Ryan Murphy's 'American Love Story' Has a New Name—and First Look Photos Lauren PuckettPopeJanuary 16, 2026 at 12:49 AM 1 After wrapping up her acclaimed run with the 1970sset Broadway play Stereophonic last fall, ELLE Hollywood Rising honoree Sarah Pidgeon is stepping into her most highprofile period piece yet—this time with both feet planted in the '90s. In Ryan Murphy's upcoming FX series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette (originally titled American Love Story), she will play the fashion icon Carolyn BessetteKennedy, with newcomer Paul Kelly as her husband, John F.
- - Ryan Murphy's 'American Love Story' Has a New Name—and First Look Photos
Lauren Puckett-PopeJanuary 16, 2026 at 12:49 AM
1
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 Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette (originally titled 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), 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 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."
Why is the series no longer titled American Love Story?
In January 2026, Vanity Fair shared the first official images from the series and revealed that it was retitled Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, moving away from its original working title, American Love Story. Executive producer Brad Simpson explained, "We wanted the show to have international appeal. If people like the story and we're looking for new love stories to do, we don't want to be confined by just America."
This story will be .
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Published: January 15, 2026 at 10:36PM on Source: ANDY MAG
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