There’s a little wickedness in all of us, so it’s no surprise that “American Horror Story” continues to stand the test of time. The salaciousness of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s series is on full display in each chapter, with 13 seasons across 15 years scandalizing fans in all the best ways. Of course, the show’s mean streak is nothing without its all-star stable of actors who, at this point, have basically become their own troupe. Here are the best performances of “American Horror Story.”
8. Lily Rabe as Sister Mary Eunice McKee, “Asylum”
Tackling a Jekyll and Hyde kind of character is a much more daunting task than some may expect. Often, one personality is believable while the other isn’t the actor’s strong suit. But Rabe had no such trouble portraying Sister Mary Eunice in the show’s sophomore season, “American Horror Story: Asylum.” The believability of the nun’s holiness makes it all the more devastating once her persona quickly shifts after being possessed by the Devil. The manipulative and cruel woman that follows is at once horrific and deliciously mean, all elevated by the subtly sinister smile that Rabe mastered.
7. Kathy Bates as Agnes Mary Winstead, “Roanoke”
With an Oscar and two Emmys under her belt, there hasn’t been any question when it comes to Bates’ acting chops for some time. In fact, her Season 3 turn in “American Horror Story: Coven” earned her one of those Emmys. However, while “Coven” got her acting gold, it’s her sixth-season performance as the all-too-Method Agnes Mary Winstead in “American Horror Story: Roanoke” that we’re celebrating as her best of many appearances in the franchise.
Call it nostalgia, call it familiarity, call it whatever you like! Bates is, after all, one of the greatest onscreen murderers of all time thanks to the 1990 horror thriller “Misery.” But it isn’t her double-duty turn as the Butcher in “Roanoke” that pulled the placement on this list (though that, too, is exceptional). It’s that finale moment when Agnes realizes she’s experiencing an unexpected plot twist in real life that cuts to the quick. Equal parts an incredible performance beat and a sharp commentary on Method acting, her last minutes in the show are all-timers.
6. Denis O’Hare as Liz Taylor, “Hotel”
Regardless of which side of the fence you fall on when it comes to Murphy’s writing of a trans woman, it’s hard to deny O’Hare’s performance as Liz Taylor in Season 5, “American Horror Story: Hotel.” There is thoughtfulness to the way O’Hare explores his character’s transition from closeted and frightened to out and bold. But it’s how the actor balances the deaths that come along with an “AHS” story—and a gentle goodness that he nevertheless refuses to sacrifice—that really sings. As the titular establishment’s bartender, O’Hare shifts to delightfully wicked on a dime whenever a guest orders some just desserts, but chooses kindness upon his character’s terminal diagnosis toward the end of the season. His eyes do a lot of work for him here—he has incredibly kind eyes, you see—but soft smiles and wry smirks add equal gut punches.
5. Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, “Coven”
No one plays a powerful woman like Bassett does. We often talk of presence without being able to articulate exactly what that means, but we’re able to explain it because we can point to actors like Bassett and simply say, “It’s whatever she’s doing.” With that presence comes a deep emotionality and unfiltered rage that made her the perfect choice for voodoo queen Marie Laveau in “American Horror Story: Coven.”
Marie’s immortality means that we follow her through the ages, witnessing each cruelty she’s forced to face; Bassett’s timelessness means that the character is believable in each era. Marie is known for grand gestures of vengeance, which Bassett delivers with a vindictive glee. But it’s how she acts during the complicated alliance with the witches, including Supreme Witch Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange), that makes Bassett’s performance truly magical. It’s not a friendship; it’s simply avoiding a mutually assured destruction. Marie has always played the room, and Bassett’s trademark smirk is in full effect throughout the season, driving home how Marie knows she’s always five steps ahead of everyone around her.
4. Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, “Coven”
Agnes Mary Winstead isn’t the only actor on this list. Roberts’ former Hollywood power player turned telekinetic coven member Madison Montgomery is slick, talented, and—unlike Agnes—can’t blame an ounce of her cruelty on schizoaffective disorder. Roberts’ has made a career out of playing bitchy mean girls thanks to her uncanny ability to pull the most judgmental face you’ve ever seen out of nowhere, but Madison’s on a whole new level. What makes this performance special isn’t her on-brand meanness, though. Roberts gets the opportunity to play with vulnerability here; Madison is quick to turn her abilities on the innocent, but oh boy, does she also direct them toward those who deserve it. Everyone has a fake and/or cold smile, but few have control over it in the way Roberts does, and she wields it as a weapon at every possible turn as Madison.
3. Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters, “Asylum”
Paulson, like many of the people on this list, has appeared in many seasons of “American Horror Story.” Of her nine appearances, she’s been Emmy nominated for five, but the best of the bunch goes to Lana Winters (who appears in three seasons of the series, but gets the most time and development in “Asylum”). There’s a depth to Lana that Paulson is responsible for bringing to life, which she does with the apparent ease that she brings to all of her roles. Here, as a journalist, it’s how she watches. Paulson’s performance as Lana is rooted in her womanhood. This branches in two directions: the all-too-familiar calm as everyone looks to her during impossible situations, followed by a deeply feminine rage that can only spark from someone with Lana’s experiences. Both her calm and her wrath consistently elevate the other.
2. Evan Peters as Tate Langdon, “Murder House”
The season that kick-started a cultural phenomenon was no doubt an intricate collaboration between an extremely game cast and the creative team, but a considerable portion of the season’s success can be attributed to Peters’ role as Tate. The character didn’t originate the “I can fix him” trope, but Peters’ performance sure did remind a whole lot of fans of the idea. The series as a whole highlights Peters’ range, but Tate perfectly embodies how the actor can weaponize his sympathetic eyes to woo fans into cheering him on. For those who may have forgotten—it’s been 15 years, after all—his character is both a school shooter and a rapist. But he is a school shooter and a rapist in love, and Peters plays that about as perfectly as one could at the time. The “boys will be boys” of it all is grating, and the actions reprehensible, but Peters adds just the right amount of water to those big brown eyes and suddenly you find yourself believing that maybe the shreds of remorse are real. (They’re not.)
1. Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode, “Coven”
“American Horror Story” is a franchise chock full of remarkable performances, but there is no other choice for top slot than Lange’s turn as the deliciously wicked Fiona (in, as you can tell, the standout season “Coven”). Sitting atop the pyramid of evil women you love to hate, there are few more vile characters than the Supreme Witch. Lange toys with Fiona’s selfishness by alternating between harsh expressions and doting words, using the latter only when it suits her most wicked of purposes. Her rage boomerangs between quiet and explosive, and Lange knows exactly when to turn to which. Fiona earned the actor her second of two Emmys for “American Horror Story” alone, a feat of real-life magic that could only be spun up by the likes of Lange.
