John Waters, the legendary director and renowned horror figure, has confirmed his participation in the upcoming 13th season of American Horror Story, bringing fresh star power to the popular anthology series. Waters announced this involvement during a Valentine’s Day event in Baltimore, signaling an exciting addition to Ryan Murphy’s long-running horror collection.
Waters Reflects on His Acting Career and New Role
At the event, Waters shared his enthusiasm for the new role without revealing details, stating,
“I’m going to announce tonight something new: I can’t say what role, but I have a big new part in American Horror Story,”
addressing the Baltimore audience gathered for his spoken word performance. This season marks another significant acting opportunity for Waters, who has previously ventured into acting roles such as a pornmonger in Law and Order SVU, and appearances in the Chucky horror franchise—playing a pervy paparazzi in Seed of Chucky and the creator of the Good Guy dolls in the television adaptation.
Continuing on his typecasting, Waters mentioned during a Q&A,
“I’m always either the devil or Chucky’s father…I’ve always been trying to steal Vincent Price’s career,”
highlighting the niche roles that have defined his screen presence.
Returning Cast Members and New Additions to the Ensemble
The 13th season will see the return of familiar faces such as Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe, Leslie Grossman, and Jessica Lange. Lange’s participation is notable given her prior statements dismissing any plans to rejoin the series. When asked about a possible comeback, the acclaimed actress bluntly replied, “Oh Christ no!” at the Dublin International Film premiere of her latest film, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, emphasizing her reluctance to return despite fan hopes.
Pop star Ariana Grande will also join the cast, reuniting with Ryan Murphy after her earlier role in his 2015 series Scream Queens.
Speculation Surrounding Season 13’s Theme and Air Date
The season’s cast was officially announced last Halloween, with the show scheduled to premiere on the holiday this year. There has been widespread speculation about the season’s direction, particularly theories on revisiting the storyline from Season 3, Coven, due to the presence of multiple returning actors associated with witchcraft. Fans have expressed interest in seeing Waters imbued with magical attributes, perhaps joining a fictional Witch’s Council on the series.
John Waters’ Continued Career and Milestone Birthday
Waters’ involvement comes just ahead of his 80th birthday on April 22, a milestone celebrated alongside a busy calendar that includes nearly a dozen scheduled performances. Despite his advancing years, the director affectionately known as the “King of Filth” shows no signs of slowing down, revealing to the Baltimore crowd that he plans to complete 50 shows this year alone. His sustained energy and new role on American Horror Story illustrate his ongoing impact within the horror and entertainment community.
“Oh Christ no!”💀
SPIN caught up with #JessicaLange at the Dublin International Film premiere of her latest ‘Long Day's Journey Into Night’, and got her reaction to rejoining the cast of #AmericanHorrorStory 🍿
For the full story see https://t.co/VMbqZge7CX#dublin #irish pic.twitter.com/FTftAgl9R4
— SPIN 1038 (@spin1038) February 27, 2025
