Summary
- Jessica Lange won’t be in AHS season 13 due to time commitment, leaving fans speculating about her return.
- Lange stood out in AHS with her commanding presence and versatile performances across various seasons.
- Despite Lange’s absence, her memorable and eerie characters in AHS will never be forgotten by fans.
A new season of American Horror Story brings another scary setting, villains who hide in plain sight, and a couple of cliffhangers. A new season also allows fans to see their favorite AHS cast members since many actors return for more than one season. Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Evan Peters, and Lily Rabe are some of the versatile stars who have appeared on Ryan Murphy’s eerie anthology series.
Unfortunately, Jessica Lange said she won’t be in AHS season 13, which has made fans curious about who they will see again. Viewers would be happy to see Lange in every season since she’s so talented. Sadly, she last appeared in two episodes of American Horror Story: Apocalypse in 2018. Everyone wants to know why Lange decided to leave American Horror Story.
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This American Horror Story Season 13 Fan Theory Sounds Terrifying (& I Think It’s A Perfect Idea)
American Horror Story season 13’s story hasn’t been announced yet, and this fan idea would make for a compelling, creepy, and memorable season.
Why Did Jessica Lange Quit American Horror Story?
In 2013, Jessica Lange gave an interview to Entertainment Weekly and explained why she left American Horror Story. She said it was because of the time commitment. Lange explained:
“It ends up being a lot of time during the year being committed to something. I haven’t done that for a long time. It’s like doing a stage play between the rehearsal and the run. This is a 6-month commitment every year. That will be four years in a row. I want to have more time to myself I guess.”
Lange continued:
“Once it’s over and I have a full year ahead of me with nothing to do, who knows? It might not have been the best decision. But I think four years doing something is a sufficient amount of time.”
A decade later, in 2023, Lange gave an interview to The Telegraph and shared that she might stop acting soon. She said, “I don’t think I’ll do this too much longer.”
No matter what plot American Horror Story season 13 has, Lange’s absence will be felt because she gives every character her all. Although every season has a large cast, Lange stands out because she has such a commanding presence. She has also played larger-than-life and attention-grabbing characters who don’t suffer fools and who manipulate others to get what they want.
Besides her recurring roles on American Horror Story, Lange is known for playing Dwan in the 1976 film King Kong, Julie Nichols in the 1982 comedy Tootsie, and Sandra Bloom in Tim Burton’s quirky and moving 2003 movie Big Fish. She also starred in three other shows created by Ryan Murphy: the dark and comedic 2019 Netflix series The Politician, 2017’s Feud: Bette and Joan, and 2024’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans. Lange’s most recent role was Phyllis in the play Mother Play on Broadway and the main character in the 2024 TV movie The Great Lillian Hall about an actress who has dementia. Although fans would have loved to see Lange appear in more seasons of AHS, she has definitely made some interesting career choices.
Jessica Lange’s Best American Horror Story Roles
Jessica Lange’s American Horror Story roles are so beloved because they are so distinct from each other. She played the Harmon’s creepy neighbor and villain Tate Langdon’s (Evan Peters) mom Constance Langdon in American Horror Story: Murder House and reprised the role in American Horror Story: Apocalypse. She also portrayed the cruel Sister Jude Martin in American Horror Story: Asylum and the mysterious carnival owner Elsa Mars in American Horror Story: Freak Show. Elsa has an unsettling character arc and by the end of AHS season 4, viewers have been taken on a wild and surprising ride.
Many fans would likely agree that Lange’s best role was Supreme Witch Fiona Goode in American Horror Story: Coven. As Fiona deals with younger witches who want to have more power than her, her character arc explores themes of change and aging, and she has a captivating presence in every scene.
American Horror Story season 13 may not feature Jessica Lange, but Lange’s unnerving and compelling characters will never be forgotten. She praised her characters in an interview with Vulture in 2024 and said that when the writers asked “what should we do” she suggested monologues and her character had some “wonderful” speeches. Lange said:
“Those characters were overwritten and fun to play. And each one’s so different. The great thing about this premise was every season was a different story.”
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American Horror Story season 13’s plot hasn’t been announced yet, but it should tell a creepy story based on an urban legend horror fans know.