“Love Story”’s Paul Anthony Kelly Joins “The Housemaid” Sequel with Sydney Sweeney and Kirsten Dunst

Jack SmartThu, June 11, 2026 at 8:15 PM UTC

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Sydney Sweeney in 'The Housemaid'; Paul Anthony Kelly on June 3Credit: Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate; Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty -

Paul Anthony Kelly is joining the cast of The Housemaid's Secret, in theaters Dec. 17, 2027

Lionsgate announced the Love Story star's casting as Douglas in the adaptation of the second of Freida McFadden's series of Housemaid novels

The Paul Feig-directed sequel will bring back producer-star Sydney Sweeney and actor Michele Morrone, plus Kirsten Dunst

Paul Anthony Kelly is making the jump to the big screen — in the Housemaid cinematic universe.

The actor known for his breakout role as John F. Kennedy Jr. on FX's Love Story will joinThe Housemaid's Secret(in theaters Dec. 17, 2027), alongside Sydney Sweeney, Kirsten Dunst and more in his feature film debut.

In a fun Instagram post shared on Thursday, June 11, the account for The Housemaid showed Kelly, 37, reading the Freida McFadden novel on which the sequel will be based and flashing a smile for the camera. Kelly will play a character named Douglas in the highly anticipated sequel.

Paul Anthony Kelly on June 2Credit: Phillip Faraone/Getty

Directed by Paul Feig and written by Rebecca Sonnenshine, The Housemaid was based on McFadden's 2022 book, the first of its series. (The author followed it up with The Housemaid's Secret in 2023 and a third installment, The Housemaid Is Watching, in 2024.) The twisty thriller hit theaters last December and became a box office hit, earning $400 million worldwide.

Sydney Sweeney; Michele Morrone; Kirsten DunstCredit: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

In The Housemaid's Secret, per a release, Sweeney's character Wilhelmina "Millie" Calloway "returns, taking a job keeping house for a woman she's never allowed to see—only to discover the truth behind the locked door that threatens to expose secrets far darker than her own."

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Lionsgate announced in December that production on the highly anticipated sequel will begin later in 2026. Feig and Sonnenshine return to direct and write, respectively, while Sweeney, Feig and McFadden are among the film's producing team. Dunst's casting was announced in March.

Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney in 'The Housemaid'Credit: Lionsgate

Michele Morrone will also reprise his role from the original film, which was led by Sweeney, 28, Amanda Seyfried and Brandon Sklenar.

Kelly appeared in the 2010 series Body Language before breaking out as JFK Jr. in the Ryan Murphy-produced Love Story opposite Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Among his other upcoming projects are Murphy's long-running anthology series American Horror Story.

The Housemaid's Secret is in theaters Dec. 17, 2027.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”