Skip to main content

Many actors have come and gone from American Horror Story, but two names have become synonymous with the anthology series: Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson. Having starred in almost every season, these two are now fan favorites. The cast of American Horror Story Season 11 has finally been confirmed, and many people are wondering: Did Peters and Paulson make the list this year?

American Horror Story stars Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, who might not return as cast members in season 11
Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson | Lisa O’Connor/Getty Images

Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are long-running cast members of ‘American Horror Story’

Paulson and Peters are both original cast members of American Horror Story, which debuted in 2011 with Murder House. Since then, they have both appeared in nine out of 10 (soon to be 11) seasons: Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and Double Feature.

Paulson and Peters took off season 9, titled 1984, in 2019. At the time, Peters revealed that he needed a break from playing such dark characters. Meanwhile, Paulson had a scheduling conflict, as she starred in Mrs. America around the same time. However, she said she wanted to work with Peters again and would come back to American Horror Story if Peters did. Sure enough, both alums returned to the franchise to star in Double Feature: Red Tide and Death Valley. But will Peters and Paulson extend their stay to season 11?

‘American Horror Story’ Season 11 cast list excludes Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters

In late September, American Horror Story finally revealed the details of season 11 after months of silence. Titled New York City, season 11 will take place in the concrete jungle in the late ’70s as a serial killer targets the LGBTQ community. It’s set to premiere on Oct. 19 on FX, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.

According to TVLine, the cast of American Horror Story Season 11 includes several AHS veterans. The star with the most credits within the franchise is Denis O’Hare, who appeared in Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, and Double Feature. O’Hare also recently made his debut in the spinoff, American Horror Stories.

The other AHS alums in season 11 include:

  • Billie Lourd (Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature)
  • Leslie Grossman (Cult, Apocalypse, 1984, Double Feature)
  • Patti LuPone (Coven)
  • Sandra Bernhard (Apocalypse)
  • Zachary Quinto (Murder House, Asylum)

A few new faces will also appear in season 11, including Charlie Carver, Isaac Cole Powell, Joe Mantello, Russell Tovey, and Kal Penn. Unfortunately, Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters are nowhere to be found among the American Horror Story Season 11 stars. However, the show is notorious for keeping secrets, so it’s possible the actors could make cameos. For now, fans shouldn’t expect to see them this season.

Sarah Paulson recently hinted at taking a break from ‘American Horror Story’

Paulson has not said anything specific about American Horror Story Season 11. However, in a recent interview with Variety, she hinted at wanting to slow down and maybe take a step back from AHS.

“It’s not that I’m not open to it. I’m always open to it, but I feel like I’ve been doing it for a long time, and people might start getting sick of me in that world,” Paulson said. “Let someone else scream and run and cry for a second. Other people can do that too! … There was a time when I was younger when I was like, ‘I can do this all night. I love it!’ Now I’m like, ‘Momma’s tired!’” 

Evan Peters just starred in Netflix’s ‘The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’

Related

Which ‘American Horror Story’ Star Has a Higher Net Worth, Evan Peters or Sarah Paulson?

Likewise, Peters has kept his lips sealed on season 11, but he has been busy lately. The Mare of Easttown star just recently portrayed notorious killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Netflix’s DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. In a behind-the-scenes chat with Netflix, as seen above, Peters said he was “scared” to play Dahmer.

“I was very scared about all of the things that Dahmer did, and diving into that and trying to commit to [playing this character] was absolutely going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life because I wanted it to be very authentic,” he said. “But in order to do that, I was going to have to go to really dark places and stay there for an extended period of time.”

With such a dark role on his mind, it would be understandable if Peters didn’t want to bring another twisted American Horror Story character into the mix, as well. Still, he and Paulson will both be greatly missed this season.

American Horror Story Season 11 premieres on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Best in Entertainment