American Horror Story is returning for its 13th season, with a huge number of familiar faces set to appear – but who exactly is coming back? Find out below.
Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the FX horror anthology launched in 2011 and has since explored everything from haunted houses and asylums to witch covens, freak shows, cults and the apocalypse.
Season 13, simply titled American Horror Story: 13, will be different from the show’s usual standalone format, bringing together characters from across its previous instalments for what Murphy has described as a “greatest hits” season.
“I didn’t want to just do a Coven reboot,” he told Vogue. “Everybody thinks that’s what it is; it’s not. I was very interested in the greatest villains we’ve done.”
He has also compared the new season to The Avengers, saying: “They all come together to defeat the ultimate evil.”
Watch the official trailer below.
The first three episodes arrive on Disney+ in the UK on September 25, a day after their US premiere on FX and Hulu.
Three more episodes follow on October 2, before pairs of episodes are released each Friday leading up to the finale on October 30. The season consists of 13 half-hour episodes in total.
Who is returning for ‘American Horror Story’ season 13?
A large number of actors from throughout the show’s history are returning, with several set to play multiple previous characters.
The confirmed returning cast and roles are:
- Sarah Paulson – playing six roles, including Cordelia Goode
- Evan Peters – playing five characters, including Tate Langdon/Rubber Man and Kai Anderson
- Jessica Lange – Constance Langdon, Sister Jude Martin, Fiona Goode, Elsa Mars and a mystery fifth character
- Angela Bassett – Marie Laveau
- Emma Roberts – Madison Montgomery
- Gabourey Sidibe – Queenie
- Frances Conroy – Myrtle Snow
- Leslie Grossman – Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt
- John Carroll Lynch – Twisty The Clown
- Mat Fraser – Paul The Illustrated Seal
- Mena Suvari – Elizabeth Short
- Jamie Brewer – Adelaide Langdon
- Kathy Bates – role yet to be confirmed
- Billie Lourd – role yet to be confirmed
- Zach Villa – role yet to be confirmed
- Seth Gabel – role yet to be confirmed
- Berto Colón – role yet to be confirmed
- Cara Delevingne – role yet to be confirmed
Murphy previously said that Paulson would be playing “six or seven” characters and Peters five, with the latter required to play multiple versions of himself in the same scene.
“The person who I think had the hardest time was Evan, because in one scene he had to play Tate/Rubber Man and Kai,” Murphy told Vogue. “So he had to have a conversation with himself.”
Alongside the returning cast, season 13 also introduces a group of new American Horror Story actors, including Paul Anthony Kelly, Avantika, Madelaine Petsch, Joey Pollari, Orlando Jones, Alex Consani, Tig Notaro, Fedor Steer, John Waters and Elle Chapman.
Ariana Grande was originally announced for the season, but pulled out in July after changes to the production schedule clashed with her touring commitments. She had not filmed any scenes before leaving the project.
