kˈɛnədiz fˈɜːst lˈiːd ɹˈoʊl wʌz plˈeɪɪŋ ɹˈɪtʃɚd kˈɑːɹstoʊn ɪnðə bˌiːbˌiːsˈiː ˌædæptˈeɪʃən ʌv tʃˈɑːɹlz dˈɪkənz blˈiːk hˈaʊs, ænd hiː fˈɑːloʊd ðɪs wɪð ɹˈoʊlz ɪn dʒˈoʊ ɹˈaɪts ɐtˈoʊnmənt, stˈiːvən spˈiːlbɜːɡz mjˈuːnɪk, ɹˈɪtʃɚd lˈɪŋkleɪɾɚz mˌiː ænd ˈɔːɹsən wˈɛlz, ænd mˈaɪkəl hˈɑːfmənz ðə lˈæst stˈeɪʃən.
Kennedy's first lead role was playing Richard Carstone in the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' Bleak House, and he followed this with roles in Joe Wright's Atonement, Steven Spielberg's Munich, Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles, and Michael Hoffman's The Last Station.