American Horror Story season 13 cast confirmed with Jessica Lange returning
12 September 2026, 22:17 | Updated: 12 September 2026, 22:20
AHS season 13 will see the return of Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters for a major anniversary special, but some major stars won't return.
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American Horror Story season 13 is just weeks away from returning to our screens and the cast list is absolutely STACKED... but there's a couple of big names who seemingly won't be returning.
Back in 2025, Ryan Murphy confirmed that Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters would finally be returning to the show (as previously teased) as well as the legendary Jessica Lange (!) and Kathy Bates (!) and Angela Bassett (!).
Alongside a whole host of other signature AHS names, season 13 is set to essentially be like Avengers: Endgame with characters from Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Cult and Apocalypse all joining forces.
Sadly, it's already been confirmed that Ariana Grande (who was set to make her debut in the series) has had to drop out due to her tour commitments, and now Denis O'Hare and Taissa Farmiga will seemingly not be involved.
Scroll down for the full cast list and everything we know about American Horror Story season 13 so far.
American Horror Story season 13: Who is in the cast?
While there may still several surprises to come in the new season, the confirmed cast for American Horror Story season 13 so far includes:
- Sarah Paulson
- Evan Peters
- Jessica Lange
- Angela Bassett
- Kathy Bates
- Frances Conroy
- Emma Roberts
- Billie Lourd
- Gabourey Sidibe
- Leslie Grossman
- Jamie Brewer
- Avantika
- Alex Consani
- Paul Anthony Kelly
- Joey Pollari
- Madelaine Petsch
- John Carroll Lynch
- Mena Suvari
- Cara Delevingne
- John Waters
Who is NOT returning for American Horror Story season 13?
Denis O'Hare, who has played several beloved characters across several seasons of the show, confirmed he will not be returning for season 13.
Replying to a fan on Instagram who asked if he'd be part of the new season, Denis wrote: "No! I wanted to, but they sailed without asking me aboard."
Taissa Farmiga, who played Violet in Murder House and Zoe in Coven, will also seemingly not be returning.
Gabourey Sidibe hinted at that fact after she liked a comment from a fan who wrote, "not everyone wants to come back," in response to someone who said, "there is no Coven without Taissa".
Taissa herself has not confirmed or spoken about her return to the series, but it's also likely that her filming commitments for The Gilded Age prevented her from joining the cast in a major capacity.
Is Lily Rabe in American Horror Story season 13?
Lily Rabe is also missing from the cast list but there's been no confirmation just yet whether she is definitely not in the new season.
Lily last appeared in AHS season 10 ('Double Feature') in two different roles. With Coven being central to this season's storyline, fans are desperate to see her return as the beloved Misty Day once again.
We'll have to wait and see if she returns!
What characters are returning for American Horror Story season 13?
So far, we know a handful of confirmed characters for AHS season 13. At the Disney Upfronts in May, a teaser was shown revealing the return of a handful of iconic characters, including Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Goode.
Ryan Murphy has since confirmed several returning characters, as seen in the teaser trailer.
Here's the list of every returning character who has been teased or confirmed so far:
- Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange)
- Sister Jude (Jessica Lange)
- Fiona Goode (Jessica Lange)
- Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange)
- Cordelia Goode (Sarah Paulson)
- Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett)
- Delphine Lalaurie (Kathy Bates)
- Tate Langdon (Evan Peters)
- James March (Evan Peters)
- Kai Anderson (Evan Peters)
- Mallory (Billie Lourd)
- Winter Anderson (Billie Lourd)
- Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts)
- Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe)
- Coco (Leslie Grossman)
- Adelaide Langdon (Jamie Brewer)
- Elizabeth Short (Mena Suvari)
- Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch)
Sarah Paulson will be playing 6 or 7 characters in season 13, but Cordelia is currently the only confirmed returning character. It's possible that we may get to see Billie Dean Howard, Lana Winters, Ally Mayfair-Richards and/or Hypodermic Sally again.
Evan Peters is playing another two character on top of the three listed, but it's unclear with other two will return.
Read more about American Horror Story here:
- American Horror Story season 13: Release date, cast, theme, plot and more
- Evan Peters' return to American Horror Story teased by Ryan Muphy
- Evan Peters Wants To Do A Rom-Com And Play A "Normal Person"
- Evan Peters almost quit acting after filming drunk bar scene in Mare of Easttown
