Paul Anthony Kelly Reveals He Had to Shave Twice a Day While Playing JFK Jr. on “Love Story”

Paul Anthony Kelly Reveals He Had to Shave Twice a Day While Playing JFK Jr. on “Love Story”

Paul Anthony Kelly embraced JFK Jr.'s style, incorporating wallet chains and backward baseball caps into his own wardrobe

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NEED TO KNOW

  • Preparing for the role required extensive self-care, including shaving multiple times a day and perfecting JFK Jr.'s hairstyle

  • Kelly previously described the experience of portraying JFK Jr. as "lightning in a bottle" and praised the show's cast and crew

Paul Anthony Kelly'sbreakout role as John F. Kennedy Jr.in FX'sLove Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessetterequired changing his grooming habits.

While appearing on the latest edition ofDeadline's "Take 10,"the actor, 37, discussed the self-care that was required to take on the role.

Having previously told PEOPLE that heenjoyed recreating JFK Jr.'s “amazing” hairstyle, Kelly told Deadline that the secret to getting it right was "water, a blow dryer and a good brush every day several times a day."

He also had to shave "like two or three times a day," something he wasn't used to.

Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. on 'Love Story'Credit: Kurt Iswarienko/FX

"Never in my life have I had to do that," he said.

Something Kelly wouldn't change, though, is the wardrobe, as he told Deadline, "there are so many things from his plethora ofstylish clothes and wares," that he would have kept if he had been given the opportunity to do so.

Noting that he's incorporated some of JFK Jr.'s style into his own life, including a wallet chain and backward baseball caps, Kelly said he would have kept "the hyper color shirts."

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"They're just such a rarity, and they were so cool," he said. "You sweat in it and it changes a different color. Amazing."

Ahead of the show's premiere in February, Kelly told PEOPLE that "playing someone so beloved" is "definitely not lost on me."

"I really had to tighten up my bootstraps and do deep dives, learn everything I could," said Kelly.

Paul Anthony Kelly attends the 2026 Disney Upfront on May 12, 2026Credit: TheStewartofNY/WireImage

Although JFK Jr. andCarolyn Bessette-Kennedywere not necessarily the "cultural zeitgeist" in Kelly's home country of Canada, he took advantage of the "wealth of information" available about them to take on the role.

"The whole experience was like lightning in a bottle," he said. "The whole process in making it was an incredible experience. A wonderful cast, wonderful crew, producers, writers — everything."

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Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessetteis streaming now on FX and Hulu.

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