Oscar-winning actress Kathy Bates has been an excellent addition to the American Horror Story cast, and here's every character she's played so far. Bates is still probably best known to horror fans for the role she won that Oscar for, psychotic obsessed fan Annie Wilkes in the 1990 Stephen King adaptation Misery. That's not to say that she hasn't had more great roles since, but Misery was the movie that put Bates on the Hollywood map, and guaranteed her a career for as long as she wants to continue acting.
As Annie, Bates exhibited a range of emotions, switching between congenial bedside manner and raving lunatic in the same scene. Annie was a ticking time bomb, and a deeply damaged person, and the character provided Bates an opportunity to really display her range as a performer. Despite making her name with a horror movie though, Bates has rarely returned to the genre, making it a bit surprising that she's become such a mainstay on American Horror Story. During her time on the anthology series though, it's been apparent just how good she is in horror roles.
So far, Bates has appeared on five seasons of American Horror Story, and played six different characters in the process. She's set to return for season 10 in 2021, but here's the rundown of her characters so far.
Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Coven & Apocalypse)
A New Orleans socialite, Madame Delphine LaLaurie was Kathy Bates debut character on America Horror Story: Coven. LaLaurie ranks high on the list of American Horror Story's most detestable characters, and what's most horrifying is that she's actually based on a real person who committed real-life atrocities against her slaves in the 1830s. LaLaurie is a sadistic racist, and while she briefly forms a bond with Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), they have a falling out and she reverts to her old ways. While immortal for nearly 200 years due to a spell cast by voodoo queen Marie Laveau, she's eventually killed by Queenie and sent to Hell, where she's punished by watching her daughters get tortured by Marie for eternity. LaLaurie later makes a quick guest appearance in season 8, Apocalypse, still suffering in Hell.
Ethel Darling (Freak Show)
Ethel Darling was Kathy Bates' character on American Horror Story: Freak Show, and in a huge reversal from Delphine LaLaurie, was one of the most empathetic characters of the season. The "bearded lady" in Elsa's (Jessica Lange) titular freak show, Ethel wanted nothing more than to make a living entertaining customers, and take care of her son Jimmy (Evan Peters). Unfortunately, Jimmy's violent father Dell (Michael Chiklis) comes back into the picture, and that doesn't lead to anything good for either her or Jimmy. Ethel is eventually murdered by Elsa, although the two appear to mend fences in the afterlife. She would've died soon anyway, as she'd recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver as a result of her years of alcoholism.
Iris (Hotel)
In American Horror Story: Hotel, Kathy Bates played Iris, the manager of the supernaturally afflicted Hotel Cortez. She hates the place, but sticks around to be close to her son Donovan, who became a vampire after The Countess (Lady Gaga) turned him rather than have him die of a drug overdose. As with many locations on American Horror Story, those that die in the hotel become its ghosts, and anyone who gets mixed up with the hotel at all tends to meet a bad end. Donovan ends up turning Iris as well, after she attempts suicide. However, these vampires aren't invulnerable, and Donovan ends up shot during an attempt by Iris and Liz Taylor (Denis O'Hare) to take control of the hotel from The Countess. Iris helps him die outside the hotel, leading to a peaceful afterlife.
Thomasin 'The Butcher' White (Roanoke)
American Horror Story: Roanoke played with audience expectations, spending the first half of the season presenting itself as a typical paranormal TV show, complete with reenactments. The second half of the season, sent both the original people involved and the actors who played them in My Roanoke Nightmare back to the actually haunted house featured. It got pretty confusing at times, but saw Kathy Bates play two distinct characters. In the first half of Roanoke, Bates played ghostly serial killer Thomasin "The Butcher" White, who after being exiled from the titular colony, makes a deal with powerful witch Scáthach (Lady Gaga) to survive. She eventually becomes bound to the land, killing anyone who dares be present during the Blood Moon. Of course, Bates is only playing the TV show version of The Butcher, as depicted in My Roanoke Nightmare.
Agnes Mary Winstead (Roanoke)
In the second half of American Horror Story: Roanoke, Bates plays her second character, Agnes Mary Winstead, the actress who played The Butcher in My Roanoke Nightmare. Unfortunately for her, the success of the show led Agnes to suffer a psychotic break, becoming obsessed with her onscreen character and eventually convinced that she actually is The Butcher. She returns to the house for the follow-up show, but not as an invited guest. While there, she murders several people, but in a bit of karmic justice, eventually gets killed by the ghost of the real Butcher. This happens even despite Agnes professing her devotion to The Butcher before her demise. Perhaps she didn't appreciate a pretender to the throne.
Ms. Miriam Mead (Apocalypse)
American Horror Story: Apocalypse cast Kathy Bates as Ms. Miriam Mead, a Satanist, and a worshiper and protector of Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), the Antichrist. She'll do anything to make sure Michael fulfills his apocalyptic destiny, including murder and lots of it. She's eventually captured and killed, but Michael has an android version of Mead built, in a typically off-kilter American Horror Story plot twist. Once no longer human, Mead picks up right where she left off at Michael's beck and call. Michael is ultimately defeated by changing the timeline, but Mead's loyalty simply shifts to a new Antichrist child. It seems the apocalypse can't be averted forever.