FX’s new series has just launched a new actress into stardom: meet Sarah Pidgeon. Born on July 7, 1996, the 22 year old is taking the internet by storm for her role as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in FX’s/Hulu’s nine-episode drama series, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
Before Love Story, Pigeon had achieved budding success within her acting career. With a profile of a Tony nomination and major leading roles in the past five years, she has been on Hollywood’s radar. For her depiction of Diana, a singer-songwriter on the rise, in Broadway’s “Stereophonic,” Pidgeon earned the Tony nod for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2024. Staged in a recording studio, the play tells the story of an up-and-coming band in the 1970s. Her and her castmates sing and play instruments while showing the messy dynamics of a band creating and clashing as they record an album. Pidgeon describes her experience on “Sterophonic” as “unlike anything [she’d] read before, and [she] was so eager to see how to orchestrate it”.
But 2026 has been a year of transformation for Pidgeon. Claiming the starring role of Carolyn Bassette-Kennedy was life-changing for jumpstarting her career into the public eye… but with success also comes scrutiny. Since her marriage to JFK Jr. in 1996, the media has never stopped being infatuated with Carolyn Bessette, and it showed when Pidgeon was announced to play the fashion icon on March 21, 2025. Within the waiting period between the series’ announcement and release, many people took to the internet to question the choice of Pidgeon for the role. She had some big shoes to fill. As the show’s content gradually rolled out, people criticized the fashion choices–something critical to CBK’s identity as a former Calvin Klein sales associate and public relations publicist – and her iconic shade of blonde, some remarking that it was missing the “chunkyness” that defined the era.
But these comments didn’t deter Pidgeon, but rather sparked a deep rooted determination to honor Bessette’s name. She states, “the online conversations at the beginning of the process served as a reminder of how important it was to get our portrayal of Carolyn correct. She grew even more important to me. People really, really love Carolyn, and my priority every single day on set was doing justice to her legacy.”
And she came through on her words. In her artistic process, she worked on mastering CBK’s mannerisms, more specifically her eye movements. Her eyes were a huge center for Carolyn: There was so much energy coming from her eyes,” says Pidgeon. She also collaborated with the lead costume designer, Rudy Mance, to re-work the costumes to be more authentic to CBK’s minimalist brand. Pigeon describes her time playing Bessette as “such an incredible experience”. I would be remiss if I didn’t note that her dedication to the character has definitely translated to the screen. Seven out of nine episodes in…and I am hooked!
Pertaining to Pidgeon’s own brand, she has recently received a modeling campaign for Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Beauty. She is seen dressed in pinks and reds, colors complimenting her newly dyed blonde hair inspired by her role of CBK. In an interview with Vogue, she comments on her feelings towards her new hair: “It’s funny, because I think I had more of an aversion to pink when I was a brunette…I do get that there’s a natural association between blondes and pink,” she goes on. “But I actually love using the color, especially when it comes to products like blush; it feels so fresh”. Her Rhode campaign reveals two new Pocket Blush shades, raspberry pink Teacup and warm red Candy Apple, as well as two new Peptide Lip Treatments (pearly pink Sweet Pea and mauve Pretzel). Campaigning for Rhode Beauty is just a sweet preview of what is to come from Pidgeon. I cannot wait to see what opportunities lie for her in the future, as she just may be America’s newest “it girl”.