A Deep Dive Into Paul Anthony Kelly, the Hunky Actor Playing JFK Jr. in ‘Love Story’
Paul Anthony Kelly is the person everyone is talking about. The handsome newcomer is playing John F. Kennedy Jr. in Ryan Murphy‘s limited series Love Story, which will chronicle the captivating (and ultimately tragic) romance between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. The actor stars alongside Sarah Pidgeon, who plays Carolyn in the FX series that debuts on February 12.
The 37-year-old is new to the television world, but he’s going to be a bona fide star after playing one of the most famous figures in American history. With the premiere just around the corner, it’s time get to know Paul Anthony Kelly. Swooon has gathered all the intel about this rising star.
Who is Paul Anthony Kelly’s wife?
Kelly is a taken man! Kelly is married to Syd Widziszewski-Kelly, who worked as an office production assistant on Don’t Worry Darling and C’mon C’mon. The couple married on May 1, 2023.
“One year ago we tied the proverbial knot and since that day I have been the happiest and healthiest I think I’ve ever been. I love you more than words will ever do justice. To several lifetimes more… X,” Kelly wrote on Instagram in 2024. In a separate post, Kelly sweetly called his wife the “love of my life.”
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Exactly two years after getting married, Kelly’s wife revealed that she was pregnant with their first child. “We’re in Portland. That’s our home base now, my wife and I. So I do the Zoom, and right before we’re about to go for dinner for our second wedding anniversary, she tells me we’re pregnant,” he told Interview. They also have a dog and a cat. The couple made their first red carpet appearance together at the Met Opera Opening Night Gala in September 2025.
What else has Paul Anthony Kelly been in?
Yes, playing JFK Jr. is Kelly’s first onscreen role — and a big one at that. Prior to getting cast in Love Story, Kelly was an actor in The Group Rep’s production of Can’t Live Without ‘Em and You Can’t Take It With You in Los Angeles.
“For the much-coveted part of John Jr., Murphy and team read close to one thousand actors over the course of six months – which reminded me immediately, of course, of the search for Scarlett O’Hara. In the end, they cast newcomer Paul Kelly for the star-making role,” Evan Ross Katz, who broke news, revealed on Instagram.
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Kelly was initially passed over for the role of JFK Jr., but Love Story producers circled back to the actor when they had yet to cast the role with just weeks before filming. He made it to the final three, who were shown to Murphy. Apparently, a hairdresser working with the actors urged producers to cast Kelly. Pidgeon was the one who told Kelly he’d landed the role. “I made him drive me home from his camera test!” Pidgeon told Variety.
What did Paul Anthony Kelly do for a living before Love Story?
Kelly has been an active model for years. He’s modeled for clothing brands Rhone, Bonobos, Marine Layer, and more.
Love Story, Series Premiere, February 12, FX and Hulu
