On Saturday night, an intimate tastemaker dinner held at Chateau Marmont’s Penthouse 64 was hosted by Variety in partnership with FX, and celebrated the show’s seven Emmy nominations. Senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay introduced executive producer Nina Jacobson who provided the night’s opening remarks. Jacobson revealed that while they had found their Carolyn Bessette in actress Sarah Pidgeon, the production was three weeks out from shooting and they hadn’t cast an actor to play America’s very own Prince Charming, their JFK Jr.
Jacobson said, “We were honestly thinking maybe we pull the plug because if we couldn’t find him, we couldn’t make this. And this couple that was so iconic — you couldn’t have somebody who didn’t really perfectly fit.” But then Paul Anthony Kelly came in, and the magic happened. She added, “These two people felt so right together.
Sarah was the one who got to tell him that he got the part after they read together.” The nine-episode series tells the romantic and tragic story of JFK Jr. and Bessette, starting with the day they met. The series also stars Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy, Naomi Watts as Jackie O, Alessandro Nivola as Calvin Klein and Constance Zimmer as Ann Marie Messina, Bessette’s mother. Joining Jacobson at Saturday’s event were Kelly, Pidgeon, Zimmer and the show’s casting directors Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels.
Jacobson talked about the show’s success and why she felt it resonated with audiences. During dinner, Zimmer revealed, “This is the first character I’ve played that I haven’t been able to let go of because I really felt her struggle.” In the show, Zimmer’s character questions the high-profile relationship a day before their wedding. She asks Carolyn what John has sacrificed for her in comparison to all that she has given up for him.
During their wedding, Ann goes off script and expresses her reservations — even as John tries to reassure her. On tapping into that emotional core, and giving such a heartfelt speech, Zimmer said, “The fact that she was an elementary teacher told me so much that she had so much patience and that she was so ready to always and and give with information and wisdom. You can give that to your children, but to give it to an entire audience at a wedding — that, for me, felt like she thought, ‘This is the only moment I have, and I don’t care what any of these people think about me.'” It’s hard to believe it now, but after years of modeling and auditioning, Kelly was ready to give up acting.
But when everyone saw him and Pidgeon together, the magic happened. She revealed that it was Pidgeon who got to tell him he had landed the role after they read together. Kelly also revealed the first scene he shot.
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