Who's the Actor With the Most Roles in American Horror Story?
Can you guess who it is?
American Horror Story (AHS) captured the imagination of many viewers when it premiered in 2011, largely due to its unique format and brilliant cast. The innovative concept behind this iconic horror anthology allowed the same actors to portray different characters across various spine-chilling seasons, sometimes even switching roles within a single episode.
Every year, we looked forward to the reveal of who our favorite actors would portray next, and they never disappointed. So let's take a trip down memory lane and celebrate some of AHS's most versatile actors.
Here are three original cast members who have played more roles on the show than anyone else. Collectively, they have portrayed 38 different characters in the AHS universe!
Denis O’Hare (8 seasons, 9 roles)
Denis O'Hare has been a staple of the AHS cast since Season 1 and is one of the few regulars returning for the new Season 12, Delicate, which just premiered on FX.
O'Hare's range is truly impressive. He can play characters ranging from a sympathetic trans woman to a broken, pathetic man or cruel manipulator.
Though third on our list with nine roles, he's the only active cast member with no intention of departing the show. Therefore, he could very well rise to the top of this list as the series continues.
- Larry Harvey - Murder House
- Spalding - Coven
- Stanley - Freak Show
- Liz Taylor - Hotel
- Dr. Elias Cunningham - Roanoke
- William van Henderson - Roanoke
- Holden Vaughn - Red Tide
- Henry Grant - NYC
- Dr. Andrew Hill - Delicate
Sarah Paulson (9 seasons, 13 roles)
In second place is Sarah Paulson, with 13 roles. She is undoubtedly one of the greatest actresses of the show and a standout in modern pop culture. Paulson has excelled in every role she's taken on in AHS, including the compelling character of conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler.
Unfortunately, Paulson has no immediate plans to return to the series after leaving in Season 10.
‘I've been doing it for a long time, and people might start getting sick of me in that world,’ the actress told Variety. ‘Let someone else scream and run and cry for a second.’
- Billie Dean Howard – Murder House, Hotel, Apocalypse
- Lana Winters – Asylum, Roanoke
- Cordelia Goode – Coven, Apocalypse
- Bette Tattler – Freak Show
- Dot Tattler – Freak Show
- Sally McKenna – Hotel
- Shelby Miller – Roanoke
- Audrey Tindall – Roanoke
- Susan Atkins – Cult
- Ally Mayfair-Richards – Cult
- Wilhelmina Venable – Apocalypse
- Tuberculosis Karen – Double Feature
- First Lady Mamie Eisenhower – Double Feature
Evan Peters (9 seasons, 16 roles)
Claiming the title of the most versatile actor and holding the record for the most roles played in AHS is, of course, Evan Peters. In the season titled Cult alone, he portrayed six different characters, including five separate cult leaders!
Like Paulson, Peters concluded his AHS journey in Season 10. Although he hasn't ruled out a return, his career is flourishing with multiple roles in blockbuster films and hit solo shows, making it unlikely he'll come back to the AHS universe anytime soon.
- Tate Langdon - Murder House, Apocalypse
- Kit Walker - Asylum
- Kyle Spencer - Coven
- Jimmy Darling - Freak Show
- James Patrick March - Hotel, Apocalypse
- Rory Monahan - Roanoke
- Edward Mott - Roanoke
- Kai Anderson - Cult
- Five Cult Leaders - Cult
- Jeff Pfister - Apocalypse
- Mr. Gallant - Apocalypse
- Austin Sommers- Double Feature: Red Tide
American Horror Story Season 12 Episode 2 lands on FX on September 27, 2023.
Source: Variety.