Each season of American Horror Story mixes it up, indulging its hybridised concept of anthology show and event mini-series to rejig its storytelling, pitching different horror scenarios, times and places under a given theme. What it also does is enjoy a recurring repertoire of players.
‘Cult’ is the seventh season of AHS to grace our screens and revolves around the 2016 U.S. election. We take a look at the faces that reinvent themselves every year playing new characters, as it can get a little bit confusing along the way!
JESSICA LANGE
In ‘Murder House’, Lange plays Constance Langdon, the nightmare neighbor next door and former resident of the Murder House. Manipulative to her very core and the mother of a satanic brood.
‘Asylum’ sees her play Sister Jude Martin, a sadistic Nun who rules Briarcliffe with an iron fist. She eventually ends up a patient in the Asylum. She has sexual fantasies about Monsignor Howard.
Later in ‘Coven’, she appears as Fiona Goode, the ‘supreme’ of the Coven desperately trying to hold onto her youth and power, while in ‘Freak Show’ she plays Elsa Mars, a failed actress determined to be a star and make her Freak Show famous.
EVAN PETERS
Tate Langdon is Peters’ character in ‘Murder House’, a mentally unhinged school shooter who lurks in the dark corners of the house. On and off boyfriend of Violet Harmon.
In ‘Asylum’, he plays Kit Walker, who finds himself locked up after being falsely accused of being Bloody Face and murdering his wife who was abducted by aliens (Yes, really). His role in ‘Coven’ sees him play Kyle Spencer, a frat boy killed in a bus accident who ends up stuck between Zoe and Madison.
‘Freak Show’ pitches him as Jimmy Darling, struggling to find his place in a world that does not accept him, while ‘Hotel’ casts him as James Patrick March, the ghost of the original owner who built the hotel as his own personal murder playground.
In ‘Roanoke’, he plays Rory Monahan and Edward Philippe Mott. Rory is the husband of Audrey and one of the many cast members who do not survive ‘Three Days in Hell’.
SARAH PAULSON
She first pops up in ‘Murder House’ as Bille Dean Howard, but appears more significantly in ‘Asylum’ as Lana Winters, who finds herself in the Asylum for being a homosexual after trying to expose the horrors taking place there.
‘Coven’ sees her appear as Cordelia Foxx, headmistress of the school for witches in New Orleans. She ends up being blinded by her witch hunter husband.
Standing out in ‘Freak Show’, Paulson plays Dot & Bette Tattler, conjoined twins who murder their mother in a bid from freedom, before playing another challenging role in ‘Hotel’ as Sally McKenna aka ‘Hypodermic Sally’, the ghost of a heroine addict killed by Iris and forced to roam the halls of the hotel.
Paulson steps into the limelight in ‘Roanoke’, playing dual roles; Shelby Miller, in the television reenactments of the Roanoke story, and the actress playing that role, Audrey Tindall.
LILY RABE
First cropping up in ‘Murder House’ as Elizabeth Montgomery, in ‘Asylum’ she portrays Sister Mary Eunice. Poor, sweet, Sister Mary. She desperately wants to make a difference in the world but ends up possessed by the devil. Sly.
Then in ‘Coven’ she plays Misty Day, the sensitive Stevie Nicks loving hippie with the power to bring back the dead. She ends up a contender for the new Supreme.
Rabe reprises Sister Mary Eunice in ‘Freak Show’. Only Naomi Goodman, who plays Pepper’ both in ‘Coven’ and ‘Freak Show’, also reprises a previous role from a different story. She then portrays noted, real-life female serial killer Aileen Wuornos in ‘Hotel’.
KATHY BATES
First appearing in ‘Coven’ as Delphine LaLaurie, celebrated character actress Bates plays Ethel Darling, the bearded lady of the show and survivor of an abusive marriage. She is Elsa’s confidante.
Bates steps into the limelight for ‘Hotel’, where she plays Iris, the front desk clerk of the Hotel Cortez. She knows all the secrets hidden there.
She stays front and centre for ‘Roanoke’, playing the dual roles of Agnes Mary Winstead, who finds it hard to let go of her role as The Butcher in ‘My Roanoke Nightmare.’
ANGELA BASSETT
‘Coven’ sees well-known film actress Bassett play Marie Laveau, before a bigger role in ‘Hotel’ as Ramona Royale, who comes to the hotel in search of revenge for being abandoned by the countess.
Bassett plays a key role in ‘Roanoke’ later as Lee Harris and Monet Tumusimme, who returns to Roanoke for the follow up ‘Return to Roanoke: Three Days in Hell’ after playing Lee on the original show.
LADY GAGA
Yes, the very same. One of the biggest stars in the world of music proves she can actually act, sending people Gaga in ‘Hotel’ as The Countess, the vampire Queen of the hotel with a host of lovers and ex lovers.
She appears again in ‘Roanoke’ as Shactath, the Angel of Death.
Will any of these famous, recurring faces play a part in the new series? What do you think of American Horror Story: Cult? Let us know in comments or via social media.