Stereophonic’s Sarah Pidgeon and newcomer Paul Anthony Kelly are entering the circle of New York socialities in FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. In the new series, the actors star as the infamous couple who captured the attention of America during the 1990s. Across nine episodes, the show chronicles their high-profile courtship and marriage, which unfolded on the national stage.
Following her Tony Award-nominated performance in Broadway’s Stereophonic, Pidgeon takes on the role of Carolyn Bessette, whose fashion and business know-how took her from her job as a sales assistant to an executive at Calvin Klein, all while garnering unprecedented media attention.
Despite the theatrical nature of some Ryan Murphy projects and the grandeur of the real-life events, Pidgeon notes that the series acts as an intimate portrait of this relationship. “I don’t know if ‘theatricality’ is a word that I would use to describe Love Story,” said the actress during an interview with BroadwayWorld. “It feels quite a bit more intimate to me versus more of a bigger, bolder show. It feels very close.”
The series marks the first onscreen role for Kelly, who charms as the son of the 35th President. The actor, whose background consists of modeling and theater projects, wanted to humanize Kennedy by peeling away the public persona and allowing viewers to see him as a human being.
“My characterization of John was to bring about the everyman of him. He was just a guy. He wanted to hang out with his friends. He wanted to live life on his own terms, be compassionate with others, and help out where he could. He just was a mensch.”
With production taking place in New York, the duo was thrilled to share the screen with several stage veterans, including Eric Bergen, Grace Gummer, and Sydney Lemmon. “To be surrounded by people that I’ve looked up to for years… what a gift that was,” Kelly shared.
Pidgeon likened the focus required for the series to working in the theater. “[Working on a play] is a long, intense focus on something over and over and over again. And I think while working in TV is slightly different because the scenes change every day, so therefore the performance changes, it is the same. That maintenance of intense focus.”
Check out our full interview with the stars, and tune in to watch the first three episodes of Love Story beginning Thursday, February 12 at at 9:00p ET/6:00p PT on FX and Hulu.
