The FX anthology series American Horror Story never fails to be one of the top contenders during the award season. Each season has its own story and is thus treated as a miniseries. Some of the plot elements in the series tend to be inspired by real-life horrific events.
The series has been well-received by audiences. According to Nielsen ratings, each season averages around 4 million viewers. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 76%, while on IMDb, it has an 8/10 rating. Here are shows and movies you probably recognize the cast from.
Connie Briton: Friday Night Lights
Connie portrayed the cellist Vivien Harmon in the first season (Murder House) and the eighth season (Apocalypse). You might recognize her from the popular sports drama Friday Night Lights.
Connie plays Sharon Gaines, the wife of the football coach Gary Gaines. The film revolves around a high school soccer team that has the full support of the city and the challenges they face during their magnificent run to the state championship. She also played the coach's wife, Tami Taylor, in the TV series version.
Dylan McDermott: The Practice
Dylan McDermott appeared in the seasons titled "Murder House," "Asylum," "1984," and "Apocalypse." He played three different characters namely: Dr. Ben Hermon, Johnny Morgan, and Bruce.
Dylan is most recognized for his role as the law firm head Bobby Donnell on the drama series The Practice. The role earned him an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series." Dylan briefly dated TV action star Maggie Q as well.
Evan Peters: X-Men
Evan Peters has portrayed a whopping nine different characters in the series. That ranks him at the top among the cast. He has also appeared in all but one season of American Horror Story.
His most recognizable role outside the series is that of the superhero Quicksilver in the X-Men film franchise. He has portrayed the Flash-like hero in the films Dark Phoenix, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse.
Taissa Farmiga: The Nun
Taissa Farmiga portrayed Zoe Benson, Violet Hermon, and Sophie Green in Coven (Season 3), Roanoke (Season 6), and Murder House/Apocalypse (Seasons 1 & 8). Her "scared girl" roles gave her the reputation of TV's ultimate scream queen and she went on to appear in other horror films.
The most notable film she has appeared in is The Nun, which is a spin-off to The Conjuring 2. In the film, she played a nun named Sister Irene.
Denis O'Hare: True Blood
O'Hare has also played several different characters in five different seasons of American Horror Story. His great performances have earned him two Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie."
The actor is best known for his role as the 3000-year-old vampire king Russell Edgington on the popular HBO' fantasy series True Blood. O'Hare made his debut in the show's third season and went on to appear in a total of 20 episodes.
Jessica Lange: A Streetcar Named Desire
Lange is one of the most decorated actresses in the industry. She has won two Oscars and three Emmys in her career. She is also the sixth most Oscar-nominated actress in history and has the most Golden Globe nominations ever in the "Best Actress in a Miniseries" category. To top that, she is the only person to win Emmys in both the "Outstanding Supporting Actress" and "Outstanding Lead Actress" in the same show.
Lange has played five different characters in five different seasons of American Horror Story. She has appeared in hundreds of movies as well but the role she is most known for is that of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.
Sarah Paulson: Ocean's 8
Paulson has portrayed over ten characters in all but one season of American Horror Story. She is also a highly decorated actress with an Emmy and Golden Globe to her name. For American Horror Story alone, she has received five Emmy nominations.
In Ocean's 8, Sarah played a profiteer named Tammy whose job was to fence stolen goods out of her home. The film had a star-studded cast that included Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Rihanna.
Lily Rabe: The Whispers
Lily has also had multiples roles in all but one season of the FX original series. Her other recognizable role is that of FBI Special Agent Claire Bennigan on the ABC sci-fi series The Whispers.
Claire is a child specialist in the FBI who decides to dig into a series of strange occurrences involving an invisible alien entity named "Drill. " The alien only talks to children so Claire gives herself the task of finding out its motive.
Frances Conroy: Six Feet Under
Conroy starred in the FX series from the first to the seventh season. She is the actor with the fourth-most appearances in the show. For her performances in the first and third seasons, she received Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie."
In Six Feet Under, she played Ruth Fisher, is the widow of Nathaniel, Sr. She was also Nate, David, and Claire's mother. Conroy was known for her violent outbursts due to her abusive childhood.
Kathy Bates: Titanic
Oscar and Emmy-winning actress Kathy Bates played the socialist and philanthropist Margaret Brown in Titanic. She has over a hundred more film and TV credits but this is the role which she is most recognized for.
She was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Delphine LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven (Season 3). She has appeared in five seasons so far and is confirmed to appear in the upcoming one. In total, she has been nominated for an Emmy 14 times.