Latest news with #RyanMurphy
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John F. Kennedy Jr.'s nephew slams 'grotesque' Ryan Murphy biopic
Jack Schlossberg has slammed Ryan Murphy's upcoming show about his late family members, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Filming is underway on the FX series American Love Story, with Paul Kelly playing JFK Jr. and Sarah Pidgeon portraying his wife, Carolyn. Taking to Instagram on Thursday, Jack - the son of JFK Jr.'s sister Caroline Kennedy - called out Ryan and the other producers for not consulting with the Kennedy family. "Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr., a great man," he began. "For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with, the new shows being made about him, the answer is no. And there's really not much we can do. "The right to privacy, which includes the ability to control your own name, image, and likeness, doesn't survive death in the state of New York," the 32-year-old continued. "For that matter, he's considered a public figure, so there's not much we can do." Elsewhere, Jack asked Ryan to consider making a donation to some of the charities his late uncle supported. "I hope those making these shows about him take seriously what he stood for in his life, all that he achieved in it. And that they donate some of the profits (that) they're making," the writer added. "For the record, I think admiration for my Uncle John is great. What I don't think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way." Representatives for Ryan and FX have not yet responded to the comments. American Love Story is set to premiere in February 2026. The first instalment is expected to focus on JFK Jr. and Carolyn's whirlwind courtship and marriage in 1996. JFK Jr., the son of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, fashion publicist Carolyn, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, died in a plane crash in 1999.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The case of Leslie Abramson vs. Marcia Clark: Ari Graynor and Sarah Paulson on ‘defending' their characters
Marcia Clark and Leslie Abramson may have been on opposite sides of the legal aisle, but the women who played them on TV — Sarah Paulson and Ari Graynor — are actually close friends. It stands to reason — beyond those impossibly curly wigs, they're both magna cum laude graduates of Ryan Murphy Acting University, trained in bringing humanity and depth to their real-life counterparts, and upending long-held public perception. "I learned a lot about how what we see we cannot take at face value, even when we think we know a story, we really know so little of it," says Graynor, who's contending for a leading actress nomination for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. "I think this was such a massive reminder about the speed with which there is immense judgment and feelings of assurance of knowing exactly what someone is, what something is, and it never being the full story.' More from GoldDerby In Pixar's 'Elio,' Easter eggs are literally written in the stars - will you be able to spot them all? 'The messier, the better': How 'Andor' created the epic, heart-shattering Ghorman Massacre Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Just like The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story before it, Monsters changed the narrative of the characters at the center of the story — so much so that the Menendez brothers' case is now back in the spotlight. 'I would personally like to see a conversation between Marcia Clark and Leslie Abramson,' says Paulson, who won the Emmy Award in 2016 for her portrayal of Clark in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story Failing that, Gold Derby instead secured an exclusive conversation between their on-screen doubles. Here, the two actors reveal why they prefer playing real people, their experiences working with uberproducer Murphy — and yes, those wigs. Gold Derby: Sarah, given the way that crossed over with the O.J. case, I kept wondering if you were going to have a cameo as Marcia. Sarah Paulson: Listen, if Ryan had called and asked me to do it, nothing would have made me happier. Because when I was watching it, I, too, was like, "Wow, this is so wild, the time period that this took place in." These two women obviously at different ends of the judicial spectrum — what a wild time for both of these women to be thrust into the spotlight, women who are very successful in their in their own right, but to become these women who are so public facing, having not really been that for the bulk of their careers. I would love if he had asked me to be part of it, even for a second. When you play real people, it engenders a real sense of responsibility and you fall in love with the person you're playing, and that never really happened to me until I played Marcia. Ari Graynor: You hadn't felt that way before Marcia? Paulson: No. I just would literally go to the mat with anyone who wanted to argue with me pre the show coming out. After the show came out, people reshuffled their thoughts and feelings about Marcia, thank goodness. But prior to it coming out, people really wanted to talk to me about what Marcia had done incorrectly and