"American Horror Story "season 13 cast: See which franchise favorites return, from Sarah Paulson to Evan Peters Allison DeGrusheNovember 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM 0 Marleen Moise/WireImage; Ray Mickshaw/FX/courtesy Everett; Sam Lothridge/FX/courtesy Everett Ariana Grande; Evan Peters in 'American Horror Story: Hotel'; Jessica Lange in 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'Key Points American Horror Story season 13 brings back several franchise favorites. Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Jessica Lange are among those confirmed to return. Ariana Grande joins as the newest addition to the series.
- - "American Horror Story "season 13 cast: See which franchise favorites return, from Sarah Paulson to Evan Peters
Allison DeGrusheNovember 6, 2025 at 7:00 AM
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Marleen Moise/WireImage; Ray Mickshaw/FX/courtesy Everett; Sam Lothridge/FX/courtesy Everett
Ariana Grande; Evan Peters in 'American Horror Story: Hotel'; Jessica Lange in 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'Key Points -
American Horror Story season 13 brings back several franchise favorites.
Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, and Jessica Lange are among those confirmed to return.
Ariana Grande joins as the newest addition to the series.
Just when we thought the dust had settled, American Horror Story is pulling us back in for its 13th season. On Friday, Oct. 31, co-creator Ryan Murphy revealed the cast list, and it's packed with fan-favorite faces.
Set to Vera Lynn's haunting rendition of "I'll Be Seeing You," the social media announcement teased the return of numerous AHS veterans, including Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. New to the anthology series is Ariana Grande, who's been on a roll since her Oscar-nominated turn as Glinda in 2024's hit musical Wicked (she reprises the role in this year's Wicked: For Good).
Ready to find out who else is returning to the AHS universe? Keep reading to learn all about the cast of American Horror Story season 13.
01 of 10
Sarah Paulson
Prashant Gupta/FX Networks/courtesy Everett
Sarah Paulson in 'American Horror Story: Asylum'
Few names are more closely tied to AHS than Sarah Paulson. A longtime Ryan Murphy collaborator, the actress has starred in several of his projects, from her chilling roles throughout AHS to her Emmy-winning turn as prosecutor Marcia Clark on The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016).
She's also appeared on Murphy's Nip/Tuck (2004), Feud: Bette and Joan (2017), Ratched (2020), and All's Fair (2025).
Though she hasn't starred on AHS since season 10's Double Feature, Paulson has previously hinted at her long-awaited return. In October 2024, she teased there was a "big chance" she'd return to the series. "I've got everything crossed. I would like to do it more than anything. It's my home. It's where I started," she said on Good Morning America.
02 of 10
Evan Peters
Ray Mickshaw/FX/courtesy Everett
Evan Peters in 'American Horror Story: Hotel'
Evan Peters is another AHS mainstay, having broke through as the unforgettable Tate Langdon on American Horror Story: Murder House (2011). From there, he became one of the franchise's most versatile performers, appearing in nine seasons and even juggling six different roles on 2017's Cult.
Peters' creative partnership with Murphy has extended beyond AHS, with appearances on Pose (2018) and a Golden Globe-winning performance as Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022). He'll next be seen on Murphy's new sci-fi thriller, The Beauty.
Outside of Murphy's world, Peters won an Emmy for Mare of Easttown (2021). He also showcased his range on the big screen as Quicksilver in the X-Men franchise and the villainous Julian Dillinger in Tron: Ares (2025).
03 of 10
Jessica Lange
Sam Lothridge/FX/courtesy Everett
Jessica Lange in 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'
As the AHS season 13 cast announcement video wraps up, there's a brief pause… and then it's revealed that two-time Oscar winner Jessica Lange is returning to the series. Lange, who appeared in five seasons of AHS, also worked with Murphy on Feud (2017–2024) and The Politician (2019).
Lange's return comes as a pleasant surprise to fans, since she has repeatedly said she was done with AHS, having last starred in Apocalypse. Earlier this year, when asked if she'd appear in season 13, the actress laughed and said, "Oh Christ, no. I mean, I haven't done it for more than 10 years, 12 years, so, no, I'm not doing it."
When the reporter followed up and asked if she would star in season 13 if approached, Lange added a firm "No." Clearly, something changed.
04 of 10
Ariana Grande
Marleen Moise/WireImage
Ariana Grande attends the 'Wicked' New York premiere at the Museum of Modern Art on Nov. 14, 2024
Joining the AHS-verse for the first time is Grammy winner Ariana Grande. The global pop star got her start as an actress on Nickelodeon before shifting her focus to music. Her recent performance as Glinda the Good in Wicked (2024) garnered her critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination. The film's sequel, Wicked: For Good, premieres later this month.
