A Ryan Murphy-produced FX series based on American lawyer and journalist John F. Kennedy Jr.’s life and his high-profile romance with Carolyn Bessette, titled Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, had some issues finding a suitable leading man. Reportedly, the producers were very close to the start of production, but the central character of the anthology series had yet to be finalized. In an interview with People, the producers of the show explained the urgency of getting the casting of the male lead absolutely spot on.
Masculinity of the 80s is hard to find, says Executive Producer Brad Simpson
The executive producer of the FX show explained that the project was scheduled to begin shooting in three weeks, but he still hadn’t found a suitable actor to portray JFK Jr.
He said that he had auditioned a roster of male actors between the ages of 25 and 38, but still couldn’t find the kind of masculinity needed for the role.“We were three weeks away from shooting, and we still [had] not cast him. We’d seen every male actor between the age of 25 and 38,” Simpson said.
Citing the qualities he felt were lacking in the actors who were auditioned, Simpson further stated, “Part of it was just that sort of ’80s, old school masculinity—a man with hair on his chest, sort of Richard Gere, Tom Selleck, the classic chiseled looks—we’re not making those guys anymore, for some reason, and he really needed to have that.”
The creator of the series, Connor Hines, highlighted that a point of desperation was reached where he was approaching people on the street and at the gym for casting. Ultimately, executive producer Ryan Murphy intervened and told the team to review all the self-tapes sent in by actors, out of which 13 were picked for a screen test.
That’s how Canadian actor Paul Anthony Kelly was selected for the role. With Kelly, they found the right mix of “handsome” and “masculine” they were looking for.
“I remember at the screen test, one of the hair and makeup people passed by me and was like, ‘You’re crazy if you don’t cast him,'” Simpson stated. In contrast, the female lead was much easier to find, with Sarah Pidgeon “jumping out” and securing the role of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the Calvin Klein publicist who became JFK Jr.’s romantic partner.
The creators of the FX show had reached a stage where they were on the verge of shutting down production; safe to say, the casting of Anthony Kelly now seems like a godsend.
The show examines JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s romance leading up to his tragic death in detail and has become FX’s most watched limited series on streaming platforms Hulu and Disney+.
