Grace Gummer on Turning Down Another Opportunity for 'Love Story' and That Gut-Wrenching Final Scene

Grace Gummer recently sat down to discuss her role as Caroline Kennedy in the FX limited series Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette, and the behind-the-scenes decisions that brought her on board.

The 40-year-old actress initially had another television commitment on her plate, but executive producer Ryan Murphy made a direct appeal to change her mind. "He called me and was like, 'What is this other show you're doing? Why don't you do our show? I promise, it's going to be amazing,'" Gummer recalled in an interview with THR. She credited Murphy's straightforward approach and decisive nature with winning her over. "He's very, very direct; he knows what he wants, and he's decisive and smart as hell. So I trust him."

Gummer brings considerable experience collaborating with Murphy, having previously appeared across three seasons of American Horror Story and a recent episode of All's Fair. She is the daughter of sculptor Don Gummer and acclaimed actress Meryl Streep.

In discussing the emotional centerpiece of the series—the finale scene where Caroline receives news of the tragic 1999 plane crash that killed her brother JFK Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and their sister Lauren Bessette—Gummer detailed her meticulous approach to the material.

"You have to sort of search within yourself in a very deep way, emotionally," she explained about her preparation process. She emphasized the importance of technical mastery as a foundation, noting that memorizing her lines served as her anchor. "Knowing the lines was, first and foremost, my center and my mark within the scene. I made sure that I knew all the beats because a lot of the words were repeated, but they were all said in different ways."

Once she had the technical elements locked, Gummer allowed herself complete emotional freedom. "I really let myself go. There's nothing I left behind, physically or emotionally. I let myself be completely open and vulnerable," she said. "I try to imagine what it's like to lose someone you love, and it's unimaginable, but I tried to do my best."

The sequence required ten takes to complete, with director Anthony Hemingway—who previously worked with Gummer on American Horror Story: Freak Show and All's Fair—pushing her through each iteration. "He said, 'Just go again. Go again. I know you have it in you,'" she remembered. By the eighth take, Gummer felt emotionally depleted, but Hemingway's encouragement kept her going. "By the eighth take, I was like, 'I actually don't know how many more of these I can put myself through,' but I think we ended up using one of the last takes."

Recently, Gummer participated in a SAG-AFTRA panel discussion in Los Angeles alongside her Love Story castmates, before traveling to Italy to attend Dua Lipa and Callum Turner's wedding.