Paul Anthony Kelly

Paul Anthony Kelly
Kelly in 2026
Born
Paul Anthony Kelly

(1988-10-01) October 1, 1988
Port McNicoll, Ontario, Canada
Occupations
  • Model
  • actor
Years activec. 2013–present
Spouse
Syd Widziszewski
​
(m. 2023)​
Children1

Paul Anthony Kelly (born October 1, 1988) is a Canadian model and actor based in the United States. He is best known for portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. in the first season of the FX anthology miniseries Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.

Early life and career

Kelly was born in the small Canadian town of Port McNicoll, Ontario, on October 1, 1988.[1][2] He is the eldest of four children. He later moved to Toronto and while working at American Apparel, he was discovered by two talent scouts and began modelling after signing a contract with Ford Models.[3] From there he moved to New York City, where he began auditioning for acting roles whilst still working as a model, signing with the agency Innovative Artists.[2][4] He did not find work in acting for a decade, except for a project called The Venery of Samantha Bird, which was ultimately never released in part due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[5][6] As a model, he worked for brands like Rhone Apparel, Vivienne Westwood,[7] Bonobos, John Varvatos, Loro Piana, Perry Ellis, and Brooks Brothers.[2][8][9]

Despite having no professional acting experience, he was cast as John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story shortly before filming was scheduled to commence.[10] He was cast after a successful chemistry read and screen test with Sarah Pidgeon.[11]

In June 2026, it was announced Kelly would star in The Housemaid's Secret, alongside Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst.[12]

Personal life

Kelly married Syd Widziszewski in May 2023,[13] with whom he had his first child in early 2026.[14] They live in Portland, Oregon,[4] having previously lived in California.[13] Kelly is a permanent resident of the United States as of 2025.[2]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2027 The Housemaid's Secret † Douglas Garrick Pre-production [15]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2026 Love Story John F. Kennedy Jr. Lead role; 9 episodes [16]
American Horror Story: 13 † TBA Post-production [17]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2026 Newport Beach TV Fest Breakout Award Love Story Won [18]

References

  1. ↑ Salehaldin, Syameen (February 19, 2026). "Fun Facts About Paul Anthony Kelly From "Love Story"". Harper's Bazaar Malaysia.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Ottenberg, Mel (December 17, 2025). "Paul Anthony Kelly Tells Mel Ottenberg How He Became John-John". Interview.
  3. ↑ Ang, Raymond (February 24, 2026). "How Love Story's Paul Anthony Kelly Became JFK Jr". GQ.
  4. 1 2 Sarkar, Ishani (February 14, 2026). "Meet Paul Anthony Kelly, who plays John F. Kennedy Jr in Ryan Murphy's Love Story". South China Morning Post.
  5. ↑ O'Connell, Mikey (September 25, 2023). "Starz Cancels Three Series and Scraps Another". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. ↑ Shafiq, Saman (February 19, 2026). "'Love Story' star Paul Kelly Anthony has the internet obsessed. See why". USA Today.
  7. ↑ "Vivienne Westwood SS/14 Men's Show". models.com.
  8. ↑ Dixon, Lucy (February 12, 2026). "The Cast of Love Story Compared to Their Real-Life Counterparts". Harper's Bazaar.
  9. ↑ McCartney, Claire Valentine (March 25, 2025). "Everything to Know About Ryan Murphy's American Love Story". W Magazine.
  10. ↑ Moon, Kat (February 14, 2026). "FX's Love Story Almost Pushed Back Filming Because They Didn't Have a John F. Kennedy Jr. Then Came Paul Anthony Kelly". TV Guide.
  11. ↑ Seth, Radhika (February 12, 2026). "Meet the Star-Crossed Leads of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette". Vogue. Condé Nast.
  12. ↑ Grobar, Matt (June 11, 2026). "Paul Anthony Kelly Joins 'The Housemaid's Secret' In Film Debut". Deadline. Retrieved June 12, 2026.
  13. 1 2 Pedrejón, Isabel (February 19, 2026). "Sir John F. Kennedy Jr.: the great opportunity that Canadian actor Paul Anthony Kelly has been waiting for". El Mundo.
  14. ↑ Wayman, Sasha (February 25, 2026). "Love Story's Paul Anthony Kelly Welcomes First Baby with Wife Syd Widziszewski-Kelly". E! Online. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ Grobar, Matt (June 11, 2026). "Paul Anthony Kelly Joins 'The Housemaid's Secret' In Film Debut". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  16. ↑ Nemetz, Dave (June 13, 2025). "American Love Story Offers A First Look At Its JFK Jr. And Carolyn Bessette — Plus, Find Out When It Premieres". TVLine. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  18. ↑ "Mindy Kaling wins Artist of Distinction Award at Newport fest". New India Abroad. June 9, 2026. Retrieved June 9, 2026.
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