'Love Story' Sarah Pidgeon Interview: Carolyn, JFK Jr. Toughest Scenes
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette in 'Love Story.'
FX
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[This story contains spoilers from Love Story heading into the finale.]
Love Story’s end is near.
Last week’s penultimate episode of the FX series centered on Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s mental health as relentless paparazzi attention intensified following her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly). That cliffhanger leads into what will be a tragic finale, opening up with the ‘90s power couple finding themselves in a rocky place, as was teased in the flash-forward first moments of the premiere.
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In the penultimate episode, “Exit Strategy,” last week’s hour opened with a clear disconnect: John walked into their Tribeca apartment and questioned why Carolyn skipped another public event. He struggled to understand her self-isolation, while Carolyn can’t fathom how he continues maintaining his social life and obligations at George magazine.
The tension escalated when Carolyn received a frantic call from her sister, Lauren Bessette (Sydney Lemmon), urging her to turn on the TV. She then learned that Princess Diana had died in a car crash while being chased by paparazzi.
Like much of the world, Carolyn is shaken. And the actress, Sarah Pidgeon noted the similarities between the two women and their relationships with the press.
“We had gotten the scripts for [episode] eight [‘Exit Strategy’] pretty close to when we were shooting seven, but I knew through conversations with Connor [Hines, the showrunner] and the writers that there was an intention to explore how Diana’s death affected Carolyn,” Pidegon told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s a photo of Carolyn at Versace’s funeral. I even say, ‘I just saw her at Gianni’s funeral.’ It’s pretty impossible not to draw some parallels between the two of their relationships to the press. How could that not have affected Carolyn?”
She added: “It was interesting to put myself in her shoes, in those moments of imagining losing Diana in that way — the world did. The world was in shock. There’s a strange kinship in the most alien parts of their lives.”
Diana’s death unsettles both John and Carolyn in the series. Recognizing the similarities, John becomes fearful of whether this news will cause Carolyn to retreat even further.
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. in episode eight.
FX
A year later, the episode then jumped forward to John, on crutches, reflecting on the real-life ankle injury he sustained from a paragliding accident weeks before the July 16, 1999, plane crash that would tragically kill him, Carolyn and Lauren.
As time passed, there is still distance between the couple. The final 17 minutes of the episode unfolded as one big monologue showing them disagreeing, and the strain of how fame has altered their relationship.
Pidgeon said her theater background served as an advantage for the scene. Her performance already has people predicting her as a strong contender for the Emmys. (Pidgeon was nominated for a Tony award for Stereophonic in 2024.)
“I loved that episode because it felt like a play,” she said. “I was so excited. Rarely, especially in TV, do you get a full scene where you can see the entire arc. Each moment can change so drastically depending on which take you’re doing.”
She continued: “It felt like theater where you’re up on the stage and it’s just you and your scene partner. It was really exciting to tackle that from my stage perspective. I was able to sit in Carolyn a bit more.”
The episode then ends with Carolyn breaking down, begging John not to leave. He insists it’s just for the night — but she fears it may be something deeper.
A preview for the finale showed the couple in marriage counseling during their final months, attempting to repair their relationship. There’s glimpses of what appears to be them finding their spark again by going on romantic dates, including at the restaurant where they had their first date — making it even more heartbreaking knowing what’s to come.
The series began with their final day, a choice that takes on more weight with the finale now arriving. The focus of Love Story, however, remains on the couple’s relationship and how they navigated their most difficult moments.
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Love Story: John F. Ken