Grande's upcoming projects include the new Meet the Parents film, Focker In-Law (2026), and Jon M. Chu's adaptation of Oh, the Places You'll Go! (2028). But before those hit theaters, fans will see her in AHS season 13.
This marks a reunion with Murphy, who previously cast her in the first season of Scream Queens (2015). AHS season 13 also reunites her with Peters, who starred in the music video for her hit single "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)".
05 of 10
Angela Bassett
Michele K. Short/FX Networks/courtesy Everett
Angela Bassett in 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'
Two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett is no stranger to Murphy's TV universe, having appeared in five seasons of AHS and currently leading the hit procedural 9-1-1 (2018–present).
Long before joining Murphy's projects, though, Bassett had already cemented her status in Hollywood with roles in movies such as Malcolm X (1922) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) and blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2018–present) and Mission: Impossible (2018, 2025).
Bassett recently spoke about her AHS return, admitting she'd always "hoped" to come back but "didn't know how" it would fit into her busy schedule. "But we're going to work it out," she said.
06 of 10
Kathy Bates
Suzanne Tenner / FX / courtesy Everett
Kathy Bates in 'American Horror Story: Hotel'
Kathy Bates is a true Hollywood legend, with a decades-long career marked by a range of incredible performances in film and TV.
She's known for her Oscar-winning role in Misery (1990), as well as Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), Titanic (1997), Harry's Law (2011–2012), and, of course, multiple seasons of AHS. These days, Bates headlines the CBS legal drama Matlock (2024–present).
Bates first worked with Murphy on AHS: Coven (2013–2014), for which she won an Emmy. The actress went on to appear in four more seasons, concluding with 2018's Apocalypse. She also brought her talent to Murphy's Feud: Bette and Joan, portraying actress Joan Blondell.
07 of 10
Emma Roberts
Michele K. Short/FX/courtesy Everett
Emma Roberts in 'American Horror Story: Freak Show'
Despite a long career filled with various roles, Emma Roberts is still widely remembered (by us) for her breakout role on Nickelodeon's Unfabulous (2004–2007). Since then, she's achieved further success in films like Scream 4 (2011) and We're the Millers (2013), as well as on Murphy's Scream Queens.
Roberts made her AHS debut in Coven, playing the scene-stealing Madison Montgomery, and most recently appeared in Delicate (2023–2024), starring opposite Kim Kardashian.
08 of 10
Billie Lourd
Kurt Iswarienko/FX Billie Lourd in 'American Horror Story: 1984'
Billie Lourd, daughter of the late icon Carrie Fisher, got her start with Murphy as Chanel #3 on Scream Queens. She later joined AHS, debuting in Cult and most recently appearing in Delicate.
Lourd has continued her Murphy collaborations with American Horror Stories (2021) and the upcoming fourth season of Monster.
You might also recognize Lourd for playing Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015–2019), as party girl Gigi in Booksmart (2019), and as Pamela Anderson's estranged daughter in The Last Showgirl (2024). Fans can look forward to seeing Lourd in A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025) alongside the Jonas Brothers.
09 of 10
Gabourey Sidibe
Michele K. Short/FX/courtesy Everett
Gabourey Sidibe in 'American Horror Story: Coven'
Gabourey Sidibe shot to fame with her Oscar-nominated acting debut in Precious (2009) and has since popped up in movies like Tower Heist (2011) and Antebellum (2020). In 2017, she made her directorial debut with The Tale of Four and released her memoir This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare.
On the small screen, Sidibe is likely best known for her AHS roles, most famously as Queenie in Coven (2013), Hotel (2016), and Apocalypse (2018). She returned to Murphy's world in 2022 with an episode of American Horror Stories.
10 of 10
Leslie Grossman
FX / courtesy Everett
Leslie Grossman in 'American Horror Story: Double Feature'
Leslie Grossman's work with Murphy goes back decades, beginning with a starring turn as a bubbly high school cheerleader on his teen series Popular (1999–2001). She also appeared on Nip/Tuck (2003–2008).
The two went their separate ways for a bit before coming back together for AHS, starting with Cult. Since then, Grossman has appeared in seasons Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature, NYC, and Delicate.
Grossman also joined Murphy for Monster season 2, which centered on the Menendez brothers.
Where can I watch American Horror Story?
American Horror Story is available to stream on Hulu.
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Source: Entertainment
Published: November 05, 2025 at 03:46PM on Source: PRIME TIME
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