where the fault lay with her. I would get so angry about it! It really, really bothered me, because I obviously felt I had much more information than your average person, because we'd been working on the show, and most people were just making their assessments based on whatever was put in front of them on the nightly news. So it made me angry. I had never really felt that way about wanting to defend a person I was playing. It was that really creepy actor thing that happens sometimes I couldn't tell where I ended and she began in a way, because it was so immersive for me. Was it like that for you? Graynor: It was absolutely like that for me. I also felt very early on that being an actor and being a defense attorney is not so dissimilar in that your job is to singularly stand behind your character or your client, understand them and how you've arrived at this moment and who they have become, how they have become who they have become, with as much detail as humanly possible and without judgment. I fell completely in love with her right from the start. I felt like I was her defense attorney as well. It was everything of why she was the way she was, why she had that spirit, how much she cared about not only these boys, but the defense of the judicial system, and the belief that everybody deserves a defense, and that people are not the worst thing that they do. It was about understanding her history and how she grew up. Her earliest memories were of the Holocaust and of seeing photographs of her family and then trying to track if anyone was in there. Her grandmother was a labor organizer, her father had left when she was young, and there was this real sense of fight and doing right. These ways of really understanding the ways she was criticized for being tough, it came from such a deep place in her. How do you balance playing a real person while also making it your own, without it being a caricature based on YouTube? Graynor: That was a nerve-wracking question, because I watched everything, every detail. It was very important to me to honor her way of being, her essence, her cadence, the way she moved, the way she gesticulated. She didn't have quite an accent, but there was a very specific way that she spoke that felt very important to me to differentiate her that felt so important to her spirit, and yet it was just subtle enough. l was afraid that people were going to be like, "What are you doing?" It was really something that I struggled with. But I think at the end of the day, there was a certain amount of faith that when you're also doing the psychological deep dive work, with what was available to me historically and in her book, but then also my own interpretation of what that means, I think, hoping and having faith that that would provide the foundational element of artistic expression that is not just a mechanical impersonation. SEE Ari Graynor to submit as Lead Actress for 'Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story' (exclusive) Paulson: There was no shortage of footage, but there was so little of her in her daily life. It was all public Marcia. How do you determine how to calibrate so that you honor all these little moments? Like when I come into the courtroom with my new haircut and Sterling scrawls, "You look fantastic." There was no way to really know what was communicated. There was no way to know what happens in the elevator with them on the way to the courtroom. There's no way to really know what it's like up in the law offices before they're in in the courtroom. But my favorite things to watch was the footage that was in the hallway when she would be just walking to and from the courthouse, or while she was in the building on her way to the courtroom. She also wrote a book, so I had the book as her version of the events. And then some of it is that beautiful alchemy where I feel like, for whatever reason, I was the right person to play her. Some indefinable, unknowable thing — it's not tangible. There was just some magical thing that just felt it was part of me molecularly. I just felt as if I knew her, and I had no reason to think that. Because I certainly didn't know her and didn't get to meet her until way, way after. Graynor: But there's something so incredible about it — it's like magic when it happens. You're not doing something wild in some Marcia-y way. And yet you look at your face and you are just her. It is like looking at a photograph of her. Paulson: And it's not because of some prosthetic, and it's not because of some makeup, though the wigs, obviously, for both of us, were integral to convincing the audience of who we were. I just think there is something that happens that's magic. God knows she was really lucky that it was you. Ari, I know you didn't get to talk to Leslie, but if there was one question you could ask her, what would that question be? What would you want to have wanted to know from her? Graynor: Probably the question really would have been about what it was like for her after the second trial and that chapter was done and out of her hands, and how that changed her, because my perception of her was that that was the great heartbreak of her life, second to her father abandoning her as a child. I think it was just a massive