Grace Gummer Explores the Kennedy Sibling Bond in &x27;Love Story&x27; Adam RatheFri, March 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC 0 Grace Gummer on Caroline Kennedy Courtesy FX If Grace Gummer were to encounter Caroline Kennedy on the street, she knows just what she would do. "I bow to her; I say thank you; I let her speak," Gummer, who plays Kennedy on Love Storysays. "I have so much admiration and respect for Caroline, and my greatest hope is that I did right by her." It's easy to admire Kennedy.
Grace Gummer Explores the Kennedy Sibling Bond in 'Love Story'
Adam RatheFri, March 13, 2026 at 2:00 AM UTC
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Grace Gummer on Caroline Kennedy Courtesy FX
If Grace Gummer were to encounter Caroline Kennedy on the street, she knows just what she would do. "I bow to her; I say thank you; I let her speak," Gummer, who plays Kennedy on Love Storysays. "I have so much admiration and respect for Caroline, and my greatest hope is that I did right by her."
It's easy to admire Kennedy. She has, after all, served twice as a United States Ambassador (once to Japan, once to Australia), written and edited a number of books, and lent her efforts to causes including the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the Kennedy Library Foundation, and American Ballet Theatre. "She's a formidable woman who I really look up to," Gummer notes.
But Love Story isn't focused on Kennedy's accomplishments. (Well, not entirely; the character does, in occasional fits of sibling rivalry, remind her brother John that she's already made something of herself while he's still trying.) Instead, Gummer's Kennedy serves as a voice of reason, reminding her brother and his soon-to-be wife, Carolyn Bessette, of their responsibilities and—even though sometimes it seems like she's being sensible against her will—trying to lead by example.
Grace Gummer as Caroline Kennedy on Love Story. Courtesy FX
"Aside from the series being a story I could really sink my teeth into," Gummer says, "Ryan Murphy [an executive producer of Love Story] explained to me why she was so important. Caroline is part of the love story, too; that sibling relationship is integral to the show." It's also changing as the season progresses.
"I don't think she was always this trusted voice for John," Gummer says. "I think she took on that role, especially after the passing of their mother. She was a real woman with real struggles—and obviously a lot of tragedy in her life—and was not perfect but was invested in carrying on the legacy of this family and inevitably became, in our telling of the story, a matriarchal figure. I think she's also so fed up with him." It's true and watching Gummer's Caroline endure her younger brother (portrayed by Paul Anthony Kelly), plays a large part in making characters who are essentially American royalty feel relatable. "The sibling banter is real," says Gummer, who's one of four siblings herself. "That was important to us."
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Prior to her role on Love Story, Gummer appeared in series including All's Fair and Doctor Death and films like Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. Zackery Michael
The banter might feel real, but it's still important to note that Love Story is a dramatization. "It's not a documentary," Gummer says. "It's a retelling of a story about these two people and their love triumphing over an immense amount of adversity. In playing a real person, there's a duty to uphold; I did a lot of research, and I always tried to capture the essence of Caroline instead of trying to do an imitation. We're expanding on a story and retelling it."
Some parts of the series, however, do hit a bit close to home. Take, for example, the crowds that have been flocking to the Manhattan apothecary C.O. Bigelow where Bessette is said to have bought her preferred tortoiseshell headbands. "That's my pharmacy, too," Gummer says. "I was in there today, so I think about it all the time."
Gummer as Caroline Kennedy—with Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Tonatiuh as Narcisco Rodriguez—on Love Story. Eric Liebowitz / FX
In this week's episode, titled "Obsession," Caroline and her sister-in-law find themselves at odds thanks to the intense press attention Bessette has faced since her relationship with John became public. "For Caroline, privacy is paramount—and I can definitely relate," says Gummer, who has her own experience with familial notoriety. "She's invested in protecting her family; her entire life has been spent in the public eye, so any disruption is something she's trying to work against. Before this episode, I was in my own world in the show, in Caroline's head and in her relationship with John. Now, all of a sudden, the story has expanded and it's this amazing moment about these two women coming together and trying to make sense of who they are to each other and who they're going to be."
Of course, viewers know that there isn't much time left for the two women to figure their relationship out, but the situation is still one that let Gummer stretch her muscles as a performer. "I was so proud to be able to play someone with such integrity and honor," she says—but just because the role was fulfilling doesn't mean it was always easy. "There's a lot of her story, and the story in general, that's entrenched in tragedy. I was ready for some of that to end."
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Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: Entertainment
Published: March 13, 2026 at 02:01AM on Source: PRIME TIME
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