What To Know About Love Story's JFK Jr., Paul Anthony Kelly

It's hard to step into the shoes of John F. Kennedy Jr. After all, the stunning son of the late president John F. Kennedy was the closest thing we had to royalty in the United States. Born only a few weeks after his father won the presidential election, Kennedy grew up in the public eye and had a string of high-profile relationships — including a fling with Sarah Jessica Parker — before eventually settling down with fashion publicist Carolyn Bessette. Their ill-fated romance captivated the world before JFK Jr. and Bessette's fatal plane crash in 1999, and it's currently receiving the star treatment thanks to Ryan Murphy's limited series, "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette."

Casting the perfect actor was quite the challenge, with executive producer Brad Simpson telling People that the JFK Jr. look is seemingly extinct these days, explaining, "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." Enter Paul Anthony Kelly, a Canadian model who fortunately managed to embody that exact aesthetic in a 6-foot-2-inch frame (just 1 inch taller than Kennedy himself). "Love Story" marks Kelly's first major acting role, which means there's a lot to learn about the stunning star. Let's dive into some fun facts about this handsome hunk.

Paul Anthony Kelly was a total newcomer to the world of acting before he landed the role of John F. Kennedy Jr. in "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette." Kelly only has one other IMDb credit listed to his name — "Photo Model" in two episodes of the Canadian drama "Body Language" back in 2010. So, when the casting began for "Love Story," he wasn't exactly an obvious choice. 

Executive producer Brad Simpson explained to People that the Kennedy role was nearly impossible to fill, but Kelly encapsulated exactly what they were looking for — and they found him just in time. "We were about to shut down production and pause because we couldn't find him," Simpson revealed. Since Kelly was cast just a few weeks before shooting was scheduled to begin, he didn't have much time to prepare. "I was kind of thrust into this position with no time to think about anything else," he told GQ, adding, "As soon as I got cast, I hit the books as much as I could — in typical John Jr. fashion as well, a cram session."

Kelly reflected to that same outlet on how much the role changed his life, noting, "I've been trying all these years to break in. But all it takes is one, and I got this one that was really, I guess, right for me, or I was right for it. It was a very kind of kismet situation, and here we are."

Paul Anthony Kelly hails from a tiny town in Ontario, Canada. Long before he landed the role as a member of the Kennedy family, he was first discovered after making a move within his native country. Kelly told Interview in November 2025, "I'm from Canada. Small town. Port McNicoll. Middle of nowhere. Moved to Toronto, got scouted for modeling, did that for a long time, which got me to New York. From there, I really wanted to start acting." 

While speaking to GQ a few months later, he opened up about being discovered, revealing that he was actually working at an American Apparel in Toronto when two talent scouts first spotted him, leading to a modeling contract with Ford Models. "I wore eyeliner and I was wearing the tightest jeans and pointy shoes I could find. ... And they saw past it," the brunette stunner explained. It turns out that he came by that punk rock edge naturally. He told the outlet that he grew up rocking the alternative style, revealing, "I went to a uniform school with a seven-inch mohawk, and I used to, like, paint my eyes red with makeup. I wore makeup all through high school, eyeliner, and took my pants in so they were, like, skintight. ... I'm a true metalhead at heart."

If Paul Anthony Kelly looks familiar, it may not just be due to his striking resemblance to John F. Kennedy Jr. After being discovered, Kelly worked steadily as a model for years, finding success with both print and runway work. Ironically, it was while he was modeling that he first heard that he looked a lot like Kennedy. Kelly told Interview, "I used to get it a lot, especially early in my modeling career, when I was working with Brooks Brothers. I didn't really see it then."

Making the transition from modeling to acting, particularly to play Kennedy, took a little bit of work on Kelly's part — namely, bulking up to play the famous hunk. "I had to beef up a little bit, which was great. I was model size before, so I had to go from a 38 U.S. size/48 European to then like a 52 — that's two sizes. Pretty big jump in three weeks, but we did it," he told GQ.

There was also another big change he got to make to play Kennedy — he was finally able to embrace his chest hair. While he explained that he often had to "shave it down for shoots" as a model, for the "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" role, he got to embrace it and "keep it au natural."

When portraying a real person, actors often have unique ways to prepare for a role. Paul Anthony Kelly was no different, and he fortunately had a lot of resources to tap into before shooting "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette." "He's a very well-documented individual, so I was able to consistently go back and rely, review, [and] interpret that information," Kelly told People. 

One resource in particular really helped the Canadian actor take on the iconic American: listening to an audiobook that Kennedy himself read aloud. "He narrates his father's book, 'Profiles in Courage,' so I would listen to that every day before getting to set. I'd do my little breathing exercises and then put that on and do a little hear and repeat," Kelly explained to the outlet.

While hearing Kennedy's own voice was instrumental in his prep, Kelly also spoke to Interview about working with an "incredible" dialect coach, Jerome Butler. The actor credited Butler with helping him erase his "Canadianisms." He also revealed that he spent a lot of time watching videos on YouTube, adding, "I've rehearsed a lot of things from 'Larry King Live.' His interview there was really good. I used it to understand his mannerisms in those kinds of situations, and the way he spoke." 

We hate to break it to you, but Paul Anthony Kelly has been off the market since 2023. The Canadian hunk is married to freelance film production coordinator Syd Widziszewski-Kelly, whose credits include "Don't Worry Darling" and "Black Maria." Though he didn't announce the happy news on social media immediately after their marriage, Kelly shared a sentimental post on Instagram in honor of their one-year anniversary back in 2024, writing, "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."

