Courtesy of Lorenzo Sodi for Brunello Cucinelli

FLORENCE IS sweltering when Paul Anthony Kelly and I log into a Zoom call from our respective hotels to chat. It’s Pitti Uomo season – the twice-yearly moment when menswear enthusiasts from around the world descend upon the Italian city to see what the country is cooking up, style-wise – and Kelly is in town to celebrate the occasion with the designer Brunello Cucinelli, who’s hosting a dinner for editors, insiders, and the occasional A-list actor. In a little more than an hour, Kelly will be getting dressed in an impeccable Cucinelli navy suit before heading to Santa Maria Novella in the city centre for the evening’s festivities. But right now, he tells me, he’s feeling the heat.

“It’s hot, hot, hot,” he says, leaning into the repetition. “Like a sauna.”

The thing is, he doesn’t look like he’s feeling it. Maybe it’s the tank top, which reveals a smattering of tattoos across his shoulders. Maybe it’s the Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses he’s wearing before he relocates from the balcony to the bedroom—better Wi-Fi—hiding any flush on his face. Most likely it’s simply something about him, the guy who ensnared national consciousness and launched a sea of fashion imitators with his rendition of John F. Kennedy Jr. in Love Story, that gives off an aura of undeniable cool.

But time is short, and we can’t talk about the damn weather all day. So, instead of digging into Kelly’s tips for staying and looking unfazed in the warmer months, we move on. There’s a lot to talk about, after all – from his unexpected turn as a menswear influencer to his upcoming role in The Housemaid’s Secret to his other role, as a new dad. Read on for a few (condensed and edited) highlights from our conversation.

Courtesy of Lorenzo Sodi for Brunello Cucinelli

On Personal Style

I love to dress up. I feel most comfortable in a suit. Right now, it’s this [gestures to his tank top] because it’s crazy hot. But my grandfather always told me when I was younger that the better you dress, the worse you can act. He was a big prankster and lived life to just joke and have fun. You got to laugh to keep from crying. So that’s just kind of been baked in my soul forever. And now, as an actor, I get to play in these clothes and then, outside of that, be dressed in these wonderful brands; it’s really cool.

Would You Enter a JFK Jr. Lookalike Contest?

No. I don’t do well in crowds. My wife showed me the one they did in Washington Square Park and it was thousands of people. I think if I showed up to one of those, it’s like a hat on a hat. You know what I mean?

Courtesy of Lorenzo Sodi for Brunello Cucinelli

On Inspiring Guys to Dress Like JFK Jr.

It’s wild. I love it. I’m still taking it all in. I mean, we just re-imagined and brought the story of these two individuals to the forefront again. So I don’t think it was me who did it. Maybe I had a hand it in, but we just brought back something that was there. But it’s great. I love that people are taking their style into new realms and enjoying the clothing and living in it.

On Teaming up with Brunello Cucinelli

I’ve been a fan for years and years. The clothes are so elegant and understated and totally liveable. The materials are just beautiful. The craftsmanship, the detail that goes into everything – you put it on and you feel incredible, ready to take on the world. So to be invited to Pitti and this dinner and have them dress me for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party, it’s really a dream come true.

Courtesy of Lorenzo Sodi for Brunello Cucinelli

On Cribbing a Couple JFK Jr.’s Style Moves

I’ve adopted a wallet chain. I’m surprised I hadn’t done that earlier. But I, like John, tend to forget things, like my keys and wallet. Now they’re all attached to the same thing, so it’s harder to lose. I also find myself wearing my hat backwards a little more often now. I think my own personal style wasn’t too dissimilar from his, so it was a little bit easier to fall into it and make it my own.

On The Housemaid’s Secret

I can tell you that I’m very excited for it. Not bad for a movie debut. I get to work with Paul Fieg, Sydney Sweeney, Kirsten Dunst, Michele Morrone – I mean, it’s a killer cast. It’s going to be fun. The book’s great. The script is fantastic. I’m very, very, very excited.

Courtesy of Lorenzo Sodi for Brunello Cucinelli

On American Horror Story Season 13

I’m excited, and it’s a great opportunity to do something completely different from what I just did with Love Story. It’s nice to be able to stretch these muscles and explore a different character and just have fun. And the cast on that is stellar. I feel like I’m consistently leveling up.

Anything Else You’re Excited About?

You know what I’m the most excited about? Being a new dad. That is the light of my life right now. All of this is excellent, but that is the cherry on top. My poor wife is really the one-man band while I’m off doing press and working and all the other stuff. But the moments I get home with them is just sublime. There are no words.

From Esquire US.

Related:

JFK Jr was a massive sneakerhead – here are his best trainers

All of the JFK Jr outfits from the set of Ryan Murphy’s ‘American Love Story’