Naomi Watts Transforms Into Jackie Kennedy in New ‘American Love Story’ Photos
Ryan Murphy‘s American Love Story has taken over New York City. The ensemble cast has been spotted filming all over the Big Apple, including Naomi Watts.
Watts, who is playing former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, was filming American Love Story scenes in Central Park on August 4 with costars Paul Kelly and Grace Gummer, who are playing her onscreen kids, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Kennedy. The actress looked nearly unrecognizable as she stepped into Jackie’s shoes, with her brown wig, large sunglasses, and a scarf tied around her head.
Watts and Kelly took a walk through the park together as Jackie and John Jr. Kelly looked every bit the businessman in a white shirt, beige tie, and gray slacks.
In a separate scene featuring Jackie and Caroline, Watts was carted away on a stretcher outside of an apartment building. She was getting loaded in the back of an ambulance.
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These scenes for the FX series take place before or around 1994. Jackie died on May 19, 1994, at the age of 64. In the year before her death, Jackie had been in deteriorating health after being thrown from her horse. She was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in December 1993. She died in her sleep at her 1040 Fifth Avenue home, located right across the street from Central Park.
American Love Story will chronicle the relationship between John Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, played by Sarah Pidgeon. Their highly-publicized romance captivated the 1990s. Even though John Jr. and Carolyn had already started dating before his mom died, Carolyn never met Jackie. John Jr. and Carolyn tragically died, along with Carolyn’s sister Lauren, in a 1999 plane crash.
This marks Watts’ latest collaboration with the Ryan Murphy Universe. She played New York socialite Babe Paley in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. She’s also starring in his upcoming Hulu series All’s Fair alongside Kim Kardashian, Sarah Paulson, and Glenn Close.
The Oscar nominee joins a long line of actresses who’ve played the stylish First Lady. Jaclyn Smith, Roma Downey, Katie Holmes, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Natalie Portman are among the stars who’ve taken on the role. Most recently, Jodi Balfour played Jackie O in an episode of The Crown in 2017.
What do you think of Naomi Watts’ Jackie Kennedy transformation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
American Love Story, TBA, FX
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