Actor Paul Anthony Kelly had his extensive tattoos covered with airbrushing to appear shirtless as John F. Kennedy Jr. in the series "Love Story" [1, 2].
The process highlights the technical lengths production teams go to ensure historical accuracy and visual consistency when casting actors whose physical appearance differs from their real-life counterparts.
Kelly, who is 37 years old [2], required the makeup to enable shirtless scenes that match the historical appearance of the late John F. Kennedy Jr. [1, 2]. The production used airbrushing techniques to erase the ink from his skin, allowing the actor to maintain the character's aesthetic without permanent alterations.
Landing the role came after a long period of professional struggle for the actor. Kelly spent 13 years facing rejection before securing the part [3]. During an interview with Gold Derby, he reflected on the difficulty of his journey in the industry.
"I was about to give up," Kelly said [3].
The behind-the-scenes footage, released earlier this year, shows the specific application of the makeup used to mask the tattoos [2]. This method allowed the production to maintain a seamless look across various scenes while accommodating the actor's personal ink.
“"I was about to give up."”
The use of airbrushing in this production reflects a growing trend in prestige television to prioritize historical authenticity over casting constraints. By utilizing advanced makeup to erase modern identifiers like tattoos, studios can cast based on performance and likeness while using post-production and makeup to bridge the gap in physical accuracy.
