannah
Dree Hemingway (the great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway) didn't have to change her look much to become the Splash star, who was in an on-again, off-again romance with JFK Jr. when he first started courting Carolyn around 1992.
Though Daryl and John-John came in and out of each other's live for years following their 1988 meeting, he would later end their fling to marry Carolyn in 1996.
While Dree reached out to the Kill Bill star when she took on the role, telling THR, "I basically wrote her a love note of how much I appreciate her as a woman, as an actress, and what an honor of my life this has been,” she did not hear back from Daryl.
Eric Liebowitz/FX; Lawrence Schwartzwald/Sygma via Getty Images
Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette
Sydney Lemmon was cast as Carolyn's sister and best friend Lauren, who was traveling with her and John-John during their fatal plane crash.
Lemmon has previously appeared on TV series like Succession, The Good Fight and Fear the Walking Dead.
FX; Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images
Grace Gummer as Caroline Kenedy
Grace Gummer (Meryl Streep's daughter) took on the role of Caroline Kennedy, JFK Jr.'s sister.
"The Kennedys were, obviously, the last sort of American royal family that we had to revere and look up to," she told L'Officiel. "And I just have an immense amount of respect for her as a mother, an author, a diplomat, an attorney, a sister, a wife, and a daughter. What she has managed to overcome and achieve in her life is beyond admirable. I’m in awe of her."
FX; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein
The Brutalist star Alessandro Nivola (and dad to The White Lotus' Sam Nivola) is nearly the spitting image of the American designer, who was Carolyn's boss at his eponymous company when she began romancing JFK Jr.
Carolyn was the go-to saleswoman for Calvin Klein's celebrity clientele, including Annette Bening, Diane Sawyer and Blaire Trump.
FX; Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
Leila George as Kelly Klein
Australian-American actress Leila George nailed the look of Calvin Klein's second wife Kelly Klein. The photographer, who was close friends with Carolyn at the time of her romance with John, split from the famed designer in 1996.
FX; PL Gould/Images/Getty Images
Omari K. Chancellor as Gordon Henderson
Elsbeth actor Omari K. Chancellor plays fashion designer Gordon Henderson, who was a close friend, roommate and coworker of Carolyn's at Calvin Klein.
FX; AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
Constance Zimmer as Ann Messina Freeman
The role of Carolyn and Lauren's mother Ann Messina Freeman landed on UnREAL alum Constance Zimmer.
"Having the opportunity to portray this woman, Ann Messina Freeman, was the most emotionally gratifying and heart wrenching person I’ve had the honor of representing on screen," Constance wrote on Instagram in November 2025. "From the script to the cast and crew, this project moved me in so many ways, I’m so beyond grateful to be a part of it!"
Eric Liebowitz/FX; MediaPunch/Shutterstock
Jessica Harper as Ethel Kennedy
Jessica Harper plays the role of Robert F. Kennedy's wife, Ethel Kennedy, a longtime human rights advocate.
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