Sarah Pidgeon channels Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy through fashion in 'Love Story'

Sarah Pidgeon has credited Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s iconic fashion as a key influence in bringing the late style icon to life in FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.

The 29-year-old Tony-winning actress, who portrays Bessette-Kennedy in the series, told People that stepping into Carolyn’s wardrobe helped her channel the publicist-turned-first-lady’s private yet high-profile persona. 

“Her clothing really helped inform the character,” Pidgeon explained. “It makes you stand in a different way, and it sort of holds you in and protects you.”

For Pidgeon, high-fashion pieces particularly works by Yohji Yamamoto, felt “transformative,” reflecting Carolyn’s evolution from her more carefree mid-twenties in New York to the poised figure seen by the public. 

“Especially from her messier, more wild mid-twenties, where we start the series… it really helped me understand her presence and the way she navigated the press,” Pidgeon added.

Despite facing criticism over her resemblance to Bessette-Kennedy in early test photos, Pidgeon said it reinforced the responsibility she felt to honor the couple’s story. “It reminded me of the weight of this responsibility and wanting to do these people justice,” she said.

Pidgeon also praised her co-star, Paul Anthony Kelly, who plays John F. Kennedy Jr., saying that the role demanded trust and collaboration. “The learning curve was steep, but we did it,” she noted.

Based on Elizabeth Beller’s biography Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the series chronicles the whirlwind romance, marriage, and intense media scrutiny surrounding one of America’s most iconic couples. 

John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn were married in 1996 and tragically died in a plane crash in 1999 alongside Carolyn’s sister Lauren Bessette.

The FX series also stars Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein, Leila George as Kelly Klein, Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette, and Constance Zimmer as Ann Marie Messina.