heartbreak for her that she was unable to get them out. The second trial was so screwed up in so many ways, I think it was just unbearably painful for her. How do you move through after that and with the baby? To think of all of the things that Marcia was going through during that trial, and not just the onslaught from the media, but these massive personal things that were going on at the highest moment of her career, and similarly, thinking about Leslie in the first trial, she adopted a baby, her mother died, and she reconnected with her father after 35 years of estrangement. Thinking about holding all of that in the midst of all of this. In some ways her bravado served her, and I think helped keep a certain amount of things at bay, while also, of course, the people that have the strongest defense systems are also people that have the tenderest hearts. So I think there's also massive, massive hurt. Would there have been a difference in that first trial if everything she had said was the same, but it was coming from a man, would that have had a different outcome? I don't like to think so. Paulson: With the advent of social media, when I really think about these women and what they went through and the public nature of it, I wonder what would have happened to people that would have been pro them, and if there had been a kind of cocoon or a safe space, even if it was some nameless, faceless person in the dark, even if no engagement happened in that way, but just the discourse being something that was known to them, as opposed to just hearing this negative onslaught of opinions about their appearance. At the end of the day, I personally believe no matter how strong you are as a person, it is a very difficult thing to feel that kind of scrutiny and that kind of vitriol and real hatred, and all you're trying to do is to do your job and to do your job well. And anybody in the same position, male, female, would have wanted to do their job to the best of their ability. Just the idea that they were having to wade through all this, not only with their lives in the background, and not really having a safe port, it's really isolating and very lonely. And so all these years later, I continue to marvel at how she did it, and just wish that she never had to go through it at all, quite frankly. SEE'I felt so proud of myself': 'Monsters' star Cooper Koch on awards buzz, filming 'The Hurt Man' episode, and advocating for the Menendez brothers What does it mean to each of you to have been part of something that truly changed national conversation? Paulson: I can say truthfully that first of all, I didn't approach the work with any expectation or aspiration for any of that to happen. And maybe why it had the effect that it did is that there was no reaching on my part to have anybody recalibrate their thoughts or assessments of her. I was simply trying to show up and tell the truth to the best of my ability, and in doing that, I think it maybe revealed the human underbelly of the person I was playing. And put it in stark contrast with what people thought. And so it's a very, very powerful thing to have been a part of. I do feel a connection to helping Marcia have a little bit of a closure on that experience, and that's really powerful. But I don't really think it has anything to do with me. I think it has to do with the readiness of audience to hear the story anew, and I think it was presented in a way that was truthful and honest and therefore made inroads for people in their hearts and minds. So I can't tell you how thrilled I am that I got to do it. Graynor: I've never experienced something like this, where Ryan has his finger on the pulse of something. Talk about a magician! You don't know how he does it. It's a moment of creativity and culture aligning, and then watching the power of eyeballs and storytelling and the effect that I think the show has unquestionably had on their case. I think the most powerful part for me was to really be able to give voice to the story, not only of their abuse, but of male sexual abuse in general. We have a different understanding as a culture about the psychology of trauma now than we did 35 years ago, which Leslie was in many ways ahead of her time introducing. That felt incredibly powerful to me, as unbelievably difficult as it is to listen to or to watch sometimes, but to be able to put that so front and center in a way that can, as you say, change hearts and minds. Ryan gave you both incredible centerpiece episodes, with 's 'Marcia, Marcia, Marcia' and 'Episode 5,' the greatest episode of back acting ever seen on television. Paulson: Well, truly. I've never in my life experienced something like that where I could feel you were porous from the back. And usually that only happens when you can look into someone's eyes. What you had established in the episodes prior — you and Cooper had such a beautiful, special, powerful relationship as performers and as people. It was like Smell-o-Vision where you would go to the movie theater and they would pipe in the scent. There was something about this that felt almost like the power of you from the back. It just makes absolutely no sense. It's just a real testament to the track you'd already laid, but also just your unflinching