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Michael Fassbender will be part of the new Netflix series about the Kennedy family. The 48-year-old takes on the role of the US patriarch and head of the dynasty, Joseph Kennedy Sr (1888–1969). The drama series is titled “Kennedy”. Filming is scheduled to begin in 2026. Further information about the remaining cast of the story about the most famous US president of modern times is still open. Here’s an overview of everything there is to know.
According to Netflix, the series will tell the life, rise and intrigue of the Kennedy clan in eight episodes. The basis is Fredrik Logevall’s extensive work “JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century, 1917–1956”. The action begins in the 1930s – with the wealthy entrepreneur, politician, patriarch and head of the family Joseph “Joe” Kennedy Sr., played by Michael Fassbender.
The rise of Joe Kennedy and his wife Rose and their nine children forms the starting point of the drama series – not just the political rise of their son John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963.
The Kennedy dynasty is considered “the closest thing to an American mythology,” explains showrunner Sam Shaw in the Netflix press release for the work. The family experienced many triumphs—producing the 35th U.S. president, a senator from New York, and another presidential candidate—but also many tragedies.
There is talk of the “Kennedy curse”: John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert were murdered, JFK’s son, his wife and sister-in-law died in a plane crash in 1999, and family relationships were also characterized by intrigue, secrets and drama.
“Fredrik Logevall’s impressive, sensitive biography lifts the veil on the human drive and burdens behind the myth,” Shaw continued, according to the Netflix press release. The Kennedys’ records revealed as much about the present as they did about the family itself. “I look forward to exploring this saga of a family and a changing world at a moment when our past feels more urgent than ever,” he adds. The showrunner is supported by Oscar winner Thomas Vinterberg as director and “Forrest Gump” screenwriter Eric Roth.
Michael Fassbender: From Magneto to Kennedy Patriarch
Michael Fassbender, born in Heidelberg to a German father and an Irish mother, has established himself over the past two decades as one of the most versatile actors of his generation. His repertoire ranges from classic literary adaptations such as “Jane Eyre” (2011) to international blockbusters such as the “X-Men” series.
He also received international attention for his portrayal of a sadistic plantation owner in “12 Years a Slave” (2013), which earned him an Oscar nomination in 2014. Two years later, another nomination followed for his portrayal of the Apple founder in “Steve Jobs” (2015). Most recently he was seen in the spy series “The Agency” in 2024 as an American secret service agent.