LOVE STORY: JOHN F. KENNEDY JR & CAROLYN BESSETTE: Official Podcast Episode 1: Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Welcome to the Love story, John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette official podcast. I'm Evan Ross Katz, podcaster and pop culture provocateur. I'm so excited to dive into FXs new show from the phenomenal Ryan Murphy. It's inspired by the intense high stakes romance between John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette.

So it's only fitting that we kick things off with the two stars that play these iconic characters. Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pigeon.

Sarah Paul, I am elated to be talking with you both. I cannot express enthusiastically enough how much I love this show and these performances, so I have to start. Congratulating you both.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Thank you.

SARAH PIDGEON: Thank you so much.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: So I wanna hear about how this project came on both of your radars and the audition process.

So can you sort of talk me through how it all began?

SARAH PIDGEON: I got a call from my agent and my manager and I was sitting on the edge of a tub in my hotel room and I found out I got the job. But I was really quiet when I found out and my, my manager was like, are you okay? Like, you're not saying anything. 'cause I think I was in such shock.

So yeah, I guess I was pretty surprised. So the tub just took all of that energy when I found out. And then it took us ages to find Mr. Paul Anthony Kelly,

EVAN ROSS KATZ: and Paul. As Sarah indicated, I mean, the search was on for the perfect character to embody JFK Jr. Uh, how did you find this role?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: I got a call, they wanted to see me for a chemistry read with Sarah.

She was already cast at that point. So I went down to LA, met Sarah and it was palpable and it was kind of awesome. They asked me to stay the next day for a screen test and then Sarah went back and I guess talked to the powers that be and then she ran back while I was being de-mic and just came up. Kind of like downtrodden Paul. Congratulations. And I just was like, uh, okay.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: That's amazing.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Yeah. Um, I feel like things like this don't really happen very often where you, you just get the job on the spot and, and people think you're so right for the role. And, um, you know, my, my life changed that day.

SARAH PIDGEON: I mean, just look at him. Like, just look at him. He looks so much like J-F-K-J-F-K Jr.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I'm looking at him. Sarah,

SARAH PIDGEON: you're looking at him. You're looking at him. I mean, but it, it just felt so right once we found Paul and the connection that Paul and I had and like feeling like I had this confidant and buddy that we could finally start this process that was really beginning to film so, so quickly.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Now before filming began, I'm wondering how aware you both were about the, how shall we say, intensity of the way people feel about JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessett? Is that the word We can use intensity. I mean, there's just like a, a feverishness around those who are invested in, interested in these people.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: For myself, I'm Canadian, so it wasn't really like in my cultural zeitgeist, but after living in New York for quite a number of years, it, it became prevalent and I think that once we started, you know, embodying these characters, portraying them, it became very surreal and they're so beloved. They're just such an attractive couple in every aspect.

SARAH PIDGEON: I think I understood just how important they were in history and how closely they were held by people before even venturing into this project. And then as I learned more about them, they became dear to me as an individual. And then of course, as our project was being commented on and, 'cause we, we were filming all around New York. That understanding of the importance of these people was, you know, it was very heightened and it was this constant awareness of the gravitas of these people, especially in the city that they existed in.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Well, it's interesting. It's like they're both mythologized in a sense, but yet they're real people. So I think there's this sort of, um.

People have this idea of who they are, but then also can read history books and real accounts of who they are, but also sort of create in their imagination who they believe them to be. Now, when playing these characters, how conscious were you both around trying to mimic or replicate the mannerisms of the real life figures that you were playing?

SARAH PIDGEON: Carolyn, while she was photographed, she never spoke on record. But a lot of my physicality was derived from still photos and sort of finding the commonality within that and trying to find some through line of how this. Woman would've walked through the world and people talked about her sort of being this bowling ball rolling down the streets of New York.

So between finding where her centers were, and then also understanding what the character arc of Carolyn was between what we know that their lived reality was. As we went through the series I, I wanted to show how this woman, at 26 years old was this bowling ball running down these New York City streets. And then as she becomes more and more in the public eye, how that can sort of evolve.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: It's interesting 'cause as Sarah just pointed out, in the case of Carolyn, there's very little footage, so there's more opportunity to utilize the imagination, I imagine. Whereas in the case of A JFK Junior there. Are these interviews? There are videos you can watch of him, his mannerisms, his disposition.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Mm-hmm. Yeah, I was very fortunate in that aspect. There is a wealth of knowledge and interviews and, you know, he, he was a very well documented individual that I was able to often go back and review, mimic in certain. Circumstances, uh, try to make it my own, of course.

But you know, the, even so much as like his mannerisms, the way he spoke, uh, he has a very, like New York lackadaisical. He is a very relaxed, cool guy. He narrates his father's book profiles and Courage. So I listen to that like nonstop every day before work. I was very fortunate that I, that I had a lot of things to lean on that informed my performance.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: I wanna talk about these costumes. Costumes play a big role on any project, but I think especially so on this one, and then there's this added layer of the fact that Carolyn worked at Calvin Klein.

SARAH PIDGEON: Clothing is such a key entry point into character. Carolyn wore a lot of Yogi Yamamoto and the outings that she would have with JFK.

Putting on some of those clothes. Yamamoto said about his designs that he liked to design his clothing as Armor for women, which I think made a lot of sense in terms of the character when Carolyn would go to these galas. And it just completely changes how you hold yourself. And depending on the structure of the garment, you know, if it's.

Some sort of slinky dress. You hold yourself differently. If you're in sweatpants, you hold yourself differently. And then wearing these sort of buttoned up high collar pieces, you hold yourself differently.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And what about for you, Paul?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Well, I mean the, the clothes were such a transformative aspect of the whole show and like dropping into these characters.

