NEED TO KNOW
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s life and romance is being explored onscreen in FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette
Constance Zimmer, who plays Carolyn’s mom in the series, opens up to PEOPLE about her role
Zimmer says the portrayal was “even more devastating” for her when she was on set
Constance Zimmer says her emotions were right on the surface during her portrayal of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy‘s mother in FX’s new series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
The new Ryan Murphy series tracks the romance of JFK Jr. and Carolyn (played by Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon respectively) from the time they meet to their tragic death. Zimmer plays Carolyn’s mother, Ann Messina, and opened up at the New York City premiere on Feb. 3 about why channeling the complex emotions that Ann experienced came easily to her.
“At the core, love and grief is universal, so whether you are a mother or aren’t a mother, it’s like, we all can relate to falling in love and the struggles that come with it, and the part of it that is the hardest is the other side of this story,” Zimmer says, referring to the couple’s tragic deaths in 1999.
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
“I think for me, as a mom, it’s even more devastating, but I think it’s just devastating across the board,” she says. Zimmer shares 18-year-old daughter Colette Zoe with husband Russ Lamoureux.
Being a mom in real life meant that “all of those emotions are there at all times,” Zimmer, 55, admits, getting emotional, she says, “I don’t need to prepare for it — clearly.”
Playing Carolyn’s mom in the series was “the most emotionally gratifying” role of her career, Zimmer wrote on Instagram after her casting was announced in November.
“From the script to the cast and crew, this project moved me in so many ways, I’m so beyond grateful to be a part of it!” she wrote.
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FX
Per the official description, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette “charts the complex and heartbreaking journey of a couple whose private love became a national obsession.”
Alongside Pidgeon and Kelly as the titular couple and Zimmer as Messina, the series also stars Naomi Watts as Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein, Leila George as Kelly Klein and Sydney Lemmon as Lauren Bessette.
The first three episodes of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette premiere Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on FX and Hulu. New episodes air Thursdays.
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