This Behind-the-Scenes “Love Story” Clip Just Confirmed the Shocking Number of Tattoos Paul Anthony Kelly Has

Michelle LeeThu, May 21, 2026 at 5:58 PM UTC

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(Left) Paul Anthony Kelly with tattoos; (Right) Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. in 'Love Story'
Credit: Paul Anthony Kelly/Instagram; New York Newswire / BACKGRID -

A new behind-the-scenes clip taken on the set of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette was shared by the show's makeup lead, Milagros Medina Cerdeira

The video reveals how Paul Anthony Kelly was able to conceal his tattoos to play JFK Jr.

Kelly has previously opened up about the meaning of his tattoos and admitted to wanting to remove some of them

A new side of Paul Anthony Kelly is coming to light.

When the 37-year-old actor broke out as a television heartthrob earlier this year for his depiction of John F. Kennedy Jr., the distinction between him and the late political figure became more and more indiscernible as Love Story played out on screen. That's all down to his resemblance to JFK Jr., which we now know was accomplished through great lengths by the series' makeup department.

Makeup lead Milagros Medina Cerdeira shared a new behind-the-scenes clip of Kelly transforming into character, and it confirmed that we absolutely forgot (or entirely didn't know about) just how many tattoos he actually has.

Paul Anthony Kelly's tattoos from the back
Credit: Paul Anthony Kelly/Instagram

The glimpses we get of Kelly shirtless in the show are few; he's either showing off his abs playing football with his pals or in the gym locker room. However, it took long, meticulous work to make sure Kelly's real-life ink was concealed. (Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio's JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography features a claim that JFK Jr. had a shamrock tattoo above his shoulder blade.)

A team had to work in various parts to cover the large black art on Kelly's chest and biceps in what appeared to be red ink followed by makeup that matched Kelly's skin tone on top. The time-lapse was sped up to capture the entire process under a minute, but Kelly himself revealed in a past interview that covering up his tattoos took the longest to complete on set.

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In an Interview piece published in December 2025, he said, "I'm typically in the chair an hour and a half beforehand," the majority of which he spends getting his tattoos covered.

"Honestly, it's tattoo coverup. I have quite a few tattoos," while adding, "The hair takes a minute — geez, Louise, look at this sandwich — we do a full blowout and brush it back. I have two very small pieces they put in, just to crop the corner. I'm getting older. My hairline is not as thick and prominent as John-John's, but after that we're good to go."

Paul Anthony Kelly at the 2026 Met Gala
Credit: Jamie McCarthy/Getty

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A profile published by GQthis past February confirmed that Kelly has 30 tattoos, including a “138” piece referencing a Misfits song. “It's hard to judge a book by its cover,” he told the outlet.

He admitted that he regrets getting a few of his pieces and has thought about removing them. “I don't think I was ever that person, just finding myself in dark days, going through relationship woes and traveling all the time. Just being in this little box as a model but meant to just fit the bill—this was my way of like, acting out."

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”