Why Jessica Lange Really Left American Horror Story
After four seasons commanding American Horror Story as Fiona Goode, Jessica Lange stepped back to a recurring role, faded from the series, and took a final bow in 2018’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse — a shift she foreshadowed in a 2013 Entertainment Weekly interview.
Jessica Lange basically owned the first four seasons of American Horror Story, then stepped away. Now, seven years after we last saw her, she’s apparently on her way back. Let’s catch up on the why, the who, and the what’s-next.
Why Jessica Lange stepped away
Lange was a cornerstone of AHS out of the gate, then eased out of the spotlight after Season 4. Her appearances tapered off to nothing until a final return in 2018’s Apocalypse. Back when she first signaled she was winding down, she told Entertainment Weekly in 2013 that the time commitment was the deal-breaker, and she wanted more room for her life and family.
"This is a 6-month commitment every year... It ends up being a lot of time... It’s like doing a stage play between the rehearsal and the run... I want to have more time to myself."
Translation: four years of marathon TV production is a grind, even for a pro who made it look easy.
The roles that made her an AHS MVP
Because AHS is an anthology, Lange played a new character each season she was a regular. Across those first four years she racked up a murderer’s row of performances:
- Constance Langdon in Murder House (Season 1), with a return as Constance in Apocalypse (Season 8)
- Sister Jude Martin in Asylum (Season 2)
- Fiona Goode in Coven (Season 3)
- Elsa Mars in Freak Show (Season 4)
She also collected two Emmys for her trouble: Outstanding Supporting Actress for Constance (Season 1) and Outstanding Lead Actress for Fiona (Season 3).
So... is she coming back?
According to a teaser on Ryan Murphy Productions’ Instagram, the Season 13 cast is a big swing: Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson are back, and Ariana Grande and Angela Bassett are in the mix. The tag at the end? Jessica Lange is returning too. If you’re counting, that’s seven years since her last appearance in 2018.
The teaser plants a flag on Halloween 2026 for the premiere. That’s a long runway, which is unusual and also kind of bold — plenty of time to build hype, and plenty of time for plans to shift. But if Lange is truly back, that alone gives the season a jolt.
American Horror Story is streaming on Prime Video in the US (availability can change), and I’ll keep an eye on the Season 13 details as they firm up. Thoughts on Lange’s return, and who you want her to play this time?