Paul Anthony Kelly & Sarah Pidgeon on Transforming into JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette (Exclusive)

In the ‘90s, they were the most glamorous couple in the world — the Kennedy heir John F. Kennedy and his blonde ingenue wife Carolyn Bessette.

Now, their headline-making relationship is the subject of “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.” 

“Extra” sat down with stars Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon, who play the couple in the FX series by Ryan Murphy.

Sarah noted, “From the moment he walked in and we started doing a scene, I think there was this sense of trust and familiarity and it’s just so easy to hang out with them… You learn so much about someone when you spend 14-15 hours a day with them. I think that the friendship and care was evident in all of the different moments of the script… that first connection, the tension that appears in every relationship, passion, their struggle with maintaining the integrity of their private life despite a lot of pressure from the public.”

John and Carolyn’s romance captivated the nation before ending in tragedy with a fatal plane crash in the Atlantic. 

To transform into John, Paul had to hit the gym and change up his hairstyle.

He shared, “I had to change a lot of things. I had to change my voice a little bit. I’m Canadian, so I worked with a dialect coach to get into John’s like cool lackadaisical New York cadence and rhythm. He’s got a little bit of a lisp thing.” 

Paul watched “a lot of interviews” of John for research. He noted, “There’s so much on him that I was able to rely on and review and imbue into the character.”

As for Sarah, she worked with a movement coach to embody Carolyn.