Carolyn's wardrobe is phenomenal. John's wardrobe is phenomenal. You know, he had such a quirky sense of style. It was such a surreal experience to be wearing pretty much the same things that, that they would wear and to be filming it out in public, in front of the building that they lived or in front of the place where they went and got a drink, you know, central Park and, and you're dressed the same way he was 20, 30 years ago. That really helped inspire me, uh, in portraying the character of JFK Jr.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Right. Let's talk about that opening scene. I love the decision to sort of start us at the very end Before we rewind the tape,

SHOW: I'm sorry. I'm just anxious.

I love you. I appreciate you being here.

I love you too.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Can you talk about that scene and, and why it was so critical to this love story?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Uh, you can tell that they're in a part of their relationship that's maybe a little rocky, but there's that moment where, you know, the character of John Russ's head on the character of Carolyn's forehead and, you know, it's beautiful. You, you root for them.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: So then after that, we flash back seven years. And I'm wondering for you, Sarah, how would you describe the contrast between the character of Carolyn that we meet in those first 10 minutes and then the character that we flash back to?

SARAH PIDGEON: The first Carolyn we meet in the first 10 minutes is one who has completely lost her anonymity. Whose world has gotten smaller and smaller in ways that she could never foresee versus who we see 10 minutes after. That is someone who has the entire world at her fingertips, very ambitious. She lights up any room, the party starts. When she gets there, she turns heads on the street. And not because she's trying to, just because she has that energy.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: How would you both, uh, describe the character's first impressions of one another?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: John's character is definitely smitten by the character of Carolyn. In the show, you'll see when he notices her, you know, Carolyn just has this aura about her. She's an enigmatic figure. You're just drawn to her. And that's definitely the case for John.

SARAH PIDGEON: She's not really thrown by him, but I think she's also very wary of him. I don't know. It's hard because of course she knows who he is, but it's that she doesn't treat him, she's not kissing his ass.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Mm.

SARAH PIDGEON: You know, so it's, it's sort of hard to have a first impression of someone that you've. Known about for Right Your entire life.

But I think they sort of have this sole connection, you know, from from that first meeting.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: For me watching a big turning point was when you have that first date and you're at the Indian restaurant and the character of John makes the joke about, it's not just women that are going to be keen to examine all of this. It's also gay men as well.

SHOW:  It's okay. I'm not exactly eager to incur the wrath of every woman in America.

Well, it's not just that. It's gay men too.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: And you have this moment, Sarah, where you look up at him, you look down at the menu again, you look back up at him, and then you look down and laugh. And I feel like that is such a big moment for me watching it in the sense of her understanding, oh, there's a humor, there's an underbelly to all of this.

It's not just the idea of what I thought of him.

SARAH PIDGEON: So he is like self-deprecating.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Yeah. Doesn't take himself too seriously.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Paul, I wanna talk to you about working with Naomi Watts, which I mean, the fact that you get to say that sentence and have it be real is quite remarkable. Yeah, I, yeah. Now the character of Jacqueline seems so complex because she was always, from my perspective, quite loving.

I felt like that love came through at every moment, and I always understood her intention. How would you describe the relationship between the character of John and the character of Jacqueline, and can you also talk about working with Naomi?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Of course the relationship between the characters of, of John and Jacqueline, I think you're absolutely right.

She loves her son, she wants what's best for him. John was a public figure from the day he was born, so there was a lot of protection that Jacqueline felt she needed to provide. But at the core, it's just love. It's it's absolute motherly love. Then working with Naomi as the character of Jacqueline, I mean, what a treat.

I've seen everything she's done. I've been a fan forever, and now I get to yell at her like she's my mother. It's, uh, you know, with a mouthful of steak. It was incredible. That was our first day working together. It was just, oh.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: wow.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: The, the argument, um, at the dinner table. Which was, you know, max was like, really get into the steak, eat it.

And I think I ate like seven or eight of them throughout the takes. But she is such a pro, but to, to watch her work and glean things from her was the ultimate gift, really,

EVAN ROSS KATZ: to close us out. I'm curious from you both what you think it is about their love story that still resonates so deeply for people today.

SARAH PIDGEON: I think it's actually something that we're trying to explore in this series. I think because there's a mystery about it. I think that's why people are so invested in it and I think therefore you can like project a bit onto it and they were both so striking in their own way and then, you know, together, you know, because of that we're so powerful.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: I have to agree with Sarah on that and at the core of it, it's a love story. I think that everybody is enamored with love and are searching for that, like it's a core value of, of, of living and truly being alive.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: Thank you both so much. This has been a pleasure and I just wanna congratulate you both. I think this series is absolutely incredible and I'm so excited for people to see these first three episodes.

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Thank you so much.

SARAH PIDGEON: Thanks Evan.

EVAN ROSS KATZ: That's all for this time. On the next podcast, I'll be joined by Oscar nominated actress Naomi Watts, who plays the character of Jackie Kennedy. She'll be talking to us about what it was like to step into the shoes of one of the most iconic first ladies. You can check it out on Hulu, Hulu on Disney Plus. For bundle subscribers or wherever you get your podcasts terms apply and watch new episodes of Love Story. John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette on fx Hulu. And if you're a bundle subscriber. Hulu on Disney Plus terms apply so many places to fall in love with this new show. Be sure to rate, review and follow the love story.

John F. Kennedy Jr. And Carolyn Bessette official podcast. Wherever you watch or listen. I'm Evan Ross Katz and I'll see you next time.