Love Story Finds Its Kennedy Couple

The team behind the new series reveals how they cast the roles of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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The producers of the new series Love Story, which dramatizes the lives and tragic deaths of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, faced a challenging task in finding the right actors to portray the iconic couple. While they initially thought Carolyn would be the harder role to cast, actress Sarah Pidgeon stood out immediately during the audition process. Finding the right actor to play JFK Jr., however, proved to be "incredibly difficult." After looking at close to a thousand candidates, the team eventually landed on Paul Anthony Kelly, a model from a small town in Canada with limited acting experience. The producers were determined to find unknown actors who could embody the characters, rather than established stars.

Why it matters

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette were two of the most famous and photographed people of their era, so accurately portraying them on screen was crucial. The producers wanted to avoid a "campy" interpretation and instead focus on authenticity, knowing that they would be scrutinized by both the public and the Kennedy family. Casting the right actors was essential to the success of the series.

The details

The producers initially thought Carolyn would be the harder role to cast, but actress Sarah Pidgeon stood out immediately with her "striking features" and resemblance to Bessette. They even used a doctored photo of Pidgeon with blonde hair to help visualize her in the role. Finding the right actor to play JFK Jr., however, was "incredibly difficult." The team was looking for a "'90s-era hunk" with the right physicality and resemblance to the real-life Kennedy scion. After considering close to a thousand candidates, they eventually landed on Paul Anthony Kelly, a model from Canada with limited acting experience. The producers were determined to find unknown actors who could embody the characters, rather than established stars.

  • The production was just three weeks out from shooting and still didn't have its leading man for the role of JFK Jr.

The players

Nina Jacobson

An executive producer on the series Love Story.

Nicole Daniels

One of the casting directors for the series Love Story.

Courtney Bright

One of the casting directors for the series Love Story.

Sarah Pidgeon

The actress who was cast in the role of Carolyn Bessette in the series Love Story.

Paul Anthony Kelly

The actor who was cast in the role of John F. Kennedy Jr. in the series Love Story.

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What they’re saying

“We quickly realized that we needed that '90s movie star. And the movie stars today aren't necessarily built the same way. It's a different type of masculinity.”

— Nicole Daniels, Casting Director (Town & Country)

“It felt more important for John than Carolyn in a way. John was such a public figure from the moment he was born and everyone has an idea of what he looked like.”

— Nicole Daniels, Casting Director (Town & Country)

“Once we put the actors with Sarah, then it was incredibly clear that Paul was the guy. Once we had the two of them together, their chemistry, their ease, even though they have very different backgrounds.”

— Nina Jacobson, Executive Producer (Town & Country)

“It's pretty amazing when your dreams come true.”

— Paul Anthony Kelly (Town & Country)

What’s next

The series Love Story is set to premiere later this year.

The takeaway

Casting the right actors to portray the iconic Kennedy couple of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette was a major challenge for the producers of the new series Love Story. Their determination to find unknown actors who could authentically embody these famous figures, rather than relying on established stars, ultimately paid off in the casting of Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly.