Sarah Pidgeon Steps Into Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s Shoes

When Ryan Murphy posted camera-test stills last June showing Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and John F. Kennedy Jr., the images prompted a swift backlash over the styling. Pidgeon, 29, tried to stay off the internet during the shoot; the hair color was later fixed and the post was deleted.

The criticism underscored how intensely people feel about the couple, and especially about Bessette-Kennedy. Pidgeon researched the woman closely and sought to “fiercely advocate” for an interpretation that treated her as more than an image or a wardrobe choice.

Rather than attempting a literal impersonation—“my face is my face,” Pidgeon said—she leaned on small, tangible details, from perfume to gestures friends remembered. Producers ended their search quickly after her callback; Brad Simpson had noticed her vulnerability onstage in the Broadway transfer of Stereophonic, which earned her a Tony nomination.

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