The world is ending on American Horror Story: Apocalypse, but not without Jessica Lange. At a TCA panel on Friday in Beverly Hills, actress and executive producer Sarah Paulson confirmed that Lange will be back for the eighth installment of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series. “Jessica will be returning as Constance in an episode that I’m going to direct,†Paulson said, referring to the season’s sixth episode.
Lange did not attend the all-female press conference, which included executive producer Alexis Martin Woodall and stars Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Adina Porter and Kathy Bates. Paulson also confirmed Evan Peters is part of the cast and plays a hairdresser.
The season, which will be set 18 months into the future, is a crossover between Murder House and Coven, the first and third seasons of the series. “The story begins with the end of the world,†said Woodall. “It starts in the real world. It’s very tangible, and it’s a familiar panic.â€
Though the panel was characteristically tight-lipped about details, the actors did disclose the names of their characters. Paulson said she will play Billie Dean Howard (who previously appeared in Murder House and Hotel), Cordelia Foxx (Coven), and a character named Ms. Wilhemina Venable. Leslie Grossman is playing Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt; Billie Lourd is playing Mallory; and Adina Porter will play Dinah Stevens. Emma Roberts, who is reprising her Coven role as Madison Montgomery, said, “It’s delicious to play her again.â€
With Lange also returning to AHS, that leaves one big question: Who else will join Apocalypse? Woodall would only say Murphy “invited all the witches to return — whether or not they return is TBD.â€