American Love Story casting: Ryan Murphy casts Paul Kelly, Sarah Pidgeon and Naomi Watts as JFK Jr., Carolyn Bessette and Jackie Kennedy after 1000 auditions for ‘John John’

Given their status as one of the most iconic duos of the past 30 years, finding actors to play John F. Kennedy, Jr and Carolyn Bessette was always going to be a challenge.

But after almost four years of speculation, we finally know who’ll be bringing the ’90s ‘It’ couple to our screens almost 26 years after their tragic deaths in a plane crash.

Prolific TV director Ryan Murphy will track the romance between the son of John F. and Jackie Kennedy and the fashion publicist in his next series, American Love Story, which was first announced in 2021.

READ MORE: How JFK Jr and Carolyn Bessette managed to pull off a secret wedding

The new JFK Jr and Carolyn

In March, it was announced Sarah Pidgeon had been cast as Bessette, the Calvin Klein staffer who become one of the most enduring style icons of the ’90s.

Now, two months later, it’s been confirmed Aussie actress Naomi Watts will be stepping into the role of former US first lady and Kennedy matriarch Jackie, with JFK Jr to be played by Paul Kelly.

(No, not the Aussie music icon who brought us How To Make Gravy.)

READ MORE: Kate’s Victoria Beckham suit raises eyebrows amid feud talk

Evidently, the role of “John-John” – a society icon, publisher and journalist, not to mention prominent heartthrob – was a highly sought-after one.

According to pop culture commentator Evan Ross Katz, close to 1000 actors auditioned to play him, with the casting process taking six months.

American Love Story will mark Kelly’s breakout role into Hollywood.

READ MORE: ‘It was a challenging time’: James Middleton on Kate’s cancer fight

The model has previously done some theatre work but this will be his first major screen credit.

Pidgeon, meanwhile, is known for her roles in TV series The Wilds and Tiny Beautiful Things, and will star in the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot film.

She’s also an award-winning Broadway star, thanks to her role in Stereophonic.

Watts, of course, needs no introduction.

The Oscar-nominated Australian actress has a long list of screen credits to her name, including Mulholland Drive, The Impossible and The Ring.

She’s also become a regular star in the Murphy-verse, starring in his previous series The Swans and The Watcher. She’ll also appear in his upcoming show All’s Fair.

Big-name stars who’ve dated members of the Kennedy family

So, what is American Love Story about?

Anyone who remembers the ’90s will know what a big deal JFK Jr and Carolyn were – we’re talking Prince Harry and Meghan levels of fame.

The pair began dating in 1994, and it didn’t take long for their romance to become a global fixation.

As JFK Jr was one of the world’s most eligible bachelors, there was naturally plenty of fascination in the woman who’d stolen his heart.

For years, photos of JFK and Carolyn strolling the streets of New York, attending society events and, yes, having very public arguments in Central Park dominated the pages of tabloids.

In 1996, they managed the impossible: a secret wedding.

Despite the rampant interest in their lives – not to mention the constant presence of paparazzi – the September 21 ceremony was a complete secret from the press.

They tied the knot in a church on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. Carolyn wore a bias-cut crepe silk slip dress by Narciso Rodriguez – a garment that has gone on to inspire countless brides – with Manolo Blahnik heels.

For two decades, the only image from the event released to the public was a photo of John kissing his beaming bride’s hand as they exited the church.

By 1999, there was plenty of speculation about the couple’s marriage, with rumours of conflict and a potential divorce.

Kennedy family tree: A who’s who of the influential family

However, the year had tragedy in store.

On the night of July 16, they were flying to Martha’s Vineyard for a family wedding with Carolyn’s sister, Lauren Bessette.

Piloting the single-engine aircraft, John departed New Jersey at 8:38pm but lost control of the plane over the Atlantic Ocean roughly an hour later. All three died in the crash.

The news stunned the world, and the Kennedy and Bessette families shared their grief in a joint statement.

“John and Carolyn were true soul mates,” the families said, adding they took “solace in the thought that together they will comfort Lauren for eternity.”

Twenty-six years on, there’s still plenty of interest in the couple, with Carolyn in particular enduring as an icon of luxe, minimalist style.

Release date

We don’t know when, exactly, Murphy will release American Love Story.

However, the producer is known to work at a rapid pace, so there’s every chance we’ll get our first glimpse of the show sometime this year.

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.