Jessica Lange is ready for her closeup. The veteran actress appeared in a post on Ryan Murphy’s (American Crime Story, Glee) Instagram profile, signifying her official return to the beloved American Horror Story franchise. The three photos capture Lange posing in front of an elaborate window on set. View the post below.
The post’s caption simply reads, “American Horror Story, Season 13. Day One. The return of Jessica Lange!” Anticipation around this season, set for a Halloween premiere, has been brewing ever since reports confirmed the return of Lange, Evan Peters (The Beauty, Mare of Easttown) and Sarah Paulson (All’s Fair, The Bear) to the show. The three actors played major roles throughout the anthology series, beginning with season one’s Murder House.
Fan fury has hit another peak as news spread that season 13 would not only bring back this core trio, but several characters to possibly reprise roles originated in season three, subtitled Coven. The fan-favorite installment followed a small Louisiana coven of witches, led by Lange’s Fiona Goode and her daughter, Cordelia, played by Paulson. The season saw a semi-sequel in AHS: Apocalypse when the devil incarnate plotted to bring the world to an end.
Thus far, returning cast includes Angela Bassett (9-1-1, Waiting to Exhale), who played the voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, and Kathy Bates (Matlock, Fried Green Tomatoes), who played historical sadist, Madame Delphine LaLaurie. Coven members Emma Roberts (Scream Queens, We’re the Milles), Billie Lourd (The Last Showgirl, Booksmart), Gabourey Sidibie (Precious, The Big C) and Leslie Grossman (The Good Place, What I Like About You) are also on the roster. Newcomers to the season include Wicked: For Good actress and singer, Ariana Grande (“Thank U, Next”) and Crybaby director, John Waters (Hairspray).
mxdwn previously reported Lange appeared in the first four seasons of American Horror Story, departing as a cast regular in 2015 after Freak Show. Paulson and Peters both last appeared in 2018’s Double Feature, which saw the season divided into two separate stories. The first followed a struggling writer who makes a haunting trade for success; the second descended into sci-fi with an alien abduction.
AHS’s 13th season is currently in production for a October 31 premiere on FX. Watch all previous seasons on Hulu.