Updated

Updated · Collider · Jun 11

Paul Anthony Kelly Lands 'The Housemaid's Secret' Role as $400 Million Hit Gets 2027 Sequel

Updated

Updated · Collider · Jun 11

Paul Anthony Kelly Lands 'The Housemaid's Secret' Role as $400 Million Hit Gets 2027 Sequel

Q: Can Paul Anthony Kelly's new thriller role escape the shadow of his acclaimed JFK Jr. portrayal?

Yes—he has a credible chance to do it, though not immediately. Kelly’s JFK Jr. turn in FX’s “Love Story” is a hard act to follow. It was a breakout performance in a record-setting limited series, drew Emmy buzz, and was built on unusually intense preparation, including repeated study of JFK Jr.’s voice and manner. That kind of role can define a young actor in the public mind. What helps “The Housemaid’s Secret” is how different it is. Douglas Garrick is not a real-life icon but a fictional billionaire in a commercial thriller, giving Kelly room to show range rather than invite direct comparison. The move from prestige biographical television to a studio feature also matters: it is his film debut, in a sequel to a $400 million global hit, with Paul Feig directing and Sydney Sweeney, Kirsten Dunst and Michele Morrone in the cast. That gives him visibility in a very different lane. The industry also appears to view him as more than a one-role discovery. Ryan Murphy has already kept him in orbit with “American Horror Story” season 13, suggesting confidence in his versatility beyond “Love Story.” Still, escaping the shadow of JFK Jr. will depend less on casting than on execution. If Garrick becomes a memorable, possibly sinister presence in a successful franchise, Kelly can shift from “the actor who played JFK Jr.” to a broader identity as a bankable screen performer. If not, the Kennedy role will remain his defining credit for now.

3 articles · Updated · Collider · Jun 11

Paul Anthony Kelly will play billionaire Douglas Garrick opposite Sydney Sweeney in The Housemaid's Secret, the sequel to 2025 sleeper hit The Housemaid, due in theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.
Kelly's character becomes Millie's new employer, with a hidden wife, Wendy—played by Kirsten Dunst—and a locked room that signals the thriller's central mystery.
The casting extends Kelly's rapid rise after his first screen role as John F. Kennedy Jr. in FX's American Love Story; he is also set to reunite with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story season 13.
The sequel returns key creative talent from the first film: Paul Feig directs again, Rebecca Sonnenshine writes, and Michele Morrone reprises Enzo Accardi.
The franchise arrives with strong commercial momentum after The Housemaid earned a 74% Rotten Tomatoes score and grossed about $400 million worldwide on a $35 million budget.