American Horror Story: 13: "American Horror Story" is going all in for season 13. The anthology series, created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, premieres its 13th installment on Sept. 24.
The season brings back a long list of franchise veterans, several of whom are reprising more than one character from the show's history.
Murphy confirmed the multi-role approach during a July 2026 interview with Entertainment Tonight.
He said Sarah Paulson is playing six or seven characters pulled from her past seasons, while Jessica Lange is returning as all four of her previous roles.
Evan Peters, he added, is taking on five characters. Murphy compared the format to "The Avengers," with past characters teaming up to face a common threat.
The theme resonated with the cast, too. Speaking to PEOPLE in May 2026, Gabourey Sidibe likened the new season to a casserole made of viewers' favorite dishes.
Billie Lourd jumped in with her own comparison, calling it more like a minestrone.
Here's a full breakdown of the stars returning for "American Horror Story: 13."
Jessica Lange
Lange is reprising all four of her signature "AHS" roles: Constance Langdon from "Murder House," Sister Jude from "Asylum," Elsa Mars from "Freak Show" and Fiona Goode from "Coven."
The Oscar winner's career dates back to her breakout part in the 1976 remake of "King Kong," and she went on to star in "All That Jazz" and "Tootsie."
Off-screen, Lange has three children: one with former partner Mikhail Baryshnikov and two with the late playwright Sam Shepard.
Sarah Paulson
Paulson has played a string of memorable "AHS" characters over the years, including Billie Dean Howard, Lana Winters, Cordelia Foxx and Sally McKenna.
Beyond the anthology, she's known for "12 Years a Slave," "Glass" and "Run," along with two seasons of "American Crime Story," where she portrayed Marcia Clark and Linda Tripp.
She most recently played Aileen Wuornos in Murphy's Netflix project "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story," released in September 2026.
Paulson has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her work with Murphy and credited him directly with shaping her career during a May 2025 interview with El PaÃs.
She's been in a relationship with actress Holland Taylor since 2015.
Evan Peters
Peters has been part of "AHS" since its first season, when he played Tate Langdon. He's since taken on roles including Kit Walker in "Asylum" and James March in "Hotel."
The Emmy winner is also known for the "X-Men" franchise and "Kick-Ass," as well as his portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer in Murphy's "Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story" and a role in the 2026 series "The Beauty."
Peters told PEOPLE in January 2026 that he was both excited and nervous about season 13, which he said Murphy envisioned as a "greatest hits" run.
He was previously engaged to castmate Emma Roberts before their split in 2019.
Emma Roberts
Roberts entered the franchise in "Coven" as Madison Montgomery and has since appeared as Serena Belinda in "Cult" and Anna Alcott in "Delicate."
Outside "AHS," she's starred in "Aquamarine," "Hotel for Dogs" and "We're the Millers."
After her relationship with Peters ended, she dated actor Garrett Hedlund, with whom she shares son Rhodes; the two split in 2022. Roberts married actor Cody John in July 2026.
Jamie Brewer
Brewer joined the series in "Murder House" as Adelaide Langdon and later appeared as Nan in "Coven" and Marjorie in "Freak Show."
She's an actress and disability advocate who has Down syndrome, and has spoken publicly about expanding opportunities for disabled performers in Hollywood.
Her other credits include the films "Turnover" and "Cherry," the series "Station 19," and the off-Broadway play "Amy and the Orphans," which earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination.
Billie Lourd
Lourd joined as Winter Anderson in "Cult" and has returned as Montana Duke in "1984" and Dr. Hannah Wells in "NYC," among other roles.
The daughter of the late Carrie Fisher, she also appeared alongside her mother in the "Star Wars" franchise as Lt. Kaydel Connix.
Her other credits include "Booksmart," "The Last Showgirl" and "Scream Queens," and she recently played Emma Borden in "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story."
Lourd has two children, Kingston and Jackson, with husband Austen Rydell.
