Jessica Lange says American Horror Story was too cheap for drivers

Jessica Lange says the American Horror Story team would not pay for drivers, and she is still furious about it. Speaking at a PaleyFest 2026 panel in New York City, she described the FX production as “too fucking cheap” to provide actors with rides, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “We had to drive ourselves — and that’s still a bone of contention,” she said.

She was referring to the show’s third instalment, Coven, which filmed in New Orleans. Lange said the cast would finish work at 4 or 5 in the morning and then get behind the wheel themselves. They would leave their cars on a street in the French Quarter and find their own way home.

Sarah Paulson sat beside Lange on the panel and chimed in immediately. When Lange said the actors had to drive themselves, Paulson replied, “oh yeah!” The exchange came during a panel that also featured Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe and Leslie Grossman. Co-executive producer Lou Eyrich, who helps oversee the series day to day, joined them on stage.

The discussion was moderated by The Hollywood Reporter. Lange was a series regular, meaning a main cast member contracted across a full season, for the first four seasons of American Horror Story. The anthology series, in which each season tells a separate story with many of the same actors, was created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.

She last appeared in a guest role, meaning a short return for one or a few episodes, in season eight before coming back for season 13. FX had no comment on her account of the transport arrangements, according to the report.

For fans, this means the reunion came with a flash of backstage friction. Lange was there for the first four seasons and returned later, so her account carries the weight of someone who lived with the schedule. The gripe was not about storylines or screen time. It was about getting home at dawn after a night shoot, a detail anyone who has worked nights will recognise.