Netflix is building out its Kennedy dynasty drama in a big way, adding a wave of recognizable character actors and historical figures as production gets underway.
The streamer has announced a slate of new recurring cast members for “Kennedy,” its upcoming series based on Fredrik Logevall’s biography “JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956.” The show stars Michael Fassbender (“The Killer,” “Steve Jobs”) as Joe Kennedy Sr., alongside Laura Donnelly (“The Nevers”) as Rose Kennedy, Nick Robinson (“Maid”) as Joe Kennedy Jr., and newcomer Joshuah Melnick as Jack Kennedy.
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Among the new additions: Wyatt Russell (“Monarch,” “Thunderbolts”) as aviator Charles Lindbergh, Eddie Marsan (“Ray Donovan”) as FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Denis O’Hare (“American Horror Story”) as U.S. State Department official Raymond Furness, and Toby Huss (“Halt and Catch Fire”) as President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
They’re joined by Patrick Fischler (“Barry”) as New York Times journalist Arthur Krock, Caitlin FitzGerald (“Succession”) as writer and politician Clare Boothe Luce, Hera Hilmar (“See”) as journalist Inga Arvad, and Albert Welling as Winston Churchill, alongside additional casting that fills out the Kennedy orbit across both the U.S. and Europe.
The series, set primarily in the 1930s and 1940s, charts the rise of Joe and Rose Kennedy and their nine children, focusing on the early formation of what would become one of the most powerful and mythologized families in modern American history. The first season centers in particular on the tension between Joe Kennedy Jr., groomed for political greatness, and his younger brother Jack, who struggles to step out of that shadow.
Behind the camera, the project is led by showrunner Sam Shaw (“Manhattan,” “Castle Rock,” “Masters of Sex”), with Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round,” “The Hunt”) directing. The series comes from Chernin Entertainment, with Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump,” “Dune”) among the executive producers.
Netflix has also released a behind-the-scenes image of Fassbender in character as Joe Kennedy Sr., offering a first glimpse of the period drama’s tone as filming continues in London.
No premiere date has been announced yet, but with production now underway and a cast that spans political figures, journalists, and cultural icons of the era, “Kennedy” is shaping up as a large-scale historical drama aimed squarely at prestige TV territory.
In the meantime, Fassbender continues to lean into prestige television with projects like “The Agency: Central Intelligence,” signaling a broader pivot toward the kind of adult-skewing drama that has increasingly migrated to the small screen, making him a natural fit for a series like “Kennedy.” Check out the first behind-the-scenes look below.
