Edmund in ‘Ratched’ and Finn Wittrock’s Other Memorable Ryan Murphy Roles
Finn Wittrock is one of Ryan Murphy’s go-to male actors. He’s managed to find a place in Ryan Murphy’s heart, often popping up in some of the creator’s most celebrated productions. Wittrock can currently be seen as the murderous Edmond Tolleson in Ratched, which is available for streaming on Netflix. Yet, before playing the man who murders a bunch of priests and goes on to fall in love with a nurse who works in his psychiatric ward, Wittrock appeared in a handful of other Murphy shows.
1. Finn Wittrock is a member of the ‘American Horror Story’ family
Wittrock first appeared in American Horror Story in season 4; he debuted as Dandy Mott in the episode titled “Monsters Among Us.” His character in Freak Show was an emotionally and psychologically disturbed man whose childhood — filled with luxury and lavish, yet an absentee mother — was not as glamorous as it seemed to outsiders.
Wittrock also played Tristan Duffy and Rudolph Valentino in AHS: Hotel — alternating between a model and a celebrated Italian actor within the same season. He also portrayed Jether Polk and Bobby Richer in AHS. In other words, Ratched is not Wittrock’s first rodeo with Murphy’s dark, twisted, and treacherous tales.
2. Wittrock also starred in ‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story’
Wittrock portrayed Jeffrey Trail in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The character was one of Andrew Cunanan’s first victims. Trail had previously been a Naval Officer, as Harper’sBazaar explains. He was also a Gulf War veteran and a “fun-loving” man to those who knew him well.
Wittrock appeared in a total of four episodes: “Ascent,” “Descent,” “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and “House by the Lake.” While American Horror Story and American Crime Story remain Wittrock’s most memorable Murphy Roles, he appeared in another Murphy-related production.
Honorable Mentions
Wittrock also starred in the TV movie The Normal Heart opposite Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer (another Ryan Murphy favorite), Julia Roberts, and more. The movie traced the then-emerging 1980s AIDS crisis in New York City. Wittrock played Albert — the boyfriend to Bruce (portrayed by Taylor Kisch). Albert is dying from AIDS in the film.
Ryan Murphy has two upcoming production on the horizon — Prom and A Chorus Line. Wittrock is not a part of the former, yet the full cast for the latter remains unannounced. So, fans may just get to see Wittrock in Murphy’s take on the Broadway musical.
