Paul Anthony Kelly
Canadian model and actor (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
October 1, 1988
- Model
- actor
Paul Anthony Kelly | |
|---|---|
Kelly in 2026 | |
| Born | Paul Anthony Kelly October 1, 1988 Port McNicoll, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | c. 2013–present |
| Spouse |
Syd Widziszewski (m. 2023) |
| Children | 1 |
Early life and career
Kelly was born in the small Canadian town of Port McNicoll, Ontario, on October 1, 1988.[1][2] 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.[3] 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.[2][4] 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.[5][6] As a model, he worked for brands like Rhone Apparel, Vivienne Westwood,[7] Bonobos, John Varvatos, Loro Piana, Perry Ellis, and Brooks Brothers.[2][8][9]
Despite having no professional acting experience, he was cast as John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story shortly before filming was scheduled to commence.[10] He was cast after a successful chemistry read and screen test with Sarah Pidgeon.[11]
In June 2026, it was announced Kelly would star in The Housemaid's Secret, alongside Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst.[12]
Personal life
Kelly married Syd Widziszewski in May 2023,[13] with whom he had his first child in early 2026.[14] They live in Portland, Oregon,[4] having previously lived in California.[13] Kelly is a permanent resident of the United States as of 2025.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | The Housemaid's Secret † | Douglas Garrick | Pre-production | [15] |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Love Story | John F. Kennedy Jr. | Lead role; 9 episodes | [16] |
| American Horror Story: 13 † | TBA | Post-production | [17] |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Newport Beach TV Fest | Breakout Award | Love Story | Won | [18] |