Paul Anthony Kelly Shares His Excitement for American Horror Story and How JFK Jr. Influenced His Style
Actor Paul Anthony Kelly Discusses His Role as JFK Jr. and Upcoming Projects
In this week’s episode of Take Ten, Paul Anthony Kelly, star of the FX anthology series Love Story, shares insights about portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. and his experiences on set.
Kelly delves into how he prepared for this notable role and the immediate connection he formed with co-star Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. “It was just an absolute understanding of like, ‘I’ve got you. I know you’ve got me. Let’s do this,’” he remarks, recalling their chemistry reading. He also noted a meaningful moment when they found themselves staying at the same hotel, which further solidified their on-screen rapport.
In addition to discussing Love Story, Kelly revealed his casting in the new season of American Horror Story, another project helmed by Ryan Murphy. Excited about the opportunity, he said, “It feels pretty good to be joining such a storied series. They’re on their 13th season now and word on the street is they’re bringing back a lot of the previous cast. So I am incredibly excited to go to work and play with some people I’ve been looking up to for a very long time. It’s going to be cool and spooky and scary and all the good things.”
Interestingly, Kelly almost left acting before landing the role of JFK Jr., which he discovered he got on the same day as his screen test. “I kind of disassociated from the world at that moment because I had finally landed a big one and then I had to do the work. But it was incredible,” he reflected.
Throughout the interview, he recounted challenges he faced in the preparation process, including mastering rollerblading—“I have two left feet,” he joked. Kelly also shared that he has adopted some of JFK Jr.’s habits, particularly in fashion. “I’ve adopted a wallet chain in my life… I’ve also started wearing my baseball cap backwards a little bit more,” he noted.
When asked about items he wished to keep from the set, Kelly mentioned the unique hyper-color shirts, which change color with sweat, calling them “such a rarity and they were so cool.”
For more details on Kelly’s transformation for the role and other intriguing anecdotes, viewers can watch the full interview linked above.
Love Story is currently available for streaming on FX and Hulu.
Love Story: Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly as Carolyn Bessette and John F. Kennedy Jr.
FX
