For Grace Gummer, Playing Caroline Kennedy Was an Exercise in Rage and Restraint

Grace Gummer has become a regular in Ryan Murphy’s universe, appearing in three installments of American Horror Story, from playing the Lizard Girl in Freak Show to a witch in Coven. But Murphy had to personally persuade her to take on her most substantial role yet in his sprawling TV empire: Caroline Kennedy in Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. It’s a part she considered carefully, hoping to honor the woman whose life in the public imagination has been defined by legacy and loss.

Gummer herself is no stranger to American dynasties: She is the daughter of Meryl Streep and is married to Grammy-winning super-producer Mark Ronson. Still, playing Caroline Kennedy required a different kind of scrutiny, one that has already earned her serious awards buzz. For W’s TV portfolio, Gummer, now 40, discusses stepping into the Kennedy world, her theatrical beginnings, and the childhood crush she never outgrew.

How did Love Story come into your life?

I was choosing between Love Story and another project. I got a call from Ryan Murphy being like, "What is this other thing you think you're going to do?" And then he listed all the reasons why I should do [Love Story] and why he wanted me there. So here I am.

In Love Story, you play Caroline Kennedy. Was it challenging to portray someone whom you have been aware of in one way or another?

My job, in playing a real person, is to present my vision of her at that time in her life. I wanted to pay tribute to Caroline, and I hoped that in doing so, I elicited compassion from the audience.

When Caroline loses her brother in the plane crash, you have a remarkable scene, filled with rage and mourning.

The writing was so beautiful because it was giving words to an indescribable feeling. I just really tried to imagine what it must feel like to lose someone you love when you've had so much loss. In those last scenes, it was like waves that keep crashing but just won’t take her down. Caroline is formidable. She shows restraint throughout the show, and then, by the end, I felt allowed to just completely let go.

Were you theatrical as a child?

Very! I was always dressing up in elaborate, insane costumes with my siblings. My older sister would usually be the boss of everyone, so she was the usher, director, and everything else, and I was, like, the dog on a leash in the background. For Halloween, I was always a dead bride, a bride who had died on her wedding day. I don’t know why that spoke to me so much.

What was your first paid acting job?

I was in The House of the Spirits when I was 7, but the first audition that I went in for and booked was a little Off Broadway play called The Sexual Neuroses of Our Parents. I played a catatonic teenager discovering her sexuality. It was the first time I was really proud of myself. I got a little review in The New York Times, and I thought, Okay, I think I can do this.

When you were growing up, who was your cinematic crush?

Titanic Leo, forever and always. I had posters. I have met Leo a couple times, and I get nervous thinking about it. Even now, I’m 12 again, crying on the floor, watching that movie on repeat, bowing to him. That was the first performance where I was like, Oh—I’m a girl!

Do you get starstruck?

I get starstruck with musicians mostly. Meeting Beyoncé to me was pretty...yeah.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I've definitely felt ghosts. Where I grew up in Connecticut, we have a little guesthouse that's hundreds of years old. We lived in there as kids for a while while our house was being fixed up, and I felt the presence of nice people there. That's the only time I've ever felt anything. I think everything else is in your mind.

What did you wear for your first red carpet?

The first real red carpet that I was aware of what I was wearing was an Oscars in the '90s. I thought it was really cool to wear sunglasses because that's what everyone was doing. I had really short, curly hair and '90s sunglasses. I was wearing a Mary McFadden stripey, abstract, sparkly long dress, which is, all due respect to her, not what I would choose now. I thought I was a lot cooler than I was.

What are your pet peeves?

I hate when people don't wear any socks on the plane. I hate when they take their shoes off. I hate flip-flops. I hate the sound of flapping flip-flops. I hate it, especially in the airport.

What’s your zodiac sign?

My sign is Taurus. I like being a Taurus. I really, really love my birthday. I’ve always loved the day, May 9. It rings true to me. It feels like who I am. I don’t know, I'm not very good at celebrating myself, but I love that this is one day that everybody can shamelessly love you, and you can shamelessly love yourself. Sometimes I go to the doctor on my birthday to get a checkup. To know that everything's okay and working and you're healthy, what's better than that on your birthday?

Do you think you have a lot of Taurus traits?

People always say that Tauruses are really strong-willed and stubborn, but I don't find myself to be a stubborn, bullish person. I'm stubbornly indecisive, but other than that—being earthy and a homebody, I would say that's very me. I like to stay close to home.

Do you have a go-to karaoke song?

“Criminal,” by Fiona Apple, is a really big one. “Jolene,” by Dolly Parton. “Torn,” Natalie Imbruglia. Sometimes I do “Shallow” to pay tribute to my husband.

Do you duet? No, I do both.

You want to be both Bradley Cooper and Gaga?

Yeah, I want to do it all.