00:00This year has absolutely been a whirlwind of changes in both my professional and personal
00:06life. You know, the success of Love Story has been an incredible gift. And then I also just
00:12had a baby around the same time as when the show came out. So to say that my life both
00:17professionally and personally has changed is kind of an understatement.
00:28I was first discovered to be a model. I was working at an American Apparel on Queen Street
00:33East in Toronto. Some agents, scouts from Ford had come in and asked me, oh, are you a model?
00:40And I said, no. And they said, do you want to? And I said, no. And then they gave me
00:45a
00:45card and they're like, well, if you change your mind. I think I went in the next day to
00:48the office to meet the head of men's. And she gave me a contract kind of on the spot.
00:54And then I got fired from that job a week later, which was kind of perfect timing. That changed
00:59my life in a drastic way as well, because it came at me very quick. I went from having
01:03no desire to be a model or even thinking that I could. I don't see myself the way that other
01:08people do, I guess. And I just went with it and really changed my life. I had always wanted
01:14to be an actor from I was yay big. My grandfather was a big proponent of that. He just would
01:20like
01:20dress up with me and humor me. And I think I let that grow and build. And then in high
01:27school,
01:27I did drama all through high school. And I just had a blast with that, like making people laugh
01:31and playing characters and exploring emotions and humanity and happiness, sadness, everything in
01:38between. I always felt drawn to that. And then as a model, you know, you kind of have to emote
01:43as
01:44well in a 2D image. But it was great practice for me in front of the camera. But there was
01:49something
01:49about it that just wasn't super fulfilling. So I had always been striving to be a working actor and
01:54get something. And I had been auditioning for over 10 years before John F. Kennedy Jr. came to me.
02:01Ryan Murphy, you're the guy. My whole life changed then.
02:04Do you want to grab a drink? Oh, technically, I'm working. Wasn't everyone here? Quite the shrewd
02:09observation coming from the bell of the ball. The bell of the ball? I know like five people here.
02:15You wouldn't know that from the way around staring at you. I distinctly remember it was probably like
02:19two weeks before I got the call for the callback for John F. Kennedy Jr. and Love Story. I remember
02:24sitting on the couch with my wife. We were living in Los Angeles area in Pasadena. And then the fires
02:29happened in that January. So we had evacuated. We moved to where we live now. And I remember
02:34just sitting there. I'm like, you know, I had to, it was pretty quiet. I'd done a couple
02:39auditions and nothing really came. I was just like, we were thinking about the future and
02:44contemplating having a family and, you know, what the next steps were. Like, do we move back
02:48to Canada for healthcare and education? And my family's there and it would have been a great
02:55place to start a family and raise kids. I remember sitting on the couch and talking to her and
02:59I was like, I don't think this is going to happen. It's been this long. I've been at it
03:06for a decade. You know, I got close. I got one thing, but then it didn't finish. And I was
03:12just like, I don't know if this is for me. I don't know if it's going to happen. And she's
03:15like, well, we're still here. So keep at it. You know, I didn't even like, I didn't have
03:20my green card. So there were a lot of things that were obstacles to overcome in order to
03:26even get anything. But then when I got the call back two weeks later, my green card came
03:32in like two days later. Then we were down here in LA for the chemistry read and the screen
03:38test. And then they told me I had the job. It was like everything happened the way it was
03:44supposed to. And it's still to this day. I'm flabbergasted that that it actually happened.
03:51And I'm living my dreams. I'm glad she said to stick it out because I don't know if this
03:58would have happened. Yeah, it all happened on the same day, which was our second year
04:01anniversary. It was the day of the call back. She had wanted to go to a like old school photo
04:07booth. I was like, yeah, absolutely. Cool. Did the call back. I was like, I think that went
04:11well. We went out for dinner, went to the photo booth, took some photos, and then she surprised
04:15me with two positive tests. You know, you do the one and you're like, I don't know.
