Oct 23
Will the Original 'AHS' Cast Return? Ryan Murphy Drops Hints
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 3 MIN.
Prolific out producer Ryan Murphy dropped some exciting hints about where "American Horror Story" might go next, suggesting that the show might return to its roots with the return of its original cast.
"By all accounts, Murphy is excited to bring back the original cast of the anthology series beyond Season 13," Collider reported. "Some of the show's mainstays are pretty busy actors in the town today but Murphy is sure to get them back."
Murphy opened up about his thoughts to The Wrap, suggesting that he would be interested in continuing to work with some of the original "AHS" cast members on new non-"AHS" projects.
"I've talked to Sarah Paulson about a thing that she and I would do with Evan," Murphy told The Wrap, referring to Evan Peters, who appeared in Murphy's series "Pose" on FX and starred as the title character in Murphy's "Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," which Murphy produced for Netflix. Peters is also slated to star in the upcoming Murphy-produced "The Beauty," about a drug that makes people physically attractive, though with a cost: Its side effects include certain death.
As part of his deal with Netflix, Murphy also produced a "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" prequel series, "Ratched," which starred Paulson.
Jessica Lange, another "AHS" original cast member, made a much-ballyhooed turn in several episodes of "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans," which recounted the true crime writer's exile from high society after he spilled too much tea on a coterie of upper-crust New York City women.
It was the idea of bringing the old cast back together again for future seasons of "American Horror Story" that Murphy seemed especially excited about.
"When we first started it, we were really like a troupe," Murphy told The Wrap, going on to say that he's "excited that Sarah is interested in it again, I'm excited that Evan – in the right part – would be interested."
"There's a large group of people that I would like to return to that show, including Angela Bassett," the busy producer added. "It's fun."
The Wrap took note of how successful Murphy's shows have been this year: The prolific producer has ushered in new and inaugural seasons of no less than eight series, and almost all of them have found their way to the very top of the ratings.
"It's an unprecedented winning streak that started in January with the star-studded 'Feud: Capote vs. The Swans' from Murphy, Jaffe Cohen and Michael Zam, a series that was nominated for 10 Emmys and won for Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie," The Wrap detailed.
"It was then followed by the second half of 'American Horror Story: Delicate' in April, a season that was showrun by Halley Feiffer and led by Emma Roberts and Kim Kardashian" – the first of the show's 13 seasons (so far) that were not showrun by Murphy.
The hits kept on coming with the advent of the fall season. "Mid-September marked the premiere of 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,' which was developed by Stu Zicherman," The Wrap recounted. "That was followed by Murphy and Brad Falchuk's 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,' a drama that secured 12.3 million views on Netflix during its debut week," after which "FX's 'Grotesquerie' – a thriller from Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken – joined the ranks next."
Add in the eighth season of "9-1-1" on FX, and the freshman season for the Joshua Jackson-starring medical drama "Dr. Odyssey," both on ABC, and that's seven out of Murphy's eight series that reached the top spot.
"In fact, the only Murphy show to not reach No. 1 status this year has been '9-1-1: Lone Star,' which is currently in its final season on Fox and comes from Murphy, Falchuk and [Tim] Minear," The Wrap noted.
But how much longer can the long-running "AHS" keep chugging on?
"I would keep doing it for a long time," Murphy told the outlet. "Sarah Paulson and I talk a lot about that too, like, shoot the finale at her funeral, so to speak."
Indeed, Paulson also spoke about the possibility – or, perhaps, the likelihood – that she would be back on "AHS." "I would like to do it more than anything," Paulson said on a "Good Morning America" appearance earlier this month. "It's my home. It's where I started."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.