To deem Paul Anthony Kelly a newcomer seems entirely incongruous with his on-screen charisma. After spending over a decade learning how to tell a story through a still image—modeling for everyone from Loro Piana to Brooks Brothers—he finally nabbed the role of John F. Kennedy Jr. in FX’s Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, his first official acting credit after doggedly auditioning for years. Tall and strapping with a dimpled smile, Kelly harkens back to the movie stars of classic Hollywood, keenly comfortable on camera without sacrificing his tenacious undercurrent.

Millions of Americans met Kelly on tablets, TVs, and laptops earlier this year, when his roguish portrayal of one of America’s most enduring sex icons cemented him as much more than “a pretty face,” in the words of the inimitable Niecy Nash. Indeed, Kelly will join Kirsten Dunst and Sydney Sweeney on screen in The Housemaid’s Secret, arriving next year. And amidst his shooting schedule for the 13th season of American Horror Story, Kelly sat down with Niecy Nash, another member of Ryan Murphy’s ever-expanding universe, to chat about breaking the mold, bringing true love to the screen (in two ways), and a shared love of villainy.

NIECY NASH: I often say that people want to leave you where they meet you: I know you to do this thing, and they put a pin in it, not understanding that you can be multifaceted. I had to get to a place where I had a team that saw me the way I saw myself and knew that I could pull from a deeper well. And once I was able to do so, that’s when I started getting nominations. Was that similar for you, Paul?

PAUL ANTHONY KELLY: Yeah, I always knew that I wanted to do this. I knew that I was capable of it. It took a long time for people to buy it, essentially.

NN: Why do you think that is?

PAK: I don’t know. I was a model for a long time, and that kind of comes with the stigma.

NN: A curse of being pretty.

PAK: You said it, not me. But yes, exactly. People don’t take you seriously.

NN: Now it’s a delicious double dip. You are a pretty face, but you also have the chops to back it up.

PAK: Thank you. See, I always knew that. So, now it’s nice to rub it in the proverbial face a little bit. It’s freeing, for me, breaking the shackles of the modeling world. I’m just along for the ride in my own little world here that I’m holding for myself. I’ve already done the work that’s meaningful to me, and now I have opportunities to do more meaningful work.

NN: Okay, let me act like I know what I’m doing. So let me ask you, what do you feel like modeling taught you about being an actor?

PAK:  Body movement, definitely. I think being a model for so long got me very comfortable in front of a camera, and there is something to telling a story in a two-dimensional image where you still have to emote. I think that really helped with getting myself into a place of understanding the nuances of life, as it were. But then being able to live it and express it fully as an actor in front of a moving camera. I think that helped a lot.

NN: Now, because you had so many eyes on this project, has it changed out in the wild when you are trying to go get a cup of coffee or when you are at the bookstore perusing the shelves?

PAK: A little bit. I’m still in that crossover phase of recognition. When I’m out in the wild, I don’t look like John. Typically I’m more bearded than I am now. I wear glasses, I have a hat on, and I’m a little scruffy sometimes. A lot of people are like, ‘is that—maybe not, can’t be.’ But it has been happening more often that people are noticing me, and I kind of love it. The reception has been so overwhelmingly positive. I think people really resonate with my story as well. It took me so long to get this opportunity, and then I did it to the best of my ability, and I think I did a really good job. I’m proud of the work I did, and people are also proud of that. It just hearkens back to perseverance, and if you truly want something, then go and get it. I think people resonate with that.

NN: When you play a lover, how does it fare—because you’re married, right?

PAK: That’s correct. My wife was on set pretty much every day, too. I mean, there were certain days and scenes that she was like, ‘I don’t need to be here for that.’ But I’m so incredibly lucky to have such a wonderfully supportive and caring and understanding partner in all of this. She’s always known that this was my dream. When I got this role, as soon as I got it, we were in New York, Sarah [Pidgeon] was like, ‘I have to meet your wife first before we do this.’ They really hit it off right away, and it was nice of Sarah to push for that, and to create this understanding and friendship and bond before we went in and did this. I think [Sarah and I] had pretty great professional chemistry, but there were a lot of things from my own relationship that I brought into this. I couldn’t have done it without knowing the love I know with my wife.

NN: I know that’s right. Where do you go from here, or where do you aspire to go from here?

PAK: Oh my gosh, the list is long. There have always been stories that I would like to tell or retell or have a hand in telling. This was a really amazing thing that I was gifted from the universe, and of course also from Mr. Ryan Murphy and his team for seeing something in me that no one else really did. He just has this thing where he sees something in you and wants to see you find it in yourself and explore it. While Love Story was being released, he called me about [American Horror Story].

NN: That’s what you’re doing now?

PAK: I’m filming that now. With John Jr., I feel like I just tried to stay within the ethos of him and the aura and energy of it, and still kind of make it mine. But this other character that I’m doing now in Horror Story, it’s totally different already. I have such free rein, and it’s such a gift to just be able to play and figure out who these characters are in your head and in your body.

NN: One thing I can say is that Ryan Murphy is a gift to actors. He gives you things that are so delicious on the page, you cannot wait to unpack.

PAK: To go back to what you asked about what I would like to do, I really want to play a villain.

NN: You stole my idea.

PAK: Why don’t we join up and become super villains?

NN:  I’m about to call Ryan Murphy right now and be like, ‘super villains, the both of us.’

PAK: ‘Paul and I got to talking, and we had this crazy idea…’

NN: I’m so happy I had this time to chat with you. I cannot wait to see you in Horror Story, and whatever else the universe has for you. And if we end up on set one day playing villains in the same project, somebody is gonna pull up this interview and be like, ‘how did this happen?’ And we’re gonna say we manifested it right now.

PAK: Right now.

This cover story appears in the pages of now available for purchase!

Photography Luigi & Iango

Fashion Hunter Clem

Creative Director / Editor-in-Chief Stephen Gan

Interview Niecy Nash

Grooming Jessica Ortiz (Kalpana) using Oribe 

Casting Greg Krelenstein (GK-LD)

Tailor Abel Martirosyan

Editor Kev Ponce

Fashion Market Editors Copelyn Bengel / Arut Arustamyan 

Producer Louis Guillemain (2b Management)

Production Assistant Angelina Aliano

Luigi & Iango Studio Manager Francisco Betancourt 

Cinematographer Santiago Montes