Last June, Ryan Murphy ignited a firestorm when he shared initial camera test photos for his upcoming anthology series, “Love Story.” The images, showcasing actors Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly as the iconic couple Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., were met with immediate and harsh online backlash. Style critics and even Bessette-Kennedy’s former colorist lambasted the costumes and overall aesthetic as ‘cheap’ and a ‘Temu version of high fashion,’ a stark contrast to Murphy’s intended ‘romantic and tragic love story.’ (The controversial post was quickly deleted.)
Pidgeon, 29, found herself trying to navigate the internet’s critical buzz while preparing for the most significant role of her career. She consciously avoided online chatter, determined not to let external opinions influence her portrayal. (The production did, however, adjust the hair color after the initial outcry.)
Image: Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon star as John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in “Love Story,” premiering Thursday on FX and Hulu.
Despite her efforts, the pervasive criticism inevitably reached her. Pidgeon already understood the public’s intense fascination with the Kennedys, especially Bessette-Kennedy – a cool blonde and early style icon who tragically died young. She soon realized that these strong opinions would extend to every facet of her performance, making the role both an exhilarating opportunity and a profound responsibility.
Through extensive research and preparation, Pidgeon developed a deep appreciation for the woman she believed Bessette-Kennedy to be. “There’s so much that’s so admirable,” Pidgeon stated, expressing her fierce desire to advocate for an interpretation that showed Bessette-Kennedy as “more than just her clothes.”
On a frigid Sunday in February, Pidgeon met for an interview at a quiet, unpretentious teahouse. Her choice of a calm setting and her casual attire of a black sweater and dark jeans hinted at a desire for ‘mellow’ — a fitting aspiration for an actress just two weeks away from a premiere poised to escalate her burgeoning career.
Image: Sarah Pidgeon was nominated for a Tony for her Broadway role in “Stereophonic,” but her part in “Love Story” marks the most prominent television role to date.
However, ‘mellow’ isn’t quite Pidgeon’s nature. The former theater enthusiast, a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Carnegie Mellon, radiated an animated yet practical energy. She promptly plugged in a space heater, joking, “We can just cook ourselves a little bit.”
Even after a two-hour conversation, a certain elusiveness remained, a quality that director Daniel Aukin, who worked with Pidgeon on the Broadway play “Stereophonic,” described as “really protean.” Aukin noted, “She’s so constantly surprising that I don’t put anything past her.”
Pidgeon’s dedication to acting began early; she recalls a preschool Virgin Mary role where she ‘tattled’ on her Joseph for mishandling their prop baby. She cherished every aspect of theater – the community, the costumes, the exhilarating stage fright – and pursued it relentlessly.
Fresh out of college, she quickly secured an agent, leading to her first series role as a marooned teenager in Amazon’s “The Wilds.” This was followed by playing the younger version of Kathryn Hahn’s character, Clare, in the Hulu limited series “Tiny Beautiful Things.”
Her return to the stage brought another significant role in David Adjmi’s “Stereophonic.” The play, which moved from Playwrights Horizons to Broadway, saw Pidgeon portray Diana, a singer in a band reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. Diana’s artistic commitment, tinged with self-doubt, resonated deeply with Pidgeon, earning her a Tony nomination.
Image: Pidgeon focused on embodying Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s essence rather than a perfect impersonation. “My face is my face,” she shared, finding it more compelling to offer her own interpretation of such a strong personality.
Brad Simpson, an executive producer for “Love Story,” witnessed her vulnerability on stage in “Stereophonic” and was immediately receptive to her “Love Story” audition months later. Pidgeon, a toddler when Bessette-Kennedy tragically died in a 1999 plane crash, knew her mostly through paparazzi photos, contributing to the mystique she brought to her audition. Simpson and the other producers, expecting a prolonged search for their Carolyn, found their choice clear within minutes of Pidgeon’s callback, partly due to her innate sense of mystery. “You immediately feel like you know her but also feel like you can never truly get to know her,” Simpson observed. “She has a warmth but also a distance.”
Despite being a favorite of photographers, Bessette-Kennedy granted very few interviews, leaving her both overexposed and largely unknown. Elizabeth Beller, author of “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy,” a key inspiration for the series, noted in an email that those candid sidewalk photos failed to capture Bessette-Kennedy’s true enthusiasm and zest for life. Beller stated, “She was so different than the ice princess the media conveyed at the time. Those very photographs that captured her style also flattened her into myth.”
Pidgeon’s approach was to look beyond the photographs and the myth. While the perfected hair, makeup, and wardrobe — significantly improved since the initial test photos — helped her physically embody Bessette-Kennedy, she wasn’t aiming for a direct imitation. “My face is my face,” she explained. “It was more exciting to me to bring an interpretation of this woman who had this strong essence.”
She embraced specific details, like Bessette-Kennedy’s favorite perfume and brand of cigarettes, and absorbed descriptions from friends of her subject’s spunk, intelligence, intense gaze, and expressive hand gestures.
The early public outcry and subsequent paparazzi attention during filming, though unwelcome, unintentionally provided Pidgeon with a glimpse into the relentless scrutiny Bessette-Kennedy endured. “I recognize that I was filming a TV show and she was trying to exist, to walk her dog,” Pidgeon acknowledged. “But I knew what it felt like for me to suddenly realize that I was being watched in that way.”
This heightened awareness was mostly internal; her co-star, Paul Anthony Kelly, seldom saw the stress affect her. “She’s so talented, and she works hard for everything, but she is as cool as a cucumber,” Kelly remarked.
Pidgeon had little time to process the sudden internet fame. The five-month shoot, spanning the couple’s courtship to their tragic deaths, progressed rapidly. “I didn’t have a moment to step back and assess,” she reflected. “I really had to just keep betting on myself and what my instincts were.”
Speaking before the release of reviews and audience reactions, Pidgeon remained uncertain whether her ‘bet’ would pay off. She described her portrayal as an honorable compromise, “a solid sort of negotiation,” between the real woman and the series’ character. Ultimately, Pidgeon hopes “Love Story” will reveal the inner world of a fashion icon, presenting Bessette-Kennedy as more than just a fleeting image in a glossy photo — more, finally, than merely her clothes.