Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly rose to fame playing John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette in the Disney hit Love Story earlier this year.
The drama series chronicles the late couple’s high-profile courtship and volatile marriage as Carolyn struggled to adjust to being in the spotlight.
And life has imitated art as Sarah revealed her personal struggle to adapt to her newfound fame from the sudden success of Love Story.
The 30-year-old actress admitted she has had to make “little adjustments” in her life, just as her character struggled with starring in the drama.
Speaking in an interview with Elle VK, Sarah revealed she “fell into a fever” with anxiety when the show premiered.
She explained, “If I had understood what the show was going to be while we were filming it, I would have been paralyzed with fear.
Life has hinted at art as Sarah Pidgeon revealed her personal struggle with adapting to her newfound fame from the sudden success of Love Story – just like her character
The actress, 30, admitted she has had to make “little adjustments” in her life, just as her character struggled to star in the drama
Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly became known for playing John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette in the Disney hit Love Story earlier this year
‘When I heard that the first cuts were coming, I panicked. It suddenly became a reality that people were going to see it.’
Sarah went on to explain how her life has changed after starring in the drama: “My life, compared to all the previous years, has been very abnormal this year. I have traveled to different places. I’ve worked a lot.
‘I go to couture shows, do photo shoots and appear on late-night television. It’s so different from anything I’ve experienced. It has been a big change…[My friends] said, “Jesus, I keep seeing the same picture of you [on social media algorithms]”. I told them: “I’m sorry, I’m tired of it too”.
‘No one wants a private moment to be recorded. I don’t want to change the way I live, I love my life. But I make small adjustments.
“I want to protect the things that feel like they’re just for me, or for the people in my life.”
Before starring in Love Story, Sarah appeared in the Hulu series Tiny Beautiful Things and made her Broadway debut in Stereophonic.
Ahead of receiving the Modern Muse award at the 2026 ELLE Style Awards, Sarah stunned in a sophisticated photoshoot with the magazine.
The nine-part drama follows the relationship between John and Carolyn, from the two meeting at a party to the death of the couple and her sister Lauren Bessette (Sydney Lemmon) on July 16, 1999.
In an interview with Elle UK, Sarah revealed that she ‘broke out in hives’ with anxiety when the show premiered
Sarah went on to explain how her life has changed after starring in the drama: ‘My life, compared to all the previous years, has been very abnormal this year’
Ahead of receiving the Modern Muse award at the 2026 ELLE Style Awards, Sarah stunned in a sophisticated photoshoot with the magazine
The drama chronicles the late couple’s high-profile courtship and volatile marriage as Carolyn struggled to adjust to being in the spotlight.
The October issue of ELLE UK will be available in stores from September 3
They were all killed when a small plane piloted by Kennedy crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard.
The synopsis reads: “It was a love story that captured the nation’s attention: John F. Kennedy Jr. was closest to the American royal family. The country saw him grow from a boy to a beloved bachelor and media sensation.
“Bessette was a star in her own right. She was fiercely independent and with a unique style. She rose from sales assistant to executive at Calvin Klein and became a trusted confidante of the eponymous founder.
“The connection between John and Carolyn was immediate, electric and unmistakable. As their love story unfolded on the national stage, the intense fame and attendant media attention threatened to tear them apart.”
The October issue of ELLE UK goes on sale from September 3.