ability to just hold someone's gaze, to be there for another performer. It was just really, really extraordinary. Graynor: I was very afraid of it for a long time, and sort of avoided it after the first read, for its intensity. I had to work quite hard during the whole process of building up my ability to hold space for both of the boys, when they were talking about these stories, in ways where I didn't fall apart because I wanted to just sit there and sob. But that's not who Leslie was. It was a profound experience for me, and one of the purest artistic experiences I've ever had —a lesson in listening and a lesson in presence, to not have a camera on your face. It's like that thing in physics about how an observer changes the atoms. There's something quite pure about actually not having a camera there, in those very subtle ways, for better or for worse, that you change for a camera, when you know you're being witnessed in a way. Because what he was doing was so extraordinary and so important, I just was praying like, "Please, please, let me arrive and not do anything except support him or screw up in any way to just protect what he was doing." It was a gift that I will carry with me for my entire life and career. Ari, did Sarah give you any advice before taking on this role? Graynor: She said your job is to protect Leslie. You are there for Leslie, and that is the only thing you have to worry about. You go in, you have her back. I knew I won the lottery getting this gig. You know what a gift this is, and you know what a massive opportunity it is, and you just don't want to blow it for them, for Ryan, for yourself. Paulson: When you're jumping into something with the awareness of what has preceded you, it's really overwhelming and can be totally detrimental to scary keeping your eyes on your paper and doing the thing you've gotta do and telling the story and not thinking about the result or the consequence or the aftermath or how anyone's going to perceive it. It's really none of our business. The job is in front of you to be done. You got a person's story to tell, and if you're lucky enough to be able to do it, you've just got to keep your head down and run towards the 50-yard line. Ari, does this mean you're now officially a member of the Ryan Murphy acting troupe? Graynor: Yes, yes. I don't think things can be said, but I am very pleased to report I am in the troupe, and lots of cool, fun secret stuff. Just a big thank you to Ryan Murphy. Paulson: I owe everything to him, I truly do. I'd done a lot of things I was proud of before working with him. And I've done things without him that I'm very proud of. But there will never not be the real heart vein pumping thing at the center of it all, which is that he took a chance on me, and he said yes to me, and he said yes to me repeatedly, the ball to me. He repeatedly asked me to show up and repeatedly bet on me, and therefore making me a person who's willing to bet on myself. It was a beautiful gift, in so many ways. Best of GoldDerby Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
New York Post
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Jack Schlossberg rants about Ryan Murphy show about uncle JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette- Kennedy: ‘Grotesque'
Former President John F. Kennedy's grandson Jack Schlossberg put TV super-producer Ryan Murphy on blast for the 'grotesque' new series on '90s it-couple John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. The histrionic-prone Kennedy scion expressed his outrage in an Instagram-rant Wednesday — blasting the showrunners of the upcoming 'American Love Story' for profiting off family tragedy. 4 President John Kennedy's grandson Jack Schlossberg expressed his woes with the Murphy-production about his uncle John Jr. in a rant on Instagram. Jasper Colt / USA TODAY NETWORK 'Lately, my news feed has been filled with pictures of my uncle, John F. Kennedy Jr. a great man,' Schlossberg, 32, said in the video, referencing the Murphy-produced show. 'For those wondering whether his family was ever consulted, or has anything to do with the new show being made about him, the answer is no. And there's not much we can do.' 'For the record, I think admiration for my Uncle John is great. What I don't think is great is profiting off of it in a grotesque way,' Schlossberg concluded. 4 Television producing maven Ryan Murphy expressed shock at the stormy reception the first look at 'American Love Story' received. Getty Images Schlossberg is not the only one upset with the new production — a chorus of Kennedy and Carolyn-fans were up in arms over the first images released by the FX production questioning the wardrobe choices and claiming the actors were a far-cry from Camelot. 'There was nobody else who could play Carolyn?!,' one disappointed Instagram user commented on the stills shared on social media of the no-name actors who secured the coveted roles. 'Her yes, him no. JFK Jr. was gorgeous, this guy is average,' one looky-loo commented. 4 Actors Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly were picked from over one thousand actors who auditioned for the roles. GC Images 'She would never wear this,' another armchair critic wrote. 