04:19She did the second one. It was like, okay, positive. So then, you know, the pressure was
04:23kind of on then. I know you've been burdened with unfathomable expectations and I would never
04:27fault you for trying to meet them. Carolyn, you're the one thing in my life that I know
04:32that I'm destined for. If I had gotten to the point I am now, in my career as a younger
04:40gentleman, it would have been squandered. I think we'll leave it at that. I definitely
04:45would have enjoyed it a little bit too much. But now I'm level-headed and I have a wonderful
04:51wife and incredible support and a child. And I think all of these things have really grounded
04:56me and who I am. And now, you know, the responsibility and also the desire and work ethic that I
05:03have
05:04now wasn't there when I was 25. You know, I wanted these things. I knew I could do it, but
05:11I probably would have abused it a little bit. So it happened when it was supposed to. And
05:17when I was ready for it.
05:19How'd it go?
05:20Great. They're gonna love you. They already love you. Look at you.
05:28I got you.
05:29I was watching the show in real time as it came out. And then, you know, my wife was keeping
05:34me informed of the cultural phenomenon that was happening. And I mean, I'm here for it.
05:40It's great. The people taking their style into their own, I think is a great thing is they were
05:45just so fashionable and cool. And it was really neat experience to kind of be at the forefront
05:51of that, but also a little overwhelming, too. I think the first time I got recognized, like
05:57recognized out in the world on my own, I was out for a walk in New York, which is a
06:01great
06:02place to be recognized when the show is based in New York. But I was recognized by a fellow
06:08Torontonian. And I was walking. I was on the phone. And, you know, I was not looking like the guy.
06:14And I had my
06:14head on my glasses and do, do, do, do, do, do. I'm walking across the street and this lady was
06:20like,
06:21oh, my God. Are you Paul Anthony Kelly? And I was like, yeah. She's like, can I get a photo
06:27with you?
06:27I'm also from Toronto. I think that's the first one that stands out. As I was on the phone with
06:32my wife,
06:32and I was like, hold on a second, babe. Yeah, sure. I'll take a photo with you. And then some
06:36other people were like, oh, okay. Wow.
06:38It's neat. It's really neat to be recognized. And it, you know, the reception of the show has just been
06:44so overwhelmingly positive. And then the encounters that I have with people out in the world have also
06:50been so overwhelmingly positive. And they're like, you absolutely smashed it. You did such a good job.
06:54Can't believe this was your first thing. Yeah, it feels really good to be recognized for good work.
06:59It's perfect. I don't want to dance. It won't.
07:03I've taken a lot of things from John F. Kennedy Jr. and that portrayal and characterization.
07:09But there's so much of him that I learned that I'll carry with me forever.
07:14And confidence is really the biggest one.
07:16Doing the show has taught me to really want to take bigger swings.
07:21And just finding that, I think, is confidence building as well.
07:25Being able to make mistakes and allow that to happen.
07:28Because that's really where the magic lies.
07:30You delight me. Always have.
07:33Afraid of nothing. Not even me.
07:37I've dealt with monsters my whole life. I know you all well.
07:43BHS season 13, which happens to be my favorite number.
07:45In that, I got to play a character that is totally different from JFK Jr.
07:50And I can't thank Ryan Murphy enough for allowing me into that world.
07:54I mean, he really caters to creativity.
07:57That whole series is just completely different from Love Story.
08:01And the character I play is such a departure.
08:03It only hurts if you fight it.
08:05So it was a lot of fun to be able to do that and explore and create as well.
08:10Like, with John F. Kennedy Jr., you know it's very much in the box.
08:13I feel like I colored the box in completely.
08:16But you still have this thing that you have to stay within.
08:20For this other character, for Horror Story, it was just, have at it. Go nuts.
08:24And I got to. And I did.
08:26And I'm really proud of the work.
08:27And I got to work with some incredible actors.
08:29And it's so exciting.
08:31I'm so lucky to get to do this job.
08:38My wife's incredibly proud of me.