Angela Bassett
Bassett joined the anthology in season three as real-life figure Marie Laveau and has since played characters including Ramona Doyle and Desiree Dupree.
She currently stars as Athena Grant on "9-1-1" and is also known for "What's Love Got to Do with It?" and the "Black Panther" films.
She's married to actor Courtney B. Vance, and the couple share twins Bronwyn and Slater.
Kathy Bates
Bates joined the cast in "Coven" as Delphine LaLaurie and returned for roles including Ethel Darling in "Freak Show" and Miriam Mead in "Apocalypse."
The Oscar winner currently stars in CBS's "Matlock" reboot and is known for films including "Misery," "Fried Green Tomatoes" and "Titanic." She was previously married to Tony Campisi.
Gabourey Sidibe
Sidibe joined "AHS" in "Coven" as Queenie, later reprising the role in "Hotel" and "Apocalypse," and also played Regina Ross in "Freak Show."
She told Rolling Stone in November 2023 that she never auditioned for the part and learned she'd been cast through a call from Murphy just before her birthday.
Her other film credits include "Precious," "Tower Heist," "Seven Psychopaths" and "Antebellum."
She's been married to Brandon Frankel since 2021, and the couple have twins, Cooper and Maya.
John Carroll Lynch
Lynch joined the franchise in "Freak Show" as Twisty the Clown, a role he reprised in "Cult."
He's also played serial killer John Wayne Gacy in "Hotel" and Mr. Jingles in "1984."
Outside "AHS," he's known for "Fargo," "Paul" and "The Founder," along with a longtime role on "The Drew Carey Show." He's married to actress Brenda Wehle.
Leslie Grossman
Grossman joined in "Cult" as Meadow Wilton and has returned as Margaret Booth in "1984" and Barbara Read in "NYC."
She previously worked with Murphy on the comedy-drama "Popular" and later appeared in "Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" as Judalon Smyth.
Grossman eloped with film producer Sascha Penn on Martha's Vineyard in 2025, and Murphy later hosted a New Year's Eve dinner in Los Angeles to celebrate the marriage.
Frances Conroy
Conroy has been with the series since its first season as Moira O'Hara and has since played characters including Shachath, Myrtle Snow and Gloria Mott.
In a 2013 interview with Daily Dead, she said she valued the variety her "AHS" roles gave her as an actor.
She's also known for HBO's "Six Feet Under" and films including "Maid in Manhattan," "The Aviator" and "Joker."
Mena Suvari
Suvari played a fictionalized version of Elizabeth Short, the "Black Dahlia," in season one and reprised the role in "Apocalypse."
She's known for the "American Pie" franchise and "American Beauty," and has also published a memoir, "The Great Peace."
Suvari met husband Michael Hope while filming a Hallmark movie in 2016; the two married in 2018 and welcomed their first child in 2021.
Mat Fraser
Fraser joined "AHS" in "Freak Show" as Paul the Illustrated Seal.
His credits include "Unarmed But Dangerous" and episodes of "CripTales," "Kaos" and "Helen of Troy," along with work as a musician and stage performer.
Born with phocomelia, Fraser has spoken about using performance to reclaim agency over how he's perceived as a disabled person, telling Australia's ABC in 2015 that being on stage gives him control he doesn't have elsewhere.
He's married to burlesque performer Julie Atlas Munz.
Zach Villa
Villa played serial killer Richard Ramirez, known as the "Night Stalker," in "1984" and is set to reprise the role in season 13.
His other credits include the films "Honeyglue" and "Destroyer," along with appearances on "Shameless" and "Station 19."
He's also a musician who previously performed with ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood as the duo Rebel and a Basketcase.
Seth Gabel
Gabel first appeared in "Hotel" as serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. His other TV credits include Fox's "Fringe," Netflix's "The Watcher" and ABC's "Big Sky."
He married actress Bryce Dallas Howard in 2006, making director Ron Howard his father-in-law.
The couple share two children, Theodore and Beatrice.
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