'I think maybe Ryan Murphy should be stopped,' one wrote, receiving the reply from another, 'Ryan needs to take a break, seriously.' Murphy, 59, who produced TV hits 'Glee' and 'American Horror Stories,' admitted he was taken aback by the negative reception the first-look received and fired back at critics in defense of the unknown actors. 'Carolyn Bessette is clearly a religious figure and it's a religion of her own,' Murphy told Variety, adding, 'It's very interesting that people become so inflammatory.' Murphy revealed that over one thousand actors auditioned for each role, with the production settling on 'perfect choices' Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly. 4 John Kennedy Jr. died in a plane crash alongside Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in 1999. ASSOCIATED PRESS 'We're writing a story about a person — an unknown person — who falls in love with the most famous man in the world and suddenly she can't leave her house,' the 'xxxx 'Grotesquerie' creator said. 'They're doing to our Carolyn what they did to real-life Carolyn,' Murphy said of critics, adding, 'It's not fair.' The 'Halston' producer further clarified fashion critics who called out the photos for including articles of clothing and accessories that the real life Bessette did not — or would not — wear. 'There were comments like, 'I hate that coat, Carolyn would never have worn that.' That was just a coat we threw on for color. 'How dare you use the No. 35 Birkin bag? She wore a 40!' Yes, we have a 40 but we just threw on a bag from another costume department because that was the sound stage we were on,' Murphy expounded to the outlet.. 'American Love Story' will premiere on FX next year on Valentine's Day.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
American Love Story filming blunder SLAMMED by JFK JR fans who beg Ryan Murphy to stop
Ryan Murphy's American Love Story has continued filming American Love Story - an anthology series about the romance of John F. Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette. Fans immediately took to social media to bash the upcoming project, just days after Ryan unveiled a first look with the stars Paul Anthony Kelly - who will play John Jr. - and Sarah Pidgeon - who will play Carolyn. One of the biggest blunders according to fans involved sneakers, specifically Sarah wearing Converse sneakers for a scene filmed Tuesday in New York City. Many also criticized Sarah's skirt and leather jacket as well as her hair, with some calling it 'rage bait,' and another apologizing to the late Carolyn. When the first look images were shared earlier this week, JFK Jr.'s nephew Jack Schlossberg shared his thoughts, writing to Ryan directly in the comments: 'HEY RYAN - admiration for John is great but maybe consider DONATING PROFITS TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY thanks.' Ryan slammed the criticism of the wardrobe choices in a comment via Variety on Thursday: 'There were comments like, "I hate that coat, Carolyn would have never worn that. That was just a coat we threw on for color. People are writing "How dare you use the No. 35 Birkin bag? She wore a 40!" Yes we have a 40 but we just threw on a bag from another costume department because that was the sound stage we were on.' He told the outlet that they are choosing vintage pieces for the show to best match the looks, as well as hand-replicating wear and tears other bags. 'They're doing to our Carolyn, what they did to the real-life Carolyn. It's not fair,' Ryan added to Variety. For the Tuesday scene, Sarah wore a satin gold hued calf-length skirt, with a black top and and a black leather-style jacket, adding the Converse sneakers. One person took to X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: 'Someone quickly say SIKE cos there is no way that this is Caroline Bessette-Kennedy!!!! Ryan Murphy you will start coughing in 3 days.' The person shared the image and added another comment: 'Everyone involved in the creation of this show should be deeply embarrassed. CBK in Coverse.... and a pleather blazer.....' Many just assumed that only her outfit would show and not her shoes, with the actress just wearing the sneakers for comfort. One person on Tik Tok was convinced that they have her in the look simply for 'rage bait,' adding that they are 'frustrated' by the filming, adding that 'this woman's style is so iconic and is so specific there's no way this isn't rage bait.' Another adding that there are many pictures of Carolyn out and about in the 90s and that they should reference her daily fits to keep her looks accurate. 'Why is the costume department acting like her daily outfits aren't heavily documented???' Many also criticized Sarah's skirt and leather jacket as well as her hair, with some calling it 'rage bait,' and another apologizing to the late Carolyn 'It takes a LOT of effort to ruin a minimalist outfit,' as another said that they would 'sue Ryan Murphy' over this. 'The satin slip skirt from 2017 is personally offending me,' one fan said, with someone else said 'that skirt is too modern they could have gone to gap or something.' 'I genuinely think they interpreted her fashion as "casual" when it was nothing but intentional. Missed the mark,' one wrote. 