Sarah Pidgeon Wanted to Be 'as Truthful as Possible' as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in 'Love Story' (Exclusive)
Sarah Pidgeon Wanted to Be 'as Truthful as Possible' as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in 'Love Story' (Exclusive)
Deirdre DurkanWed, April 29, 2026 at 6:46 PM UTC
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Sarah Pidgeon; Carolyn Bessette KennedyCredit: TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic; Justin Ide/getty -
Sarah Pidgeon says she was in “constant pursuit” of being “as truthful as possible” while portraying Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
The Love Story star spoke with PEOPLE about the pressure of playing a real-life figure in the Kennedy family
“I think it was an effort to just never really take my foot off the gas,” she said
Sarah Pidgeon is reflecting on the responsibility and emotional weight of playing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.
While attending Disney’s Toast to Television red carpet event in Los Angeles on Monday, April 27, the actress spoke with PEOPLE about portraying the late fashion executive in Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, revealing the process she used to take on the role.
“I think it was an effort to just never really take my foot off the gas,” Pidgeon, 29, tells PEOPLE.
She adds, “I was in constant pursuit of trying to evoke her essence and stay true to the character that I had built off of all the research that I did on Carolyn. So I think that was my way of honoring her — a constant pursuit of feeling like I was trying to be as truthful as possible with the script and then the knowledge that I had of her and marrying those together.”
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in 'Love Story'Credit: FX
The Carnegie Mellon School of Drama graduate, who grew up in Michigan, stars opposite Paul Anthony Kelly (John F. Kennedy Jr.) in the FX series, which follows the couple’s highly publicized romance — from their early relationship to their tragic deaths.
Taking on a real-life figure tied to one of America’s most recognizable political dynasties came with added pressure, something Pidgeon has previously acknowledged. “It’s not just on your own inspiration to come up with a character, and there’s a sense of responsibility to approach it with as much truth and integrity as one can,” she told PEOPLE earlier this year. “There was a pressure, I think, on it and an awareness that you were playing a real person.”
That pressure was only heightened when early images from the production sparked backlash online. “It reinforced and reminded me of just how beloved these people are, and people are protective of their story,” she said. “It reminded me of the weight of this responsibility and wanting to do these people justice.”
Still, the actress said at the time that the fast-paced nature of filming helped her stay grounded in the work. “It was so helpful to just not have time to think,” Pidgeon said. “I think the more I do this, the less time you have to think, sometimes, the better.”
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Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 3, 2026Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty
During Monday's event, Pidgeon explained that she "learned a lot," from her experience in Love Story, calling it "really great to play a young woman with so much sort of ferocity in her protection of her friendships, her private life."
"She had very strong opinions, very self-possessed, and I don’t know if Sarah always exhibits those qualities," she says. "And to be able to embody someone with the fearlessness that she did that she had... I hope that it rubbed off on me. I mean, it was wonderful to be able to play that sort of without abandon.”
Pidgeon also says she’d jump at the chance to return to Love Story creator Ryan Murphy’s world. "I mean, he puts together such wonderful projects. Some such an incredible ensemble of people," she says. "I had the best time working on the show. I'd work with everyone again in a heartbeat.”
As for what's next for her, the actress is keeping an open mind and leaning into the unknown.
“I have not been able to put my finger on what I want to do next, you know,” she says. “I think it’s quite hard to quantify, but I think I just want to keep going toward things that excite me and inspire me with great filmmakers and a wonderful ensemble and things that make me, I suppose, feel, feel a little fearful in a good way.”
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Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette can be streamed on Hulu.
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