The spinoff of American Crime Story has cast its first main character. Spinning off from American Horror Story, which was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, American Crime Story premiered in February 2016. The first installment — its most acclaimed — centered on the O.J. Simpson trial. Subsequent outings spotlighted the murder of Gianni Versace and President Bill Clinton’s Impeachment scandal. American Love Story was announced in August 2021, focusing on the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
More than four years after that announcement, Deadline confirms that Sarah Pidgeon will play Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in American Love Story. Pidgeon, best known for her role as Leah Rilke in the drama series The Wilds, is the first actor to be cast for the spinoff. It is additionally being reported that casting for JFK Jr. is underway, with auditions set to unfold in the coming weeks.
What This Means For American Love Story
It Will Explore A Tragic Death
American Love Story will zero in on the charming relationship for a young couple regarded as American royalty. But that relationship ultimately began to bend and break under the intense tabloid focus. The first installment will venture deep into the nature of the tabloid press, detailing how the central couple faced the pressures of their careers and family tension. Ultimately, however, the relationship ended in tragedy when their private plane crashed into the ocean in July 1999.
The spinoff hails from 20th Television, with Ryan Murphy executive producing American Love Story, as do Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson of Color Force, DV Divencentis, and Connor Hines.
Pidgeon, also known for starring opposite Kathryn Hahn in the Hulu limited series Tiny Beautiful Things, is a solid choice for such a high-profile part. She is a first-time collaborator with Ryan Murphy and has not yet had her breakthrough performance. This is helpful as she’s coming to a big part without much established history and could easily step into the shoes of Carolyn Bessette.
Our Take On The Latest American Crime Story News
Sounds Like Classic Ryan Murphy
So many of Murphy’s works are period pieces, going back to the 1990s and 2000ss and even further back. This latest outing continues the trend, though it also dives deep into a complicated relationship, media pressure, and the tragic deaths of high-profile figures. All told, it should have some built-in appeal for viewers who have enjoyed the American Story franchise. The latest attempt, American Love Story, is very much headed in the same direction. The biggest question now, however, revolves around which actor is cast in the pivotal part of JFK Jr.
Source: Deadline
American Crime Story
6/10
- Release Date
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February 2, 2016
- Showrunner
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Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Tom Rob Smith, Sarah Burgess
- Writers
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Scott Alexander, Larry Karaszewski, Tom Rob Smith, Sarah Burgess
