Paparazzi Still Swarm 'Love Story' Set Decades After JFK Jr. and Bessette's Deaths

Production designer reveals challenges of recreating 1990s New York City for FX and Hulu miniseries

Mar. 3, 2026 at 6:39am

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Even before filming began on the new FX and Hulu miniseries 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette', executive producer Ryan Murphy warned the crew to expect a 'paparazzi feeding frenzy' around the relatively unknown actors portraying the iconic couple. Production designer Alex DiGerlando was surprised by the warning, but soon realized Murphy was right - the paparazzi were just as enamored with the new cast as they were with the real JFK Jr. and Bessette decades ago. The crew also faced the challenge of accurately recreating 1990s New York City, from removing modern bike lanes to painstakingly recreating subway entrance signs.

Why it matters

The enduring fascination with JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship and tragic deaths highlights the couple's lasting impact on pop culture and the public's insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip. The production's challenges in filming also illustrate the difficulty of authentically recreating a bygone era, even one as recent as the 1990s, in an increasingly modernized city like New York.

The details

Despite the lead actors having little prior fame, the paparazzi swarmed the 'Love Story' set, with some even potentially ending up as extras in scenes featuring paparazzi characters. The crew debated filming in a private park to avoid the unwanted attention, but ultimately decided the iconic Central Park skyline was too important to forgo. Transforming modern New York into its 1990s counterpart also proved tricky, requiring the production team to bring in period-accurate props like newspaper boxes and parking meters. Removing anachronistic elements like bike lanes was also a challenge during post-production.

  • The new FX and Hulu miniseries 'Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette' is set to air its finale on March 26, 2026.

The players

Ryan Murphy

The executive producer of the 'Love Story' miniseries who warned the crew about the expected paparazzi frenzy.

Alex DiGerlando

The Emmy-nominated production designer for the 'Love Story' miniseries who was tasked with recreating 1990s New York City.

Paul Anthony Kelly

The model who portrays John F. Kennedy Jr. in the miniseries, despite having no prior acting credits.

Sarah Pidgeon

The Tony-nominated actress who plays Carolyn Bessette in the miniseries, with a few TV roles on her resume.

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What they’re saying

“When we first started, Ryan was the one who said it in an early meeting — that it's going to be a paparazzi feeding frenzy. And I was like, 'These are unknowns.' And he was totally dead right. It didn't matter who they were. It was like they were John and Carolyn.”

— Alex DiGerlando, Production designer

What’s next

The finale episode of the 'Love Story' miniseries is set to air on March 26, 2026, which is expected to draw significant attention due to the recreation of the iconic Tribeca building where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette lived.

The takeaway

The enduring fascination with JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship, even decades after their tragic deaths, highlights the public's insatiable appetite for celebrity culture and the challenges of authentically recreating the recent past in an ever-changing city like New York.