Ryan Murphy’s <i>American Love Story</i>: What We Know So Far
After wrapping up her acclaimed run with the 1970s-set Broadway play Stereophonic last fall, ELLE Hollywood Rising honoree Sarah Pidgeon is stepping into her most high-profile period piece yet—this time with both feet planted in the ’90s.
In Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series American Love Story, she will play the fashion icon Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, with newcomer Paul Kelly as her husband, John F. Kennedy Jr.
The latest in a long line of Murphy’s American Story installments (including American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and American Sports Story), American Love Story will follow the courtship and marriage between JFK Jr. and fashion publicist Bessette; the resulting media attention; and the couple’s tragic death in a plane crash off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard in 1999.
Murphy himself took to Instagram on June 13, 2025, to introduce Pidgeon and Kelly in their respective roles, sharing stills from a recent camera test in which the actors are outfitted in their characters’ signature styles. As Hollywood-centric content creator John Joseph Krukowski put it in the comments, “Your mom and grandma’s favorite influencer is READY! 🎬”
“Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices,” Murphy wrote in his caption for the post. “Congratulations Sarah and Paul!”
The caption also mentioned that American Love Story is currently filming in New York City, having officially launched production earlier this week. Murphy teased that the series is set to drop on FX “Valentine’s Day week of 2026.”
This story will be updated.
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