How Connor Hines Won Over Ryan Murphy And Beat Impostor Syndrome To Make 'love Story'

Growing up, my grandparents virtually had a shrine to President Kennedy and Jackie. For galore descendants of Irish immigrants, particularly from nan Boston area, nan Kennedys were nan realization of nan American dream: a family that overcame anti-Irish prejudice and built an empire that would propel 1 boy to nan White House, 2 others to nan Senate, and generations of nationalist servants aft them. Needless to say, nan lore of nan family was embedded successful maine from a young age.

Around 2020, I descended into a Kennedy rabbit hole, starting pinch nan tycoon and patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. and moving my measurement done nan generations. When I reached John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s story, a move went disconnected wrong maine — that jolt of adrenaline and inspiration you believe to stumble upon arsenic a writer. Yes, their courtship was singular, sweeping and astatine times volatile, but I was mostly struck by nan acute disconnect betwixt nan measurement they were posthumously characterized by friends and family and nan often misogynistic, reductive communicative that surrounded them astatine nan time. The much I publication astir them, nan much convinced I became that location was an wholly caller communicative to beryllium told — done a caller lens that could humanize and dimensionalize 2 group who had been truthful wide mythologized.

But obsession does not a show make. I was much than alert that I wasn’t astatine a spot successful my profession wherever a web aliases streaming work would apt entrust maine pinch a communicative of that magnitude and lore — until a fewer months later, erstwhile it was announced successful Deadline that Ryan Murphy was launching a caller anthology series, “American Love Story.” The first season: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

Paul Anthony Kelly and Sarah Pidgeon successful “Love Story.”

(FX)

Fortunately for me, nan heads of Color Force, Brad Simpson and Nina Jacobson — nan producers down acclaimed bid specified arsenic “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and “Say Nothing” — publication a sample of excavation and agreed to meet pinch me. After our extended chat astir my liking successful nan show, they suggested I meet pinch Ryan to locomotion him done my return connected nan story. While this mightiness look for illustration nan logical adjacent measurement successful nan hiring process for a Ryan Murphy show, nan proposal felt thing but. Ryan Murphy was a sanction that entered my psyche circa 1999, astatine nan property of 11, erstwhile I would sneak retired of my room to watch Ryan’s first series, “Popular”: a clever, biting, provocative show that, for illustration truthful galore of his later works, upended nan position quo of nan genre and showcased characters — and talented, overlooked actors — recovered obscurity other connected TV.

I spent astir 3 months successful nan trenches pinch Brad and Nina, deepening and refining my position — 1 that I’d singing successful nan shower, connected runs, astatine Trader Joe’s, while I drove. It was a clang people successful storytelling, producing, and knowing nan alchemy that propelled truthful galore of Ryan’s shows into nan zeitgeist.

Most mega-producers apt would person balked astatine my less-than-robust résumé, but Ryan is personification who moves instinctively and decisively, and aft our meeting, he offered maine nan chance to constitute nan show. In nan tone of afloat transparency, I instantly knowledgeable almost debilitating impostor syndrome, but aft respective frantic telephone calls to my agents, head and therapist, I accepted.

Connor Hines.

(Evan Mulling / For The Times)

I’m not judge I’ve ever obsessed complete thing nan measurement I did nan world of “Love Story.” I knew it was a tremendous responsibility, and a communicative that had to beryllium handled pinch care, but I was besides exhilarated by nan privilege of penning astir a taxable that not only I loved deeply, but 1 that my grandparents had loved profoundly arsenic well. Sadly, they passed distant earlier this each came to fruition, but I tin only ideate really happy — and, knowing my grandfather, really responsible — they would consciousness seeing my dreams materialize successful specified a fortuitous way.

Unlike galore Hollywood experiences, moving connected “Love Story” turned retired to beryllium everything I had hoped for and more, and contempt astir a decade of watching projects wither connected nan improvement vine, it felt precisely for illustration wherever I was expected to be.