American Horror Story star Jessica Lange, who was a mainstay for the show's first four seasons, opened up about her thoughts regarding her favorite season of Ryan Murphy's anthology series.
Since 2011, the FX series has developed an incredibly loyal, opinionated fanbase. Because American Horror Story is an anthology series, it is ripe for debate regarding which seasons of the show are the best, the worst, and why. Though there is lots of shared space for returning cast, with several names being prominently featured in the central focus of the series on the whole, Jessica Lange is one of the most beloved actors of the franchise along with her co-stars Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. Lange was featured heavily during her stint on the show, taking prominent lead roles in Asylum, Coven, and Freak Show. The show's first season, Murder House, featured Lange in more of a supporting role, but she was a standout all the same.
American Horror Story has broken new ground for horror television series in general, many of which have seen incredible success that likely wouldn't have been so easy to obtain without Murphy's show blazing a trail. The series has been nominated for an incredible amount of awards, and cast members and crew have taken home Emmys, Golden Globes, and other prestigious titles for their work, Lange included.
Asylum Edged Out Coven For AHS Star Jessica Lange
In an interview with GoldDerby, Lange finally answered questions related to a long-term fan debate: Asylum vs. Coven, which is the better season? Since the second and third seasons of the show aired, fans have been in gridlock over which deserves more acclaim, with Asylum sweeping the awards circuit and Coven's dark comedy and historical roots earning a top spot as many fans' ultimate favorite. Lange focused more on the four seasons where she played a prominent role even though she had a brief appearance in season eight, Apocalypse, where she reprised her role of Constance Langdon for a cross-over season with Murder House and Coven that Murphy had teased for years.
Lange confessed that she hadn't even watched Apocalypse, but her ranking for the other four seasons was clear: Asylum, Freak Show, Murder House, and Coven bringing up the rear. This might be shocking to fans, given how iconic her role as Fiona Goode was not only to that season, but to the series in general. Lange also took home an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for her work on Coven, beating out Sarah Paulson in the same category. According to the interview, she was shocked she even won that award. Said Lange, "I was stunned that year to get the Emmy for that part. The part was very well-written, I didn't particularly like the whole set-up and season and story we were telling. It was not my favorite." Lange went on to say that Freak Show was her favorite "... from the experience of doing it." However, she admits Asylum was the better season overall. Lange was nominated for the same award in American Horror Story: Asylum, but lost to Laura Linney for her performance in The Big C.
Update: An earlier version had Fiona Goode in Apocalypse, but Lange played Constance Langdon.