Fast forward to Kelly scoring a life-changing role in "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," and Widziszewski-Kelly has been by his side every step of the way. Kelly told Glamour UK that she was often on the set, sharing, "My wife was present for making the vast majority of it." And when asked if his other half was ready for his inevitable rise to fame, he thoughtfully replied, "I don't know if anyone's prepared for what might happen. We'll see. We're just taking it in stride, and I'm so lucky for this wonderful support system." 

Now that he's a worldwide heartthrob, Kelly reminded his massive amount of new followers of his relationship status in February 2026, sharing a sweet carousel of photos on Instagram alongside Widziszewski-Kelly with the caption, "Couldn't live life without you. To forever and ever-again." 

2026 has been a life-changing year for Paul Anthony Kelly. Not only has he made his acting debut in  "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," but he also welcomed his first child with wife Syd Widziszewski-Kelly. While stopping by "The Kelly Clarkson Show" in February 2026, host Clarkson shared the exciting news, "You just became a dad!" to which Kelly replied, "I did, yeah. Thank you so much." When Clarkson asked if he was tired, he replied, "That's, like, an understatement."

Though he didn't reveal the baby's name or gender, Kelly had shared more about the pregnancy while speaking to Interview in November 2025. The actor told the outlet that not only did he get a producer callback for the "Love Story" role on the same day as his second wedding anniversary celebrations, but his wife also chose that day to tell him she was pregnant, explaining, "May 1 was a big day."

It turned out that the baby also had another tie to his career-making role. As Kelly shared at the time, "The baby comes in January. Originally, the baby was estimated to come [on] January 7, which was Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's birthday."

It's amazing what can happen in a year. Paul Anthony Kelly first got his start as a model, where he booked dozens of print ads for big names like Brooks Brothers, Bonobos, Banana Republic Factory, and Eddie Bauer, to name just a few, as well as walking the runway for big names such as Vivienne Westwood. But since landing his first major acting role as John F. Kennedy Jr. in "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," he can officially hang up his modeling hat. Instead of strutting down the catwalk, Kelly now gets invited to sit front row at fashion shows.

Since landing the iconic Kennedy role, Kelly has attended not one, but two Dior menswear shows — rubbing elbows with stars like Robert Pattinson and Hollywood it girl Anya Taylor-Joy — and caught a Tom Ford show. At his second Dior show, Kelly opened up to Women's Wear Daily about his sudden rise to fame and this transition into suddenly sitting front row, explaining, "I thought that there would be a little bit more of a ladder process. But I put in the hard work, and I had a blast and great support. I'm excited for whatever comes next."

Since he comes from the modeling world, it's no surprise that Paul Anthony Kelly has impeccable fashion sense. But it is surprising that he often sports things we could picture on John F. Kennedy Jr. himself. Vogue summed up Kelly's looks best, writing, "He opts for classic, clean silhouettes, leather blazers, precisely tailored suits, and coats that fall just below the knee, offering subtle references to the 1990s. It is precisely that understated quality that makes him the right man to talk about when it comes to method dressing."

The actor himself has weighed in on his own fashion sense. While attending a Dior menswear show, Kelly told Women's Wear Daily that playing the role of Kennedy rubbed off on his style, explaining it taught him to be more playful with fashion. "I got to be styled after a certain gentleman who always had fun with it," he said. "And I think that there's a confidence when you make it your own. You don't take it too seriously."

Kelly also credits a few other legendary men with shaping his personal style, citing multiple iconic performers of days gone by. As he told GQ, "A lot of my style inspiration comes from the same people that kind of got me into acting, which was Cary Grant, one of the most stylish men on the face of the earth. Dean Martin, again, the coolest, coolest member of the Rat Pack." Kelly also takes inspiration from his own family, praising his grandfather for being "a big proponent of the way I dress and the way I hold myself."

After making such a splash on "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette" and becoming "the internet's boyfriend," as co-star Sarah Pidgeon predicted to GQ, the world is wondering what comes next for Paul Anthony Kelly. As one fan astutely shared on X, "His agent better be working 24/7 to make him the next household name."

If a large faction of the internet has its say, the Canadian actor may be stepping into another pair of very famous shoes: Batman. "The Brave and the Bold" is a new Batman flick in development for the DC Universe. With Robert Pattinson not taking on the lead role, social media is abuzz with demand for Kelly to take on the legendary part. As one X user wrote, "Genuinely don't think any other real person has ever looked more Bruce Wayne in their life."

When speaking to GQ, Kelly was informed of the internet buzz and asked about the prospect of playing the Caped Crusader. The handsome actor enthusiastically replied, "If that's what they say, then who am I to say no? I mean, that would be a dream come true." "Love Story" executive producer Brad Simpson likes that idea, but has even more non-superhero aspirations for Kelly, too. He told the outlet, "Sure, he can play Batman the way the internet wants him to, and he can go do superhero roles. What I really hope people do is create Cary Grant–style roles for him, 'His Girl Friday'–style roles. That's the sort of thing I think he'd be incredible at."

While most working actors reside in Los Angeles or New York City, Paul Anthony Kelly calls an unusual city his home base. He currently lives with his wife, Syd Widziszewski-Kelly, in Portland, Oregon.

Kelly opened up to Interview about his new residence, explaining that it was actually the California wildfires that prompted that surprising locale. "I was living on the Altadena/Pasadena border when our town burned down, so we relocated to Portland after the fires. We absolutely love it there, so we're going to stay," Kelly explained. Though he revealed their home was fortunately spared in the fires, unlike a lot of celebrities, the natural disaster is what spurred the move. He explained, "We took our cat and dog and drove up to Portland. We went back a few days after, packed everything up, put it in a U-Haul truck, and drove up."

While speaking to the outlet back in November, the actor was still filming "Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette," in New York City, but explained that the couple was planning to head back to Portland for a very special reason, sharing, "My wife and I need to go back home and start nesting. The baby comes in January."