American Horror Story title screen.

American Horror Story is an American erotic thriller television series created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Described as an anthology series, each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a disparate set of characters, settings, and a storyline with its own beginning, middle, and end.[1] However, Murphy has stated that all of the seasons are and will be connected by the end of the series.[2]

The first season, subtitled Murder House, takes place during 2011 in Los Angeles, California and centers on a family that moves into a house haunted by its deceased former occupants. The second season, subtitled Asylum, takes place during 1964 in Massachusetts and focuses on the stories of the inmates and staff of an institution for the criminally insane. The third season, subtitled Coven, takes place during 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana and follows a coven of witches who face off against those who wish to destroy them. The fourth season, subtitled Freak Show, takes place during 1952 in Jupiter, Florida and focuses on one of the last remaining freak shows in America and its struggle to survive. The fifth season, subtitled Hotel, takes place during 2015 in Los Angeles, California and centers on the unusual guests and staff of a supernatural hotel.

While few actors have made appearances in each season of the series, numerous actors appear in two, three, or four out of the five seasons. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Lily Rabe are the only three actors to appear in every season of the series. Jessica Lange, Denis O'Hare, and Frances Conroy have appeared in four out of the five seasons, while Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Jamie Brewer, Gabourey Sidibe, and Mare Winningham have all appeared in three seasons. Actors who have appeared in two seasons include Taissa Farmiga, Emma Roberts, Dylan McDermott, Zachary Quinto, Chloë Sevigny, Finn Wittrock, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer, Alexandra Breckenridge, Ben Woolf, Christine Estabrook, Matt Ross, Anthony Ruivivar, Robin Bartlett, Naomi Grossman, Danny Huston, Grace Gummer, and John Carroll Lynch.

Although each season follows a different storyline, there have been characters who have overlapped into multiple seasons. Marcy (Estabrook), Dr. Charles Montgomery (Ross), Billie Dean Howard (Paulson), Sister Mary Eunice McKee (Rabe), Dr. Arthur Arden (Cromwell), Pepper (Grossman), and Queenie (Sidibe) are the only characters to appear in multiple seasons. Marcy, Dr. Charles Montgomery, and Billie Dean Howard have all appeared and re-appeared in Murder House and Hotel, while Sister Mary Eunice McKee, Dr. Arthur Arden, and Pepper have all appeared and re-appeared in Asylum and Freak Show. Queenie makes her appearances in Coven and Hotel, respectively. There has also been instances where actors play multiple characters in one season. The only two actors who have portrayed multiple characters in one season are Sarah Paulson, who portrayed Sally McKenna and Billie Dean Howard in Hotel, and Finn Wittrock, who portrayed Tristan Duffy and Rudolph Valentino in Hotel.

Notable Cast Members

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Main

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Actor Character(s)
Murder House
(2011)
Asylum
(2012)
Coven
(2013)
Freak Show
(2014)
Hotel
(2015)
Evan Peters Tate Langdon Kit Walker Kyle Spencer Jimmy Darling James Patrick March
Sarah Paulson Billie Dean Howard Lana Winters Cordelia Foxx Bette and Dot Tattler Sally McKenna
Billie Dean Howard
Lily Rabe Nora Montgomery Sister Mary Eunice McKee Misty Day Sister Mary Eunice McKee Aileen Wuornos
Jessica Lange Constance Langdon Sister Jude Martin Fiona Goode Elsa Mars
Denis O'Hare Larry Harvey Spalding Stanley Liz Taylor
Frances Conroy Moira O'Hara Shachath Myrtle Snow Gloria Mott
Kathy Bates Delphine LaLaurie Ethel Darling Iris
Angela Bassett Marie Laveau Desiree Dupree Ramona Royale
Taissa Farmiga Violet Harmon Zoe Benson
Emma Roberts Madison Montgomery Maggie Esmerelda
Dylan McDermott Dr. Ben Harmon Johnny Morgan
Zachary Quinto Chad Warwick Dr. Oliver Thredson
Chloë Sevigny Shelley Dr. Alex Lowe
Finn Wittrock Dandy Mott Tristan Duffy
Rudolph Valentino
Wes Bentley Edward Mordake Det. John Lowe
Matt Bomer Andy Donovan
Connie Britton Vivien Harmon
Joseph Fiennes Monsignor Timothy Howard
Lizzie Brocheré Grace Bertrand
James Cromwell Dr. Arthur Arden
Michael Chiklis Dell Toledo
Cheyenne Jackson Will Drake
Lady Gaga The Countess

