Alessandro Nivola on Finding the Humanity of Calvin Klein in Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette

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In Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette, Alessandro Nivola delivers a layered performance as fashion icon Calvin Klein portraying him not simply as a towering figure in the fashion industry, but as a man constantly reinventing himself while wrestling with vulnerability and control.

Speaking about his process, Nivola explained that one of the key entry points into the character was understanding the many different versions of Calvin Klein that existed throughout his life. From his upbringing in the Bronx as the son of Hungarian Jewish immigrants, to his rise through New York’s garment district and eventual status as a global fashion tastemaker, Nivola became fascinated by how each chapter of Klein’s life reshaped the way he presented himself to the world.

“My impression of him is that he’s somebody who kind of reinvented himself many times over the course of his life.”

That evolution became especially important in determining exactly who Calvin Klein was during the period depicted in the series. Nivola described this particular era as a transitional point after Klein’s notorious Studio 54 years and following his time in rehab, when he was attempting to cultivate a more refined public image while traces of his wilder past still lingered beneath the surface.

For Nivola, voice became one of the most essential tools in unlocking the character. He immersed himself in interviews with Klein, listening repeatedly to recordings while walking around town or doing everyday errands until the cadence of his speech became instinctive.

What fascinated him most was the contradiction embedded in Klein’s voice finding remnants of his Bronx upbringing softened by years of elocution lessons and immersion in elite fashion circles.

“There’s a whole kind of personal history in the voice.”

Nivola noted that Klein’s speech still carried subtle traces of New York despite his efforts to smooth them away over time, and he became particularly interested in the unique phrasing and expressions Klein used throughout interviews from the 1980s and 1990s.

“He would say, ‘I’m a bad boy,’ or, ‘You’re wonderful.’ There was a whole series of words and expressions that were really specific to him.”

That research even directly shaped moments of improvisation within the series. Nivola revealed that during a scene introducing Carolyn Bessette to John F. Kennedy Jr., he pulled directly from a real Calvin Klein interview he had memorized through repetition.

Beyond the voice work, Nivola also focused heavily on Calvin Klein’s emotional contradictions. He described him as someone deeply meticulous and controlling in the workplace, driven by impossibly high standards and an obsession with detail. Yet alongside that intensity was a mischievousness and humor that made him magnetic to the people around him.

“He had this mixture of an incredibly powerful presence but then on the other hand, mischief.”

Those opposing qualities became central to Nivola’s performance. He wanted Calvin’s authority and playfulness to coexist simultaneously in every scene, allowing emotions to shift unpredictably from one moment to the next.

Physicality also became a major part of the transformation. Nivola studied archival footage obsessively, particularly fascinated by the designer’s elegant, almost floating movement.

“He almost floated. His feet almost didn’t touch the ground.”

At the emotional center of the series is Calvin Klein’s relationship with Carolyn Bessette, played by Sarah Pigeon. Nivola described their connection as “a platonic romance,” explaining that their relationship evolved with the emotional rhythms of a love story despite never becoming romantic in a traditional sense.

The relationship becomes especially painful during Carolyn’s departure from the company, a scene Nivola describes as emotionally devastating because Calvin feels he has allowed himself to become vulnerable with her in a way he rarely does with anyone else.

“There’s a feeling of betrayal because of that. It’s that much more humiliating and painful to feel that you’ve let somebody in that way.”

Nivola explained that the heartbreak of the scene comes from the simultaneous collision of love, humiliation, anger, and genuine care for Carolyn’s future. Rather than playing one dominant emotion, he approached the moment as a rapid succession of conflicting feelings constantly moving beneath the surface.

Q&A on the series Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette with actor Alessandro Nivola. Moderated by Mara Webster.