First Look at Joshuah Melnick As Young Jack Kennedy For 'Kennedy' Series at Netflix

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Through 2025, Netflix officially confirmed the star-studded cast for its ambitious new historical drama, The Kennedys. With big names like Michael Fassbender and Laura Donnelly attached to the project, it’s fast becoming one of our most anticipated and, hopefully, a successor to The Crown. Now, we can exclusively share the first behind-the-scenes look at the series as production gets underway in the United Kingdom.

As we previously covered, the series comes from showrunner Sam Shaw and acclaimed director Thomas Vinterberg (Another Round). Based on Fredrik Logevall’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956, the eight-episode drama will chart the rise of the American dynasty, focusing heavily on the intense pressure placed on the children to succeed and the sibling rivalries that shaped history.

While Michael Fassbender is set to play the patriarch Joe Kennedy Sr., much of the story’s heart beats in the younger generation. Today, we have our first glimpse of Joshuah Melnick (Saint X) stepping into the shoes of a young John F. Kennedy.

First Look at the Future President

Filming is currently taking place to capture the aesthetic of the 1930s and 1940s, and the new photos give us a clear sense of the show’s period accuracy and tone.

Joshuah Melnick as a young Jack Kennedy (JFK) in Netflix’s upcoming historical drama ‘The Kennedys’, set in the 1930s and 1940s. The eight-episode series explores the rise of the Kennedy family, their rivalries, and the intense pressure placed on the children to succeed.

In the shots, Melnick sports a period-appropriate hairstyle and attire that places us firmly in the pre-war era. The visuals hint at the “coming of age” aspect of the series—showing a Jack Kennedy who is not yet the polished politician of the 1960s, but a young man navigating the weight of his father’s expectations.

Behind The Scenes The Kennedys Netflix Filming (4)

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Who Else is Starring?

While Melnick takes on the role of Jack, he is surrounded by an impressive ensemble. As confirmed by Netflix earlier this month:

Michael Fassbender leads the series as the ambitious patriarch, Joe Kennedy Sr.
Laura Donnelly plays the matriarch, Rose Kennedy.
Nick Robinson stars as Joe Kennedy Jr., the “golden boy” older brother whose shadow Jack struggles to escape.
Lydia Peckham plays Rosemary Kennedy.

Cole Doman, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Ben Miles, and Imogen Poots are also attached to the series.

Filming kicked off at the beginning of the year with a wrap date expected in early June 2026. With filming expected to run through the coming months, no official release date has been set, although a 2027 premiere is most likely.