American Horror Story is one of those shows that I believe nearly everyone has watched a season or two of in their lives. It could be the very first season, or maybe you’re one of those people who's been sticking around for the latest installments – either way, this show has been going on for a long time.
The Ryan Murphy-created series has had eleven seasons that have taken place in a multitude of different locations. The cast has always changed a good amount, bringing in new actors and characters for each story that we are given. But, there are a several actors for this anthology series who have been in many seasons. Today, we’re going to talk about the ones who have been around the most – including main, recurring, and guest roles.
Evan Peters (9)
There are a few people I instantly think of when American Horror Story pops up in my mind, and one of them is Evan Peters.
If you love Ryan Murphy projects, here are the actors who have appeared in the most.
The actor has been making even more of a name for himself the last few years, starring in shows such as Dahmer, where he was praised for his performance for Jeffrey Dahmer, as well as being a major part of the Mare of Easttown cast, which led to him winning an Emmy.
Believe it or not, Peters has been in nine seasons of AHS. This includes Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse and Double Feature. He’s arguably one of the most known names from this series, and for good reason – his acting has always been fantastic.
Sarah Paulson (9)
The next person I always think of when it comes to this show is Sarah Paulson. The actress has done plenty in the movie and TV industry, but she’s also appeared in nine seasons like Peters. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature.
It’s been some time since we’ve seen either of these two actors in a season, but maybe, in the future, we just might be able to see them return.
Lily Rabe (9)
Lily Rabe is another actress who has been in many seasons of American Horror Story – nine to be exact, just like Paulson and Peters. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Apocalypse, 1984, and Double Feature.
Rabe has also appeared in a few other projects, most recently as part of the Love & Death cast, but I always loved her in AHS.
Francis Conroy (8)
Another person that has been in AHS a good amount is Francis Conroy, another actor who's been in the show since the very first season. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature.
My personal favorite season of hers was Coven. There’s just something about her playing Myrtle Snow that always makes me love her even more. It’s also been a few years since we have seen her in the show, so hopefully she'll return before much longer.
Denis O’Hare (8)
The next actor on this list that we’re going to talk about is Denis O’Hare, who has been in a total of eight seasons. O’Hare has played a variety of roles across his seasons so far, which are Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Double Feature, and NYC.
O’Hare is also confirmed to appear in the latest season of the show, Delicate, which already features several cast members from this list that we’ll talk about in a bit, making that his eighth appearance. O’Hare was also a part of the Season 2 cast of American Horror Stories, another Murphy-created show.
Emma Roberts (5)
Emma Roberts is the first actress on this list that wasn’t featured in the first season, but her characters have certainly made an impact on AHS. Roberts has appeared in a total of five aired seasons so far, and is set to also appear in Delicate in a main role, making it six.
These are Coven, Freak Show, Cult, Apocalypse, and 1984. Personally, I have always loved Roberts in this show. While it’s awesome that she has been doing her own thing and appearing in many small horror films, such as Nerve, it’s great that she’s coming back for Delicate. I suppose I have two things to look forward to now – her return to AHS and her appearing in the Madame Web movie.
Billie Lourd (5)
Billie Lourd was another actress who didn’t start appearing in American Horror Story until much later on, but is steadily becoming one of the most reliable actresses for the series.
Her parts in the show include seasons such as Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature, and NYC, making her overall total so far as five. She is also set to appear in Delicate alongside O’Hare and Roberts, racking up her total to six for a decent amount of appearances. Lourd, in my eyes, is becoming another awesome Scream Queen.
Adina Porter (5)
Porter is one of those actresses who has been around since the beginning, but she had such a long hiatus from the series that you wouldn’t have ever expected to see her again.
She first appeared in Murder House way back in 2011, but then didn’t appear again in the series until Roanoke. She had parts in two later seasons – Cult and Apocalypse, and then also appeared in Double Feature.
Leslie Grossman (5)
Leslie Grossman was another example of someone who came a little later in AHS’s lifespan, but her characters have truly made a serious impact, from some that you literally hate more than anything to characters that are truly sinister.
Grossman’s appearances are in Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature, and NYC. To be honest, I’d be happy to see her in another season, but since she’s not confirmed for Delicate, I don’t know when we are going to watch her be awesome in this anthology again.
Kathy Bates (5)
I honestly think Kathy Bates has become another queen of horror since she had such an iconic role in Misery back in the 1990s – and truthfully, she’s appeared in so many amazing parts since then. But, believe it or not, I was actually first introduced to Bates in American Horror Story, way back when I was a wee little girl.
Alright, well, maybe not little, but a teenager. Either way, Bates has appeared in a total of five seasons: Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, and Apocalypse. Truthfully, she’s one of the few actors from the earlier seasons that I miss the most, because she was always a force on screen, but I suppose I can just return to older seasons to watch her.
Jamie Brewer (5)
Jamie Brewer’s characters were always the ones that I genuinely loved the heck out of, because they are either incredibly creepy or some of the sweetest people ever – talk about a spectacular range. Brewer has appeared in a total of five seasons.
These are Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Cult and Apocalypse. She also appeared on American Horror Stories, but what I wouldn’t give to see her again in the new season. I always loved watching her on screen, no matter what role she performed.
Finn Wittrock (5)
Finn Wittrock is one of those actors that truly made a mark when he was on the show. He is, yet again, one of the few on this list who was not in the original season (Murder House), but his characters in American Horror Story have truly become legends of their own, and his seasons are some of the best.
Wittrock has appeared in a total of five seasons: Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, 1984, and Double Feature. Truthfully, I miss the heck out of him and really want to see him again, so maybe we’ll get that in the season after Delicate.
Jessica Lange (5)
Another actress that I believe everyone thinks of when it comes to American Horror Story is Jessica Lange. While she was only in five seasons, Lange was arguably the main character of the first four seasons, creating very compelling stories and giving performances that truly rocked the world of television horror.
The actress is a legend who has been in many movies and television shows throughout her decades in the industry, but her time in AHS will always be remembered as great. Her seasons are Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, and Apocalypse. While I doubt we’re going to see Lange in another, it’s always incredible to revisit some of the best seasons of the show with her performance in them.
Angela Bassett (5)
Last, but not least, we need to talk about Angela Bassett. The actress has been swimming in movies the last few years, becoming a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even earning a historic Academy Award nomination for her role in it. She’s also appeared in many other amazing movies from earlier in her career, like Vampire in Brooklyn, Waiting to Exhale, Malcolm X, and many more.
Bassett had pretty big roles for five seasons (Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Cult, and Apocalypse), where she played a few characters that I still think about to this day. While she may have only been in a handful of seasons, she truly made her mark on the show, and I miss her dearly.
With so many incredible actors, it’s not that surprising to see how many have appeared in multiple seasons of the series. While we’re only getting three of them in the latest season, it’s still better than nothing. I’ll just go back and rewatch some of the older seasons to relive the glory days.
