Sarah Paulson has confirmed that one of her previous roles will not be returning in the upcoming crossover season of American Horror Story, titled Apocalypse. Paulson has been with the hit horror anthology since its premiere in 2011, with each season bringing fresh opportunities in the form of new characters. While fans of the series look forward to the new characters Paulson will portray, as the seasons begin to connect and intertwine, many have begun to anticipate the return of her previous roles.
This is not Paulson's first crossover, her character Lana Winters from Asylum appeared in Roanoke and Billie Dean from Murder House returned for Hotel. This is also not the first time characters and imagery have reappeared in various seasons throughout the series. However, American Horror Story: Apocalypse will be the first time in the anthology series that two seasons will completely collide - combining Murder House and Coven. Since the surprise announcement of the crossover, many have been speculating whether Paulson's roles would bring about the return of both Cordelia and Billie Dean.
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In an exclusive Screen Rant interview for Glass, Paulson has now confirmed that only one will in fact be returning. While information on the upcoming season has been scarce, the information that has been revealed to the masses confirms Paulson, as well as other cast members, will be once again portraying the roles of two characters for Apocalypse.
"I'm not playing Cordelia and Billie. Did somebody say I was playing Cordelia and Billie? That's interesting. I may end up playing Cordelia and Billie. But no... I am so far I can say I'm playing two characters, but one of those names is correct and one of them is not."
While many have speculated her roles to be both Billie Dean and Cordelia, previous tidbits of her character's costume, including dental appliances, have alluded to only one previous character's return and Paulson's confirmation seems to solidify that. While Paulson was vague on which character, it was clear that it would only be one, with the other being something entirely new altogether.
Playing dual roles during a season of American Horror Story is nothing new for Paulson, or even the cast, having done so in Roanoke, Freak Show and Hotel. With her talent in dual roles returning for another season during the crossover, it is no surprise many expected the two characters of Cordelia and Bille Dean to unite. Though, it is still not something to be completely disregarded, both in current or future seasons. Both characters possess supernatural powers in their own capacity. While one is the Supreme Witch, another is a medium, able to psychically communicate with the spirits haunting Murder House. There is a connection beyond the natural world that unites these two characters, making a dual appearance on screen potentially possible. And while Paulson did state she is playing two characters, only one of which is recurring, there was still a mention that she may "end up playing Cordelia and Billie" - leaving her confirmation open to speculation.
With filming still ongoing, there might be a chance that both characters could make an appearance. Until season 8 concludes, many will continue to speculate and hope for both Cordelia and Billie Dean to meet onscreen. This is American Horror Story after all. There is always more than meets the eye.