'Why are they not paying someone to literally replicate the outfits SOURCE THE OUTFITS. HELLLOOO. This is an American crime.' However, one person noted that that Carolyn did wear Converse sneakers. 'She actually did wear Converse in her early days at CK [Calvin Klein]. The hair and the rest of that outfit are what's an issue here.' Carolyn did reportedly wear Converse sneakers (also known as Chuck Taylors) when she worked at Calvin Klein, paired with skirts and dresses. According to her 2024 biography Once Upon a Time The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy by Elizabeth Beller, the author wrote: 'Page 44, Chapter 5, Champagne Supernovas. Spring 1989 to spring 1992. At times when she was not at work, she dressed like a Bloomsbury bohemian in flowing dresses accessorzied with Chuck Taylor's,' per WWD. 'Once she she wore a long, midi Calvin skirt with Chucks on her feet and only a fitted black leather jacket as a shirt.' The actors were also seen on Wednesday night filming another scene, this time with Sarah wearing heels and a dress; Paul and Sarah pictured in NYC on set The duo looked like spitting images of JFK Jr and Carolyn during their Wednesday night filming Carolyn has rarely been pictured wearing sneakers but she did wear them on rare occasions. The actors were also seen on Wednesday night filming another scene, this time with Sarah wearing heels and a dress. Earlier this week, Ryan Murphy offered a first glimpse into his upcoming anthology series American Love Story. The television producer, 59 - who recently created the new show All's Fair starring Kim Kardashian - shared photos to the Ryan Murphy Productions Instagram account on Friday, as well as a camera test with some of the leading stars. The series is set to begin airing on FX and streaming on Hulu next year in February 2026. A number of fans jumped to the comment section to share their thoughts on the first look - as well as JFK Jr.'s nephew Jack Schlossberg. The American writer penned, 'HEY RYAN - admiration for John is great but maybe consider DONATING PROFITS TO THE KENNEDY LIBRARY thanks.' Murphy jumped to the comments to offer his own response to Schlossberg and simply wrote, '@jackuno I absolutely will.' Ryan had uploaded a carousel of images as Kelly and Pidgeon dressed as Kennedy Jr. as well as Bessette. The two stars posed inside a spacious studio as they did a camera test as production officially kicked off this week. 'FIRST LOOK! Here are some stills from our LOVE STORY camera test,' the TV writer wrote in the caption of the post. 'We started shooting this week in New York City and can't wait until you see the romantic and tragic love story between America's prince, JFK Jr., and fashion icon Carolyn Bessette - out Valentine's Day week of 2026.' A number of fans jumped to the comment section to share their thoughts on the first look - as well as JFK Jr.'s nephew Jack Schlossberg The two stars posed inside a spacious studio as they did a camera test as production officially kicked off this week 'FIRST LOOK! Here are some stills from our LOVE STORY camera test,' the TV writer wrote in the caption of the post He added, 'I am thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices. Congratulations Sarah and Paul!' He added, 'I am thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn and Paul Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. Over a thousand actors auditioned for each of these roles, and we absolutely found the perfect choices. Congratulations Sarah and Paul!' Sarah - who is known for the Amazon Prime Video series The Wilds - could be seen wearing a black turtleneck as well as black trousers and a tan coat. She slipped into a pair of closed-toed, black pumps and allowed her platinum blonde locks to flow down straight past her shoulders. Bessette had been a fashion publicist for Calvin Klein and was also known for her classic and minimalistic style. Paul wore a double-breasted, gray suit which was paired with a white dress shirt and red-patterned tie. In one image, he sported a pair of shades and also stopped for a photo outdoors while donning a different suit. Kelly further channeled the late JFK Jr. in a pair of jeans, green shirt and black vest - similar to a past look worn by the attorney. Carolyn and John Jr. - who was the son of late 35th President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy - first crossed paths in 1992, when he was in a relationship with actress Daryl Hannah. Two years later, Bessette and Kennedy began dating and their romance was heavily publicized. The pair were often pictured out in NYC together or attending events. In 1995, Carolyn and John became engaged and secretly tied the knot in a romantic ceremony the following year in September 1996. The nuptials were held at a small chapel by candlelight at the Georgia Island of Cumberland - with close friends and family in attendance. A young Jack Schlossberg had notably been the ring bearer during the wedding. Bessette had worn a silk gown as she said 'I do' from designer Narciso Rodriguez. After the nuptials, media attentions towards the couple continued to grow. On July 16, 1999 - Carolyn, John Jr. and her sister Lauren - passed away after their plane crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard.
