Love Story is a 2016 limited television drama that premiered on FX Hulu on February 12, 2026. The series is part of the larger American Story anthology produced by Ryan Murphy that dramatizes the romance and tragic 1999 plane crash involving John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
The series features a mix of established stars and rising talent portraying the iconic couple and their circle.
The Love Story producers prioritised authenticity and chemistry, especially for the lead roles, drawing from a wide pool of auditionees and selecting actors best suited to portray real historical figures.
Below are some quick facts about the main cast members whoportray the backgrounds, characters, and what makes each of their performances notable.
1. Sarah Pidgeon
Sarah Pidgeon was born on July 7, 1996, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She stars as the stylish publicist Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, who married JohnF. Kennedy Jr in 1996, capturing her enigmatic allure.
Her role requires her to capture the vulnerability and poise of a woman thrust into international attention as part of an American dynasty.
Pideon embraces the role in Love Story with deep respect and research into the character’s legacy, emphasizing Carolyn’s personality beyond her iconic style despite initial criticism over her resemblance to Bessette.
The 29-year-old American actress, who stands at 1.78m, has rapidly risen in prominence with notable television roles. Pidgeon studied a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.
Before Love Story, she gained attention for her performances in the wilderness-survival drama series and Tiny Beautiful Things, earning her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Limited Series or Movie at the Astra Awards.
She also won the Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play at the Dorian Theatre Awards and Outstanding Featured Performer in Play at the Outer Critics Circle Awards in 2024 for Stereophonic.
2. Paul Anthony Kelly
Paul Anthony Kelly portrays the son of John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Onassis, John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr., a magazine publisher and prominent figure in the 1990s. Love Story marks his first major leading role, as he is a relative newcomer to acting.
Born October 1, 1988, in Canada, he transitioned from modeling, scouted in Toronto, to acting. His first screen credit was a 2010 Body Language episode as a photo model.
According to one of Love Story’s casting directors, Nicole Daniel, Paul was selected for the role because of his resemblance to JFK Jr. and his ability to convey the late public figure’s complexity and charm.
“Paul was probably one of the first 100, 200 guys we read, and he was always so handsome, and there was always something there, but sometimes with casting, you need the right eyes on the right person at the right time for it to fall in place,” he told Town&Country.
Further, Kelly revealed that he prepared for the role despite being unfamiliar with the details of JKF Jr.’s life before shooting.
“I knew a little bit about JFK Jr. and Carolyn before he was cast, but I’m from Canada, so it’s not necessarily our cultural zeitgeist. Definitely, during this whole process, I really got to know them, I think, pretty well, within reason, of course. constantly learning something new about them.”
Kelly married Syd Widziszewski-Kelly, a production manager in film and TV since 2023.
3. Naomi Watts
Naomi Watts, born on September 28, 1968, portrays the former First Lady and JFK Jr.’s mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie is portrayed during immense personal sorrow, navigating the loss of her husband and later her son.
Naomi, raised in Australia after moving there as a young child, is an internationally acclaimed journalist known for her roles in films such as The Impossible, Mulholland Drive, and King Kong.
She is currently single, post-divorce from Liev Schreiber in 2016 after 11 years of marriage; they married in 2005, and together they have two children.
4. Grace Gummer
Grace Gummer, born on May 9, 1986, plays Caroline Kennedy, JFK Jr.’s sister and U.S. ambassador. She helps explore the Kennedys’ family dynamics as they grapple with personal conflict, fame, and expectations.
The American actress is the daughter of Don Gummer and Meryl Streep. She made her stage debut in 2008 in Lukas Bärfuss’s The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents.
From 2010-11, she starred as Anna Moore on the TeenNick show Gigantic, which premiered on October 8, 2010, upon graduating from her mother’s alma mater, Vassar College, with a degree in Art History and Italian.
Further, she has debuted in series such as The Homesman and has shone in Mr. Robot as FBI agent Dominique DiPierro.
Additionally, she is set to co-star opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Laurence Fishburne in the action-thriller Beast of Burden.
5. Sydney Lemmon
Sydney Lemmon, born on August 10, 1990, embodies Lauren Bessette, Carolyn’s twin and a bond trader who perished with the couple.
The 35-year-old trained at Yale and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Known for Hulu’s Helstrom and Fear the Walking Dead, she made her film debut in Velvet Buzzsaw with Jake Gyllenhaal.
6. Alessandro Nivola
Alessandro Nivola, born in 1972, depicts fashion mogul Calvin Klein, Carolyn’s boss. His nuanced villains shine, fitting Klein’s influential presence in Carolyn’s life. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Yale University.
The Italian-American actor has credits in The Sopranos, American Hustle, and A Most Violent Year.
7. Constance Zimmer
Constance Zimmer, born on October 11, 1970, in Seattle, Washington, portrays Kenney’s mother, Carolyne Baessete, Ann Marie Messina.
She is an alumna of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she honed her craft.
Zimmer has built her career portraying ambitious, no-nonsense characters in the corporate and entertainment worlds.
She is a veteran television actress known for her roles in series like Entourage and Quinn King.
Other cast
Other cast members include: Ben Shenkman (Edwin Scholssberge), Erich Bergen( Antony Radziwill, Sydney Lemmon (Lauren Bessette), Lily Lester( Rosemarie), Noah Fearnley( Michael Bergin), Leila George( Kelly Klein), Dree Hemingway( Daryl Hannah), Richard Hollis(Eugie), Aaron Dean Einsberge( Colin), Ronan Alexander( Jack Schlossberg), Jianna Planton( Rose Schlossberge), Adam Grupper( Maurice), Michael Nathanson( Michael J. Berman) and Nayab Hussain( Dr Moore) among others.