Recurring

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Actor Character(s)
Murder House
(2011)
Asylum
(2012)
Coven
(2013)
Freak Show
(2014)
Hotel
(2015)
Jamie Brewer Adelaide Langdon Nan Marjorie
Gabourey Sidibe Queenie Regina Ross Queenie
Mare Winningham Alicia Spencer Rita Gayheart Hazel Evers
Alexandra Breckenridge Moira O'Hara Kaylee
Ben Woolf The Infantata Meep
Christine Estabrook Marcy Marcy
Matt Ross Dr. Charles Montgomery Dr. Charles Montgomery
Anthony Ruivivar Miguel Ramos Richard Ramirez
Robin Bartlett Dr. Miranda Crump Cecily Pembroke
Naomi Grossman Pepper Pepper
Danny Huston The Axeman Massimo Dolcefino
Grace Gummer Millie Penny
John Carroll Lynch Twisty the Clown John Wayne Gacy

Murder House

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Character Actor Episode Count
Vivien Harmon Connie Britton 12
 
Connie Britton
Dr. Ben Harmon Dylan McDermott 12
 
Dylan McDermott
Tate Langdon Evan Peters 12
 
Evan Peters
Violet Harmon Taissa Farmiga 11
Larry Harvey Denis O'Hare 8
 
Denis O'Hare
Constance Langdon Jessica Lange 11

Asylum

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Character Actor Episode Count
Dr. Oliver Thredson Zachary Quinto 12
 
Zachary Quinto
Monsignor Timothy Howard Joseph Fiennes 10
 
Joseph Fiennes
Lana Winters Sarah Paulson 13
 
Sarah Paulson
Kit Walker Evan Peters 13
 
Evan Peters
Sister Mary Eunice McKee Lily Rabe 10
 
Lily Rabe
Grace Bertrand Lizzie Brocheré 11
Dr. Arthur Arden James Cromwell and John Cromwell 10
 
James Cromwell
Sister Jude Martin Jessica Lange 13
 
Jessica Lange

Coven

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Character Actor Episode Count
Cordelia Foxx Sarah Paulson 13
 
Sarah Paulson
Zoe Benson Taissa Farmiga 13
Myrtle Snow Frances Conroy 10
 
Frances Conroy
Kyle Spencer Evan Peters 11
 
Evan Peters
Misty Day Lily Rabe 10
 
Lily Rabe
Madison Montgomery Emma Roberts 13
 
Emma Roberts
Spalding Denis O'Hare 10
 
Denis O'Hare
Delphine LaLaurie Kathy Bates 10
 
Kathy Bates
Fiona Goode Jessica Lange 13
 
Jessica Lange

Freak Show

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Character Actor Episode Count
Bette and Dot Tattler Sarah Paulson 12
 
Sarah Paulson
Jimmy Darling Evan Peters 13
 
Evan Peters
Dell Toledo Michael Chiklis 9
 
Michael Chiklis
Gloria Mott Frances Conroy 8
 
Frances Conroy
Stanley Denis O'Hare 10
 
Denis O'Hare
Maggie Esmerelda Emma Roberts 10
 
Emma Roberts
Dandy Mott Finn Wittrock 12
 
Finn Wittrock
Desiree Dupree Angela Bassett 11
 
Angela Bassett
Ethel Darling Kathy Bates 10
 
Kathy Bates
Elsa Mars Jessica Lange 13
 
Jessica Lange

Hotel

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Character Actor Episode Count
Iris Kathy Bates 11
 
Kathy Bates
Sally McKenna Sarah Paulson 9
 
Sarah Paulson
James Patrick March Evan Peters 10
 
Evan Peters
Det. John Lowe Wes Bentley 11
 
Wes Bentley
Donovan Matt Bomer 9
 
Matt Bomer
Dr. Alex Lowe Chloë Sevigny 12
 
Chloë Sevigny
Liz Taylor Denis O'Hare 11
Will Drake Cheyenne Jackson 8
 
Cheyenne Jackson
Ramona Royale Angela Bassett 7
 
Angela Bassett
The Countess Lady Gaga 12
 
Lady Gaga

References

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  1. ^ Martin, Denise (May 22, 2012). "Ryan Murphy Dissects Glee and American Horror Story, Addresses Fans and Critics". Vulture. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  2. ^ Stack, Tim (October 31, 2014). "Ryan Murphy on the different seasons of 'American Horror Story': 'They're all connected'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
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Characters American Horror Story American Horror Story