Actors reflect on portraying JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Actors Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon share how they brought John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette to life beyond their media portrayals.
Jack Schlossberg, Democratic candidate for Congress and nephew of John F. Kennedy Jr., this week criticized the creators of the FX series documenting his uncle’s relationship, accusing them of glossing over his contributions as a public servant.
Schlossberg made the comments during an April 15 episode of the iHeartRadio original podcast “Next Question with Katie Couric,” reminding viewers that while the show is based on his family, it’s fictional.
Schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy, JFK Jr.’s older sister, admitted he did not watch the series, but said he showed his mother a clip of her character on the show.
“We’re just laughing so hard as if that’s how my mom acts,” he said.
When Couric pointed out that the show has garnered the attention of millions of viewers, he said no one cares, and called it a “stupid show.”
The comments were just a snippet of the interview, during which he talked about why he’s running for Congress, the dangers of artificial intelligence and getting President Donald Trump out of office.
Produced by Ryan Murphy, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette” premiered Feb. 12 on FX and was then added to Hulu and the Hulu on Disney+ bundle for subscribers to stream. The nine-episode series is based on Elizabeth Beller’s book “Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.” The show stars Sarah Pidgeon as Bessette-Kennedy and Paul Anthony Kelly as JFK Jr.
USA TODAY contacted FX on April 17 for comment on Schlossberg’s remarks, but has not received a response.
JFK Jr.’s nephew says he was a ‘very serious person’
While discussing the show on the podcast episode, Schlossberg said he and his family members aren’t just celebrities.
“My uncle John did a lot to try to advance the causes of progress in his time,” he said, noting that he worked at a district attorney’s office.
Schlossberg added, “He was a very serious person, and so to fictionalize and to sensationalize his romantic life without giving any credence to the serious things that he did … is part of the problem.”
During his 38 years, JFK Jr. earned a degree in American Studies from Brown University in 1983; worked for the New York City Office of Business Development; and earned a law degree from New York University School of Law in 1989, according to Biography.com.
He worked as an assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, then became a prosecutor before resigning in July 1993, per Biography.com.
During a 1993 interview with Vogue, he said he considered running for office, but he wasn’t 100% sure it was the right move for him.
He later tried his hand at journalism, and in 1995, co-founded the nonpartisan magazine George, which sold nearly 500,000 copies of its first issue, according to Biography.com. He served as editor-in-chief of the magazine. When he died in June 1999, he had recently learned the magazine’s publisher was shutting down publication. The magazine continued running for another 18 months after his death.
‘The guy knows nothing,’ Schlossberg previously said about FX show’s creator
During this week’s interview, Couric told Schlossberg that his parents weren’t portrayed positively, to which Schlossberg seemed to agree. He said his parents are “the two nicest, most dignified, private people in the whole world who do nothing but help others.”
He also poked fun at his father Edwin Schlossberg’s style choices in the show, referencing a “plaid outfit.”
“My dad’s the most stylish guy I’ve ever met, so it’s funny,” he said.
This is not the first time Schlossberg has criticized Murphy or the show. During a March 1 interview with CBS Sunday Morning, he pointed out that Murphy is making money by using the show as a “grotesque display of someone else’s life.”
“If you want to know someone who’s never met anyone in my family, knows nothing about us, talk to Ryan Murphy,” he said in March. “The guy knows nothing about what he’s talking about.”
When “CBS Sunday Morning” asked Schlossberg what he wanted the world to know about JFK Jr., he said his uncle was ahead of his time, using George magazine to teach people about politics in a way that was “exciting and fun and relevant.”
“He recognized where politics and media were headed, and that was closer and closer together,” he said. “He did his best to try to inform people about the critical issues of the 90s in his day by blending politics and media in a new and creative way. Exactly the kind of thing I’m trying to do with my campaign.”
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s trending team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at [email protected].
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