Jessica Lange Returns as FX Unveils 'American Horror Story: 13' Teaser with a Cast of Returning Characters
Jessica Lange is back. FX released a teaser trailer for American Horror Story: 13 on August 13, 2026, confirming that Lange reprises her role as Constance Langdon from the show's very first season, Murder House — a character she has not played since the 2018 season Apocalypse (Variety).
She is far from alone. The teaser confirms a line-up of returning characters pulled from across the anthology's thirteen seasons. Sarah Paulson appears as Cordelia Goode, Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, and Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery — all from AHS: Coven. Evan Peters shows up in two roles at once: Kai Anderson from AHS: Cult and Tate, the original Rubber Man from Murder House (Variety; Vogue, August 12, 2026).
The villains are back too. Twisty the Clown, played by John Carroll Lynch and last seen in AHS: Freak Show, headlines the teaser video clip (Deadline, August 13, 2026). Rubber Man — the rubber-suited figure from season one — returns as well, with Peters in the suit. Mena Suvari's Elizabeth Short, Gabourey Sidibe's Queenie, Jamie Brewer's Addie Langdon and Nan also flash by in the footage (Variety; Deadline).
Series creator Ryan Murphy has described the new season as an "Avengers"-level mash-up of every AHS season — meaning, for viewers who have followed the show since 2011, characters from different, previously unconnected storylines will share the screen for the first time (Variety).
FX has officially confirmed a large ensemble cast. Beyond the returning names, the season adds Avantika, Elle Chapman, Berto Colon, Alex Consani, Frances Conroy, Mat Fraser, Seth Gabel, Orlando Jones, Paul Anthony Kelly — who appears in the teaser in a mystery role wearing a blonde wig — Tig Notaro, Madelaine Petsch, Fedor Steer, Zach Villa and filmmaker John Waters (Deadline; Variety).
AHS: 13 will run for 13 half-hour episodes — a shorter per-episode format than the show's usual hour-long instalments. The season premieres Thursday, September 24 at 9pm ET on FX and Hulu, with three episodes dropping on premiere night and another three in week two. After that, two episodes arrive each Thursday, building to the 13th and final episode on October 29 (Variety).
FX warmed up the audience at Comic-Con, inviting fans to a secret promotional event dubbed "the cursed 13th scoop," hosted by the Rubber Man himself on the convention's final night (Gold Derby, August 7, 2026).
The series is produced by 20th Television, with Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Tim Minear and Jennifer Salt among the executive producers (Deadline).
For a show built on reinventing itself every year, AHS: 13 takes the opposite approach: it is reaching back, gathering its most memorable characters and the actors who played them, and putting them in one room. Whether that room is haunted, cursed or both is the kind of question the teaser leaves deliberately unanswered.
