Paul Anthony Kelly

Kelly married producer Syd Widziszewski in May 2023. The couple welcomed their first child in early 2026.

They lived near the border of Altadena and Pasadena in California before local fires prompted a move north. They relocated to Portland, Oregon. Kelly received permanent residency in the United States in 2025.

Kelly grew up in Port McNicoll, Ontario, as the eldest of four children. He moved to Toronto as a young adult. While working at an American Apparel store, two talent scouts spotted him. He signed with Ford Models and began booking commercial and runway assignments.

His modelling work sent him to New York City. Over the next decade, he modelled for brands including Perry Ellis, Bonobos, Loro Piana, Rhone Apparel, and John Varvatos. He also joined the agency Innovative Artists to pursue screen acting.

Roles came slowly. He performed on stage in Los Angeles with The Group Repertory Theatre, appearing in productions such as Mourning Song and Can't Live Without 'Em. In television, he filmed scenes for the Starz series The Venery of Samantha Bird. The network scrapped the project before it aired.

Kelly submitted a self-tape for the Ryan Murphy miniseries Love Story in early 2025. Producers called him in for a chemistry read with Sarah Pidgeon, who had already been cast as Carolyn Bessette. After buying a suit from Uniqlo on short notice, he completed his screen test on a Los Angeles soundstage. Producers offered him the role of John F. Kennedy Jr. on the spot.

Preparation was extensive. Kelly worked with dialect coach Jerome Butler to remove his Canadian speech patterns. He studied archival interviews on Larry King Live and listened to Kennedy's audio reading of Profiles in Courage before filming. He also put on muscle through targeted weight training. Covering his 30 tattoos required ninety minutes in the makeup chair each morning.

The series earned Kelly the Breakout Award at the 2026 Newport Beach TV Fest.

Following the release of Love Story, Kelly joined the cast of American Horror Story for its thirteenth installment.

He was also cast in the feature film The Housemaid's Secret. Slated for a 2027 release, the production cast him as Douglas Garrick alongside Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst.