Jessica Lange has revealed that she is not planning on making an American Horror Story return for 1984. Sad news for fans that were hoping to see Lange potentially put in an appearance on the series’ latest installment! American Horror Story has made its return with the slasher-inspired 1984. It is the series’ theory-provoking ninth season.
It is the first season to arrive since Jessica Lange made her long-awaited return to American Horror Story in Season 8. To date, Apocalypse marks her latest appearance in the franchise. In that season, she reprised her role as Constance Langdon, a.k.a. her character from the series’ first season, Murder House. What has Jessica Lange reluctant to return to American Horror Story?
One of the understandable reasons the American Horror Story veteran gives is the possible absence of the co-stars that she has worked with before. Of returning for 1984, Jessica Lange told The Wrap:
I don’t think I would want to start from scratch and create a character. And also I think a lot of the actors that I was working with, people that I really love working with, like Sarah [Paulson] or Frances [Conroy] or Kathy [Bates]—I don’t know who’s in this new season, but I don’t think it would be the same.
For 1984, American Horror Story is going without many of its usual stars. It does star anthology veteran and previous Lange co-star, Emma Roberts, in a lead role. So, not every American Horror Story regular is missing. However, Evan Peters is not returning to the franchise for the first time.
Jessica Lange shared that she did not know who would be starring in the ninth season. If she did participate, it seems that she believes she would not be sharing the screen with some of her fellow American Horror Story veterans.
Jessica Lange named Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, and Kathy Bates among those she loved working with. Presumably, she does not foresee the potential of working with them in 1984.
It is not the first time that Jessica Lange has stepped away from the series. She previously departed after Season 4. Fans remained hopeful Lange would eventually make her way back with hope rising in Season 6 and subsequent seasons. It was not until Season 8 that she ultimately returned.
Jessica Lange’s brief return to the American Horror Story universe for Apocalypse was not a sign that she would be back for good. That does not mean there will not be connections between past and present for long-time fans to look for in the current season. There is already some crossover action happening between the FX series’ previous seasons and 1984.
As for Jessica Lange, Ryan Murphy series are still a part of her life. Lange is set to star in Murphy’s soon-to-be-released Netflix series The Politician. The good news is that with what Lange is saying regarding 1984, it does not sound like she is ruling out a return to American Horror Story altogether. Stay tuned!
New episodes of American Horror Story: 1984 air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX. You can watch the seasons of American Horror Story that Jessica Lange does star in via Netflix, along with new content. The new season of the anthology series is part of this fall’s premieres.
