What To Know
- Kathy Bates will return to American Horror Story for Season 13, reuniting with creator Ryan Murphy.
- Bates confirmed her involvement is limited.
Soon, Kathy Bates will be gracing the American Horror Story universe once again after a long hiatus, as the award-winning actress reunites with creator Ryan Murphy for the latest installment of the hit anthology series.
Bates first joined the franchise in Coven as the infamous Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a sadistic New Orleans socialite whose dark hobbies made her one of the series’ most memorable villains. She later played bearded strongwoman Ethel Darling in American Horror Story: Freak Show, hotel manager Iris in American Horror Story: Hotel, colonial butcher Thomasin White in American Horror Story: Roanoke, and vamp-makeup connoisseur Miriam Mead in American Horror Story: Apocalypse.
While Murphy has not officially confirmed which character Bates will portray in Season 13, she did talk about it with Pete Hammond for Deadline, in which she confirms her involvement in the “all-star season.”
During a conversation about the location of shoots, Bates stated that she was soon leaving to shoot AHS, stating, “Now I have to go back to New York to do one day on American Horror Story.”
And as she emphasized, it is only one day, which suggests Bates may only have a limited role in the new season. “One day only,” sang Bates in the interview.
When pressed for information, Bates explained, “I think the new season is the all-stars, so they are bringing back all the old ones.” She also admitted that the show was “very good to me,” and because she got to do so many different characters, it maintained a level of fun for her. And as for working with Ryan Murphy? “He’s obsessed with cutting my head off. I don’t know why.”
Hammond recalled that Bates won one of her Emmys for her turn as Madame Delphine LaLaurie in the Coven season. “I did. I did. I was surprised.” The answer shocked Hammond, who brought up that Bates won another Emmy for playing the ghost of Charlie Sheen in Two and a Half Men. Bates laughed and explained she ran into Chuck Lorre, and “he still gets a kick out of that. Charlie never won anything on the show, and I won one for playing Charlie,” laughed Bates.
While Bates’ return may only last a single day of filming, it will nonetheless bring one of American Horror Story‘s most beloved performers back into the fold. And if history is any indication, fans should probably keep an eye on her head since Murphy gets involved.
American Horror Story, Season 13, September 2026, FX and Hulu