Each new season of American Horror Story, one of television's creepiest shows, seems to be the most skin-crawlingly bizarre one yet. With the show's repertory cast becoming reassuringly familiar to audiences, it's worth exploring past roles of the American Horror Story cast, and where you've seen some of these talented and versatile actors prior to their current foray into the mad and the macabre on this hit FX horror series.
Setting it apart from similar shows of its caliber, is that the AHS creators make a point of casting the crazy American Horror Story characters with big-name stars, to the point that some critics have accused the show, exasperatedly, of "stunt casting." For a show with such a deliciously campy feel, however, casting performers with a strange and various body of work under their belt seems like a no-brainer - but even most actors you recognize are harder to pigeonhole than you might expect.
Below is a list of American Horror Story performers paired with appearances they've made outside of the series - the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. This American Horror Story trivia will keep you guessing!
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Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett is a Hollywood heavyweight on par with Lange and Bates. A few years prior to her first appearance on Horror Story, she popped up in several episodes of the spy thriller Alias, as CIA director Hayden Chase.
Denis O'Hare
Fans of the gruesome and gory may already have recognized Denis O'Hare from his role as high-ranking vampire aristocrat Russell Edgington on HBO's True Blood. However, his horrific burn-scar makeup when he first turned up on Murder House initially made him a little tough to place.
Emma Roberts
Emma Roberts appeared in a slew of notable big-screen roles, including We're the Millers and fledgling director Gia Coppola's indie darling Palo Alto. Fans of Roberts's vampy, two-faced sexuality in Coven and Freak Show, however, may be shocked to learn that she began her career playing perky tween Addie Singer on the Nickelodeon show Unfabulous.
Evan Peters
Before making his debut on American Horror Story, Evan Peters perfected his sulky charisma playing ironically-named high school student Jack Daniels on One Tree Hill.
Frances Conroy
Before appearing on all four seasons of American Horror Story, Frances Conroy won a Golden Globe (and was nominated for several Emmys) for her starring role as Ruth Fisher on HBO's Six Feet Under.
Jessica Lange
Jessica Lange is old school Hollywood royalty, and has been starring in critically acclaimed and award-winning classic films (like King Kong, All that Jazz, and Cape Fear) since the 1970s. More recently, Lange made an artificially-aged appearance alongside Drew Barrymore in HBO's fictionalized version of the famously quirkly mother-daughter documentary, Grey Gardens.
John Carroll Lynch
Before he gave the world nightmares playing Twisty on Freak Show, John Carroll Lynch appeared as escaped convict Varlyn Stroud on the similarly-carnival-themed series, Carnivàle.
Kathy Bates
Like Angela Bassett and Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates is an established Hollywood powerhouse with too many unforgettable headlining roles to keep track of. However, fans who remember her from Titanic, About Schmidt, or Misery, may have missed her memorable string of appearances as Jo Bennett on NBC's The Office.
Michael Chiklis
Before he played an emotionally tortured strong man on Freak Show, Michael Chiklis played an emotionally tortured vice cop on FX's The Shield.
Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson has been working in film and television since the early 90s. In 2005, before cranking up the high emotion for American Horror Story, she appeared on HBO's Deadwood as the exceedingly composed Ms. Isringhausen.