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Look of the Week: Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and the heightened stakes of costume design
The 'wrong' shade of blonde; a deflated, empty Birkin bag; and a camel coat so stiff it looks 'like a brick,' according to one Substack writer. These are the main complaints of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy fans, who this week jumped to the defense of the late fashion publicist, whose memorable style many considered was being inaccurately portrayed in Ryan Murphy's latest biopic. On Saturday, Murphy, the TV producer and creator of 'Glee,' and 'Pose,' shared a first look at the upcoming drama, 'American Love Story,' which chronicles the tumultuous relationship and untimely demise of Bessette-Kennedy and her husband John F. Kennedy Jr. (played by Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Kelly). A 'fashion travesty' is what one user commented underneath the Instagram post teasing the images, noting that 'Carolyn would never put these looks together. The fabrics are shoddy. Drape all wrong.' Indeed, in Murphy's lighting test shots, the trusty, well-worn black Hermès Birkin bag that Bessette-Kennedy was often photographed carrying looked box-fresh, rigid and flat. Her camel coat appeared waxy and poorly tailored — something, commenters pointed out, went against everything the fashion titan stood for. Others also pointed out that Pidgeon's hair was incorrectly colored, washing her out and making her look ashy. Even Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's original hair colorist, Brad Johns, joined the conversation. 'No one would believe that Carolyn in the '90s would ever have that color from me. It's too 2024,' he told Vogue. 'When she sees that color, she's going to be swirling in heaven.' At first glance, the internet's visceral reaction to a piece of streaming entertainment may appear outsized. But it also reveals a new, intense standard which biopic costume designers are expected to adhere to, and the depths of public emotions that remain for Bessette-Kennedy even 25 years after her death. Related video How Colin Firth's wet shirt in BBC's 'Pride and Prejudice' sparked Austen-mania Bessette-Kennedy's journey from the Calvin Klein public relations department to becoming in-laws with then-US first lady Jackie Kennedy has captivated public interest for years. But her legacy extends far beyond the Kennedy surname, thanks to her strong visual identity and knack for sleek, casual dressing. In 2017, Gabriela Hearst told Vanity Fair that Bessette-Kennedy had an 'inner elegance' and was 'not of this earth, in a way.' Sotheby's, which auctioned off a series of Bessette-Kennedy's personal pieces (which included clothing from Yohji Yamamoto and Prada) for a total of $177,600 in 2024, called her 'the closest thing America ever had to their own Princess Diana.' As reverence for Bessette-Kennedy endures, it is perhaps unsurprising that any on-screen portrayal of the style icon would be subject to extreme scrutiny. Only two actors have dared take on the role before: Portia de Rossi in 2003 for the TV movie 'America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story,' and Erica Cox, who in 2017 briefly appeared in the four-episode mini-series 'The Kennedys: After Camelot.' Today, the stakes for Murphy's project — perhaps the most mainstream example, set to premiere on Hulu in 2026 — seem higher, as interest in Bessette-Kennedy has not only maintained since 1999, but mounted further. From recent books dedicated to her enviable dress sense and the details of her marriage to JFK Jr. to the Instagram accounts with thousands of followers dissecting her aesthetic, Murphy's new film has the potential to capitalize on a new wave of CBK adoration. However, the downside of more fans means more opinions. In the age of biopics — more than 20 were released in 2023 alone, and another 10 in the works currently — a passing likeness to the public figure in question will not suffice. In 2018, Gary Oldman spent more than 200 hours in the hair and makeup chair, weathering heavy prosthetics that added over half his body weight to accurately portray Winston Churchill. Part of Lily James's transformation when starring in the controversial 'Pam and Tommy' 2022 Hulu series was a fake forehead and custom-made dentures. In the fashion department, costumes are expected to be original items. Marisa Abela wore a cardigan and Pink Ladies varsity jacket that belonged to Amy Winehouse for the 2024 film on the late singer-songwriter. And when struggling to access Bob Dylan's personal wardrobe for 'A Complete Unknown' (a fictionalized account of the musician's life), the film's costume designer Arianne Phillips partnered with denim specialist Levi's to recreate an exact bespoke pair of the same Super Slims silhouette that Dylan wore. This high standard of character embodiment has given audiences a discerning eye, where even the slightest perceived inaccuracies are considered irredeemable. In the case of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, it feels particularly egregious because 'the wardrobe is a main character in this story,' as one disgruntled stylist wrote under Murphy's post. 'This breaks my heart.' Perhaps the pain also runs deep because fashion enthusiasts understand the importance of clothes as a medium to express one's identity to the wider world — and the strife of making sure you feel like yourself every day. Not only did Bessette-Kennedy seem to have mastered that difficult task; she also embodied the minimalist style of the decade while simultaneously being ahead of her time. Little wonder she has remained a mood board fixture for designers and editors alike. To sully that legacy seems like sartorial sacrilege.
