Ryan Murphy, the creative force behind the enduring FX horror anthology American Horror Story, has given fans an early hint about the upcoming thirteenth season, confirming that celebrated series veteran Sarah Paulson will return. Commenting on an Instagram post about the long-gestating American Love Story, Murphy announced that he and Paulson are currently together. Paulson’s consistent presence and critically acclaimed performances have made her a fan-favorite and a recognized face of the series, making her confirmed involvement a significant point of interest for viewers as details for Season 13 emerge. Paulson herself had previously hinted at her return, expressing a strong desire to rejoin the long-running franchise, a reunion that is now official.
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“Sarah Paulson and I are cooking up something cool!” Murphy shared. Beyond this confirmation of Paulson’s return, very little is currently known about the specifics of American Horror Story Season 13, including its central theme or targeted premiere window. Murphy has previously promised fans the series would return to the Coven setting, a season that featured Paulson in a fan-favorite role. However, given the show’s anthology format and Paulson’s talent for playing different characters, she could also be cast in a brand-new role.
While Paulson is the only cast member confirmed for Season 13 of American Horror Story, Murphy has previously spoken about wanting Evan Peters to return. The producer is also confident that the anthology will continue for many more seasons, even though FX has only renewed it through Season 13. Regardless of what the series’ future holds, not all original stars are expected to make a comeback. Jessica Lange, for instance, whose performances in the early seasons were highly acclaimed and earned her multiple Emmy Awards, has definitively stated she will not be returning to the franchise. When asked about a potential Season 13 appearance during an appearance at the Glasgow Film Festival, Lange firmly responded, “Oh Christ, no.”
Sarah Paulson’s Extensive Contributions to the AHS Universe
Sarah Paulson has been a cornerstone of the American Horror Story franchise since its inception. Her journey with the series began with a recurring role in the first season, American Horror Story: Murder House, where she played the medium Billie Dean Howard. Her significance within the AHS ensemble dramatically increased with the second season, American Horror Story: Asylum, in which she delivered a critically lauded lead performance as investigative journalist Lana Winters. This role earned her widespread recognition and her first Primetime Emmy nomination for her work on the show, establishing a benchmark for her subsequent contributions. While she won her Primetime Emmy Award for playing Marcia Clark in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, her work on AHS has resulted in five Emmy nominations, underscoring her consistent excellence within the horror anthology.
Paulson’s ability to disappear into vastly different personas became a hallmark of her AHS tenure. As Cordelia Goode in Coven, she portrayed a character who grew from a repressed headmistress into the powerful Supreme witch, a role that earned her second AHS Emmy nomination. She followed this with the technically challenging dual role of conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler in Freak Show, receiving yet another Emmy nomination. Her range was further demonstrated with characters like the drug-addicted ghost Sally McKenna in Hotel and the phobia-plagued Ally Mayfair-Richards in Cult. Her final Emmy nomination for AHS came in the meta-narrative of Roanoke, where she played both an actress and reprised her role as Lana Winters. Her most recent appearance in the main series was in American Horror Story: Double Feature, where she played Tuberculosis Karen in the “Red Tide” segment and Mamie Eisenhower in the “Death Valley” segment, further underscoring her range.
All 12 current seasons of American Horror Story are available to stream on Hulu.
What are your hopes for Sarah Paulson’s character in the upcoming thirteenth season of American Horror Story? Let us know in the comments!
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Image Courtesy of Lionsgate
