Paul Anthony Kelly (born October 1, 1988) is a Canadian model and actor based in the United States. He is best known for portraying John F. Kennedy Jr. in the first season of the FX anthology miniseries Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
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Early life and career
Kelly was born in the small Canadian town of Port McNicoll, Ontario, on October 1, 1988. He is the eldest of four children. He later moved to Toronto and while working at American Apparel, he was discovered by two talent scouts and began modelling after signing a contract with Ford Models. From there he moved to New York City, where he began auditioning for acting roles whilst still working as a model, signing with the agency Innovative Artists. He did not find work in acting for a decade, except for a project called The Venery of Samantha Bird, which was ultimately never released in part due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. As a model, he worked for brands like Rhone Apparel, Vivienne Westwood, Bonobos, John Varvatos, Loro Piana, Perry Ellis, and Brooks Brothers.
Despite having no professional acting experience, he was cast as John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story shortly before filming was scheduled to commence. He was cast after a successful chemistry read and screen test with Sarah Pidgeon.
In June 2026, it was announced Kelly would star in The Housemaid's Secret, alongside Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst.
Personal life
Kelly married Syd Widziszewski in May 2023, with whom he had his first child in early 2026. They live in Portland, Oregon, having previously lived in California. Kelly is a permanent resident of the United States as of 2025.
