Ryan Murphy dropped some big news about his long-running anthology show American Horror Story via Instagram, confirming not only the return of series star Emma Roberts but the introduction of Olympic medalist Gus Kenworthy as her boyfriend. The series, which has been the subject of much social media buzz since its inception, just wrapped up its eighth season in November. It has since been renewed through season 10, but it's not yet clear what the subtitle will be for either season 9 or season 10.
Roberts previously portrayed Madison Montgomery in both the Coven and Apocalypse seasons, as well as taking on the roles of Maggie Esmeralda in Freak Show and Serena Belinda in Cult. Murphy and his creative partner Brad Falchuk are well-known for casting the same actors as different characters, which is a way of tying the disconnected universe of American Horror Story together as well as making sure the cast chemistry flows from one year to the next. In fact, series veteran Sarah Paulson has already been in talks to continue onto the ninth season, so it's no surprise that Roberts is onboard as well.
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The real surprise was Ryan Murphy releasing the news that Gus Kenworthy would be joining Roberts on his Instagram, which was met with great excitement by fans all over. "That special moment when you realize you have an Olympic medal AND will be playing Emma Roberts' boyfriend on 'American Horror Story' Season 9," the creator teased in his caption, which was accompanied by a shirtless and smiling photo of the skier.
American Horror Story will be Kenworthy's first foray into character acting, although he has previously appeared in various sports-related shows and documentaries as himself and shown off his athletic skills to great effect. He has also been a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars and has even been nominated at the British LGBT Awards this year. There is currently no information about his character, or Roberts' for that matter, given that the show will take on a new storyline after last year's Apocalypse crossover season combined characters from Murder House and Coven in an attempt to take on the Antichrist. While Murphy did confirm the fan-favorite Coven witches would return once more, that plot point is for a future season rather than the upcoming one.
While the series has dipped in ratings somewhat since being named the most-viewed new cable series of 2011, it has remained at the forefront of conversations and award shows for its entire run thus far. The inclusion of a rising star like Kenworthy is sure to keep that conversation going, and the joy of seeing veteran actors in increasingly tense and unbelievable situations continues to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. With American Horror Story renewed for the next two years and its sister series American Crime Story still going strong, it seems Murphy and Falchuk's thrilling tales will keep haunting and delighting fans for a long time to come.
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Source: Ryan Murphy/Instagram