08:40Super excited to see me living my dream, but also be like a big proponent of that.
08:45I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without her.
08:47And I can't do any of this without her.
08:50She is an incredible support.
08:53And I'm truly so lucky to have her as my wife and partner and best friend.
08:58Sid and I met in Alaska.
09:00Of all places, I was the male model for this photo shoot.
09:05She was on the production team of the photo shoot.
09:07And both of us were getting out of detrimental relationships
09:12and kind of saying to ourselves,
09:14we're going to focus on ourselves for a while.
09:18And then we met each other on this job.
09:19And it was just kind of like, oh,
09:23hi, how are you?
09:24Nothing happened then.
09:25Just great conversation.
09:27But there was something.
09:29There was something in the way she looked at me
09:31and the way I looked at her.
09:33And we just kind of felt comfortable very quickly.
09:39And then we, she lived in LA.
09:40I was in New York at the time.
09:42And we chatted a lot.
09:46I slid into her DMs on Instagram,
09:48which is not my style at all.
09:50I just couldn't stop thinking about her.
09:52And I was like, hey, do you like stuff?
09:56And then for about three months, three and a half months,
09:59we just talked every day.
10:01I laid everything out on the line.
10:03Here's all my bull crap.
10:05I want to change.
10:06I want to be better.
10:08And I think that honesty really brought us closer together.
10:12And then when we were able to be together in one place,
10:16it was just sparks flying like crazy.
10:19And oh my God, I've never felt this comfortable.
10:21I've never felt this whole with anybody.
10:24The rest is history.
10:25I think I'm a romantic guy in general.
10:27I definitely love romance.
10:30I try to be sweet to her.
10:32I'm thinking of her all the time.
10:34You know, there, she's, she's my one and only.
10:37So I think, you know, like flowers every so often,
10:40just like little things when I'm traveling for work.
10:43And I know she's a little down in the dumps or missing me.
10:44I'll just send flowers is great.
10:47I cook for her, cook for all of us now.
10:50Um, which I never used to before.
10:52She's actually the cook in the family.
10:54She's phenomenal.
10:55Um, but when she was pregnant, I was like, I got this.
10:57Cool.
10:58So I had to step up my game.
10:59Oh, favorite time of day with my daughter.
11:02I don't know any time I get to spend with her.
11:04It was just magical.
11:05I really like getting up super early in the morning
11:08and having the morning time.
11:10Cause you know, she'll get up at like four in the morning
11:13and I'll let my wife sleep because she deserves it.
11:16But yeah, I have this nice, like uninterrupted time with her.
11:19We'll like play in the playpen, the playpen.
11:22We've like sectioned off half of the living room.
11:25That's hers now.
11:26Uh, and it's fun to just be in there and like read her little stories
11:30and, and play with things and get her laughing, whatever.
11:34And then she'll get tired and then we'll go into her nursery
11:37and just, she falls asleep on me.
11:40And that's like the greatest, greatest feeling.
11:43Just that she feels safe and it's comfortable.
11:46And it's good for me.
11:50My career and life 10 years from now, I sure hope I'm still working.
11:55Cause I love this job.
11:56I've never felt more alive and more in a place where,
12:00where I truly feel like I belong.
12:02So I want this for the rest of my life.
12:04I'm so dedicated to working for it and making it a reality.
12:08And then I hope that people just enjoy what I do
12:10so that I can continue to do it because I love it.
12:13I know I'll be with my wife.
12:15I know we'll have family, but I hope that family grows.
12:18I'd love to have more kids, nice little farm and grow our own vegetables.
12:21And who knows, who knows what the future holds, but I'm,
12:25I'm so happy and content now that I know I'll be happy and content then.
12:30As long as I have them golden.
12:33As long as I love them.
12:33As long as I love them.
12:33As long as I love them.
12:34As long as I love them.
12:34As long as I love them.
12:36As long as I love them.
12:36As long as I love them.
12:37You
