All 9 American Horror Story Cast Members Returning For Season 13 (So Far)

Updated Sep 11, 2026, 2:45 PM EDT Ben is a Senior Writer on the New TV team at Screen Rant. He graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class B.A. Degree in English Literature and History. Born and raised in Ireland, Ben has always had a love for storytelling in all forms of media and operates multiple projects under the name Benjamin Blogs. Ben is a comic book writer and podcast host, in addition to his work as an entertainment journalist. He has worked as both a writer and editor for Screen Rant, Collider, and other media outlets across various departments, including features, news, reviews, and interviews. Sign in to your ScreenRant account American Horror Story is going big for season 13, with several of the most prominent former cast members returning to Ryan Murphy's latest installment of the horror anthology series. American Horror Story first aired back in 2011 and immediately gained attention for the storytelling and performances across the board. Then, in season 2, the show cemented its reputation as a thrilling anthology series, as many of the original cast returned, but in entirely different roles and in a brand-new setting. Since then, the show has continued to deliver compelling new stories with each new entry, but in all honesty, recent seasons have failed to resonate to the same extent as the earlier entries. However, American Horror Story appears to have a renewed vigor and energy as Ryan Murphy, the showrunner and creator, recently confirmed several of the most iconic cast members will be returning for the upcoming season, with several fans picking up on an interesting link between many of these cast announcements. While the majority of AHS has explored a brand-new story and setting in each new season, there have been some small details that connect certain past characters to recent seasons. Most notably, the characters who appeared in season 3, subtitled Coven, have made significant returns in later seasons, like season 8, Apocalypse. With that, it's worth noting that many of the actors confirmed below played a significant role in season 3, which is why many people believe the upcoming season will be a sequel to season 3 and continue to explore that story. However, with new castings like Ariana Grande set to also appear, and no clear confirmation of what AHS season 13's theme will be, this remains speculative. Sarah Paulson Sarah Paulson was one of the original castmates in American Horror Story, and her return is certain to be a surprise and delight to many fans of the show. Especially since Paulson has not been seen in the show for the last two seasons. While she has potentially played the largest number of unique roles in the series, with Paulson taking on a dual role in several seasons, her return also ties into the Coven sequel theory. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 1. Murder House Billie Dean Howard 2. Asylum Lana Winters 3. Coven Cordelia Foxx 4. Freak Show Bette Tattler / Dot Tattler 5. Hotel Sally McKenna 6. Roanoke Shelby Miller / Audrey Tindall 7. Cult Ally Mayfair-Richards 8. Apocalypse Ms. Wilhemina Venable 10. Double Feature Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower In season 3, Paulson played Cordelia Foxx, a powerful witch who held the role of headmistress at the Miss Robichaux Academy. By the end of the season, Cordelia subverts expectations in the series as she takes up the mantle of Supreme for herself, inheriting the powers of her mother. Evan Peters Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX Evan Peters is currently tied with Sarah Paulson for the highest number of episodic appearances in American Horror Story, having appeared in 100 episodes of the series. Peters also appears to have a strong relationship with Ryan Murphy, as, despite being absent from AHS since season 10, they have collaborated on Murphy's new series, The Beauty and Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, also created by Murphy. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 1. Murder House Tate Langdon 2. Asylum Kit Walker 3. Coven Kyle Spencer 4. Freak Show Jimmy Darling 5. Hotel James Patrick March 6. Roanoke Edward Phillipe Mott 7. Cult Kai Anderson 8. Apocalypse Malcolm Gallant / Jeff Pfister 10. Double Feature Austin Sommers Peters has also had a great deal of success beyond his work with Murphy, as he has landed central roles in Fox Marvel films and, more recently, a cameo in the MCU. Peters has been praised as one of the best members of the original cast, which makes his return particularly exciting. Angela Basset Angela Bassett has previously been nominated for two Oscars, and she has also been a prominent member of the AHS cast over the course of several seasons. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 3. Coven Marie Laveau 4. Freak Show Desiree Dupree 5. Hotel Ramona Royale 6. Roanoke Monet Tumusiime 8. Apocalypse Marie Laveau In season 3, Bassett played the role of Marie Leveau, a Voodoo Queen who operates as a sort of rival to the Witch Supreme. This is also a role she reprized in season 8, and likely the role that she will be stepping back into for season 13. Kathy Bates Kathy Bates is among the most prestigious actors to ever appear in American Horror Story, having won an Oscar, and her career stretches back to the 1970s. One of Bates' most notable roles came in an adaptation of Stephen King's Misery, which is also the role for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 3. Coven Madame Delphine LaLaurie 4. Freak Show Ethel Darling 5. Hotel Iris Holloway 6. Roanoke Agnes Mary Winstead 8. Apocalypse Ms. Miriam Mead Bates has since been nominated for a further three Oscars, but that didn't stop her from becoming a regular on the AHS cast between seasons 3 and 8. Emma Roberts Emma Roberts first began appearing on American Horror Story in season 3, when she played a bratty witch who believed she was destined to be the new Supreme. Since then, Roberts has returned to the series numerous times, and she recently played the leading role in season 12, Delicate, where she played a Hollywood starlet whose life was falling apart due to the odd circumstances around her pregnancy. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 3. Coven Madison Montgomery 4. Freak Show Maggie Esmerelda 7. Cult Serena Belinda 8. Apocalypse Madison Montgomery 9. 1984 Brooke Thompson 12. Delicate Anna Victoria Alcott Among all of the returning cast, Roberts has the benefit of having been on the show for the most recent season before season 13, but with so many other central figures returning, it seems likely that she will not be retaining the spotlight quite as much as in season 12. Billie Lourd Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX Billie Lourd was one of the later additions to the AHS lineup, but she has been one of the most loyal, considering the fact that since she joined the cast in season 7, she has come back in every subsequent season. And while she was not involved with the season 3 story, her character in season 8, Apocalypse, did cross over with the members of the Coven. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 7. Cult Winter Anderson 8. Apocalypse Mallory 9. 1984 Montana Duke 10. Double Feature Leslie 'Lark' Feldman 11. NYC Dr. Hannah Wells 12. Delicate Ashley Lourd is an impressive talent and excels in these horror roles. Throughout her time on AHS, she has tackled a wide range of different characters, with some more sincere than others, and some being outright monsters. It's also interesting to speculate how she will join season 13, and whether she will reprise her role from season 8, or if she will be tackling a brand-new character. Gabourey Sidibe Gabourey Sidibe has had the least recurring roles in American Horror Story of anyone on this list, and in three separate seasons, she continued to play the same character, Queenie, who was one of the members of the Coven in season 3. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 3. Coven Queenie 4. Freak Show Regina Ross 5. Hotel Queenie 8. Apocalypse Queenie She also had a connection with both the witches' coven and those who practiced Voodoo, and she was killed during season 3, partway through. However, by the end of the season, she is resurrected and appointed as a member of the Witches' Council. Leslie Grossman Leslie Grossman joined the series at the same time as Billie Lourd and similarly has become a staple of the series, with a return in each of the following seasons. Grossman is one of the standout performers from the most recent seasons of American Horror Story, though she has yet to have a more central leading role. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 7. Cult Meadow Wilton 8. Apocalypse Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt 9. 1984 Margaret Booth 10. Double Feature Ursula Khan / Calico 11. NYC Barbara Read 12. Delicate Ashleigh While her season 8 character, Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt, was interesting, it would be great to see Grossman tackle a more complex and central character in season 13. Jessica Lange Credit: Eric Liebowitz/FX Finally, Jessica Lange is a two-time Oscar winner who played a central role in the first four seasons of American Horror Story and was widely praised for her incredible presence and performances. However, since season 4, Lange has not returned to the series, outside of a brief cameo in season 8, where she reprised her season 1 character, Constance Langdon. Previous AHS Appearances Season Character Name 1. Murder House Constance Langdon 2. Asylum Sister Jude Martin 3. Coven Fiona Goode 4. Freak Show Elsa Mars 8. Apocalypse Constance Langdon While Lange also played a central role in season 3, her character, Fiona Goode, died by the end of the season, which served as the inciting incident for her daughter, Cordelia, to take over her position and power. As such, Lange may be returning to play Constance Langdon once more, or another character who will likely have a significant role in American Horror Story season 13. Release Date October 5, 2011 Network FX Showrunner Ryan Murphy Cast Sarah Paulson Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower Directors Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Jennifer Lynch, Michael Uppendahl, Loni Peristere, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Ryan Murphy, David Semel, Howard Deutch, Michael Lehmann, Angela Bassett, Jeremy Podeswa, Max Winkler, Michael Rymer, Paris Barclay, Axelle Carolyn, Anthony Hemingway, Craig Zisk, Elodie Keene, Jennifer Arnold, Jessica Yu, John Scott, Laura Belsey, Liz Friedlander, Maggie Kiley Writers Halley Feiffer, Ned Martel, Crystal Liu, Charlie Carver, Kristen Reidel, Adam Penn, Douglas Petrie, Todd Kubrak, Reilly Smith, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Joshua A. Green, Akela Cooper, Asha Michelle Wilson Franchise(s) American Horror Story Creator(s) Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy