Hollywood loves a breakthrough story, and one with a handsome leading man playing an iconic character is added bonus. The less glamorous years that go into the making, however, rarely get the same attention. For Paul Anthony Kelly, the road to playing John F. Kennedy Jr. in Ryan Murphy’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette came dangerously close to a different ending, and someone close to him helped keep that possibility at bay.

Before the Kennedy name changed his career, Kelly was already considering whether the dream was worth chasing any longer.

Love Story revisits the romance between JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, a relationship that unfolded under the relentless public gaze. Playing the iconic figure has put Kelly in the spotlight and perhaps beyond, but the actor’s own journey to that moment was considerably less shiny. After 13 years of pursuing acting, he was contemplating leaving it behind just days before his life took a turn.

In a recent conversation with PEOPLE, Kelly recalled telling his wife, Syd Widziszewski-Kelly, that he was unsure acting was going to work out and suggesting they move back to Canada.

"I remember sitting on the couch and talking to her and I was like, 'I don't think this is going to happen. It's been this long. I've been at it for a decade'," he reminisced. 

"And she's like, 'well, we're still here. So keep at it,'" Kelly said, going on to say that he is glad she told him to "stick it out."

That encouragement, as Kelly told PEOPLE, is now part of a story that looks rather different in hindsight. Kelly’s wife stood beside him while the career he had spent years trying to build remained uncertain, and the casting call for Love Story arrived just as he was weighing whether to walk away. 

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The role may have opened the door, but Kelly’s next projects suggest he has no intention of stepping back out.

Paul Anthony Kelly’s career has gained momentum since playing the JFK Jr. tributary, Love Story introduced him to a much wider audience. He has joined the cast of American Horror Story Season 13, continuing his collaboration with Ryan Murphy, and is set to appear in The Housemaid’s Secret, the upcoming film starring Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst. 

For Kelly, the change is not simply about finally being recognized; it is about reaching a point he had nearly decided was beyond him. His wife’s encouragement did not guarantee a leading role or a sudden rise to fame, but it helped him stay in the running long enough for the opportunity to arrive. 

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Have you watched Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette? Let us know in the comments.