In her AHS debut, Emma Roberts torpedoed the "nice girl" image forever. Madison is a former Hollywood starlet, a telekinetic mean girl with a Valium habit and the mouth of a sailor. "Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me." Roberts is hilarious, terrifying, and utterly iconic as the queen bee of hell.
Oh, Misty Day. The swamp witch who can resurrect the dead and just wants to listen to Stevie Nicks. Lily Rabe is ethereal and heartbreaking as the outcast who longs for a coven that will accept her. Her obsession with Fleetwood Mac and her fear of being burned at the stake make her the season’s most innocent (and tragic) soul. american horror story actors season 3
Let’s break down the supreme cast of AHS: Coven . Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode The Supreme herself. Jessica Lange is an atomic bomb in this season. As the aging, desperate, and ruthlessly selfish Fiona, she chews every piece of scenery (and every line of dialogue) with vicious glee. Whether she is seducing a man in a cemetery or screaming "I’m not stopping to take a poll!"—Lange proves that the devil doesn't wear Prada; she wears couture and wields a kitchen knife. In her AHS debut, Emma Roberts torpedoed the
"Balenciaga!" Frances Conroy is a gothic fairy godmother of chaos. Myrtle Snow is a fierce, red-wigged, fashion-obsessed witch with a talent for burning at the stake and coming back for revenge. Her speeches are Shakespearean, her wardrobe is to die for, and her loyalty to Cordelia is the purest thing in the entire AHS universe. Final Verdict Coven works because it is stacked with heavy hitters. You have Lange vs. Bassett. You have Bates doing comedy. You have Paulson breaking your heart. You have Rabe making you cry over a Fleetwood Mac song. I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me
The underrated secret weapon of the season. Nan is a clairvoyant with a sharp tongue and a moral compass that eventually snaps. Jamie Brewer delivers deadpan one-liners that rival Jessica Lange’s. Her subplot with the neighbor, Luke, brings a surprisingly tragic sweetness to the chaos. The Forces of Darkness (and Voodoo) Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau The queen of the screen. Angela Bassett enters AHS as the immortal Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. With a cobra draped around her neck and fire in her eyes, Bassett matches Jessica Lange blow for blow. Their rivalry (spanning centuries) is the backbone of the season. Marie Laveau is powerful, sensual, and brutal—and Bassett makes you root for her even when she’s summoning a Minotaur.
Talk about a redemption arc for a monster. Kathy Bates plays a real-life historical figure: a sadistic socialite who tortured slaves in her attic. Brought back to life in modern times, she is forced to be the maid for a Black witch. Bates manages to make a racist, murderous villain both grotesquely funny and, by the end, heartbreakingly pathetic. It is a fearless performance.