Paul Anthony Kelly

Paul Anthony Kelly
Kelly in 2026
Born
Paul Anthony Kelly

(1988-10-01) October 1, 1988 (age 38)
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. 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. 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. 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. As a model, he worked for brands like Rhone Apparel, Vivienne Westwood, Bonobos, John Varvatos, Loro Piana, Perry Ellis, and Brooks Brothers.

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

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

Personal life

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

Filmography

Film

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

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2026 Love Story John F. Kennedy Jr. Lead role; 9 episodes
American Horror Story: 13 Young Nas Recurring role; 3 episodes

Awards and nominations

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

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.