Love Story’s Erich Bergen Reacts To The Retroactive JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette Craze

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Even though artificial intelligence might not appreciate Erich Bergen’s charm, the team at ScreenRant definitely does! This week’s episode of Debunking AI was particularly funny thanks to his appearance. Currently, you can see Bergen in FX’s new drama, Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette, where he plays Anthony Radziwill. But before that, he was well-known for his work in musical theater.

Michael Bergen first gained attention on Broadway as Dr. Pomatter in Waitress after his memorable performance as Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys. Many viewers also recognize him from his role as the dedicated Blake Moran in Madame Secretary. Now, he’s taking on what’s expected to be his most prominent political role yet in Love Story, proving he’s comfortable with political dramas.

This week on Debunking AI, Bergen corrected the AI about details from his role in Love Story, though it did get his history of selling t-shirts right. He also talked about his career and shared a common reason why actors choose the roles they do – something many in the industry already know.

Erich Bergen Could Have Played JFK Jr. Junior… And AI Seems To Think He Is

Bergen observed the enthusiastic fan reaction to Love Story in its first few weeks, explaining that younger audiences, who primarily know John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette as 90s fashion icons from Instagram, are simply captivated by the romantic narrative. At the same time, millennials are revisiting a romance they experienced as it unfolded, which Bergen admits makes her feel older, as she remembers seeing the couple featured in magazines and on the news, and even encountered them in person as a child.

Bergen never imagined himself in a love story, and he was focused on his Broadway career when he got the chance to audition for the role of John F. Kennedy, Jr. Usually, he tries to accept every audition, believing he might offer a unique perspective, but this time he approached it differently.

He didn’t succeed in the first audition, but he was later cast as Anthony Radziwill – a key figure who served as best man at John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s wedding. He later admitted, “I’m so glad I took the role, because I never expected how deeply the story would affect me. I honestly didn’t think I had any personal connection to these people.”

While the story is definitely moving and sad, I never felt a strong personal connection to it or the people it’s based on – unlike a lot of others. Because of that, I wasn’t sure how well it would translate to television. But the show has clearly resonated with audiences, and I’m thrilled to have been involved.

The AI amusingly mistook actor Bergen for JFK Jr., claiming his biggest moment on the show was defending Carolyn against the press. Bergen playfully responded, “Excuse me, I have really significant scenes coming up!” He then joked that the AI sounded like a superficial entertainment reporter – someone who talks generally about a show without actually having watched it or knowing the actors.

You know, when I spoke with Bergen about playing Anthony, he admitted it was tough to define who the real Anthony was outside of the show’s portrayal. He explained that the biggest challenge with playing someone based on a real person – especially in a story everyone’s analyzing so closely – is that there are just so many different interpretations and versions of events floating around. It’s hard to know what the truth is, or even whose truth you’re supposed to be telling.

A memorable line from the play Jersey Boys, written by Rick Ellis and Marshall Brickman, is, “Everyone remembers it how they need to.” This really hits home when you’re dealing with a well-documented story. With so many books, biographies, and documentaries already out there, an actor has to set all that research aside. Ultimately, an actor’s job is to simply bring the writer’s words to life.

I’m portraying Anthony Radziwill as the show’s writers, producers, and director have envisioned him. I stick to the script and can only say what’s been written for me. Whether Anthony acted as a go-between for John Jr., Carolyn, and the Kennedys is something others have suggested, but I’m not able to confirm or deny it.

Erich Bergen’s Origin Story Doubles As Excellent Career Advice

Bergen’s career began in a unique way. Though he participated in a youth theater program growing up (“I was born and raised in New York City, and there was a really cool program at the Children’s Aid Society”), his first paid job was in a very small off-Broadway musical – essentially unpaid – called The Sick Boy, which told the story of Ryan White. He also narrated Goosebumps audiobooks, but one of his most unusual jobs was selling merchandise for Broadway shows.

I started out selling merchandise at shows – things like the Gypsy revival with Bernadette Peters, the first Broadway run of The Color Purple, and, honestly, getting to be part of Wicked was a huge thrill. I always remembered advice I got when I was younger: just get yourself inside the theater. People told me if I did, I’d eventually end up performing, and it actually worked! It was a great way to break into the business.

What I loved most about the job was that we always finished selling merchandise before the show began. Then, all of us who worked the merch table would count our money, grab some food, and relax in the back office. I took the job specifically to watch the show for free, and I ended up seeing Wicked countless times.

He ended his inspiring story about achieving his dreams with a bit of advice for aspiring Broadway performers: “If you want to work on Broadway, don’t be afraid to start small – I got my foot in the door by asking the T-shirt vendors if they were hiring!”

Check out our previous Debunking AI interviews here:

  • Peacemaker Season 2’s Steve Agee
  • My Oxford Year’s Corey Mylchreest
  • Twisted Metal Season 2’s Stephanie Beatriz
  • Wednesday Season 2’s Noah Taylor & Georgie Farmer
  • The Wrong Paris’ Miranda Cosgrove & Pearson Fodé
  • The Senior’s Michael Chiklis
  • The Strangers: Chapter 2’s Madelaine Petsch
  • The Paper’s Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young & Melvin Gregg
  • Tulsa King Season 3’s Neal McDonough
  • Wizards Beyond Waverly Place’s David Henrie & Janine LeAnn Brown
  • Ghosts Season 5’s Danielle Pinnock
  • Landman Season 2’s Kayla Wallace
  • Spartacus: House of Ashur’s Nick E. Tarabay & Steven S. DeKnight
  • Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ Walker Scobell, Leah Jeffries & Aryan Simhadri
  • Mercy’s Kali Reis & Timur Bekmambetov
  • Stumble’s Taran Killam
  • The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins’ Daniel Radcliffe

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2026-02-27 19:43