Joseph P. Kennedy (Tom Wilkinson)Joseph P. Kennedy (Tom Wilkinson) is the patriarch of the Kennedy family. He was married to Rose Kennedy and together the couple had nine children - Joe, Jr., John, Rose, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Bobby, Jean, and Ted. He is the father of President John F. Kennedy. He served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.Joseph was fiercely ambitious and was the driving force behind his childrens political ambitions. His sons constantly seek his approval which is, at times, elusive. He wanted his first son Joe, Jr. to become President. After Joe died during World War II, Joseph turned his attention to John and was the behind-the-scenes orchestrator of John Kennedy's political campaign. He was known to have controversial beliefs and to get votes for his children by any means necessary.