You can never predict exactly what you are in for with each new season of co-creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s alluring bizarre and extremely freaky anthology series — which is also one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu. That is especially the case for its latest, and eleventh, edition called American Horror Story: New York City (or AHS: NYC, for short), which we can infer takes place in the Big Apple, but not much else about the story has been revealed.
However, what we can probably count on is that the American Horror Story Season 11 cast is going to be a knockout, just like it is every year. The following is breakdown of the familiar faces coming back and new faces joining in on the fun for the return of the FX hit.
Joe Mantello (Gino)
Making his debut in the American Horror Story cast in the role of Gino, we have Joe Mantello, who has worked with Ryan Murphy several other times. He played Mickey Marcus in HBO’s Emmy-winning historical film The Normal Heart, directed Netflix’s The Boys in the Band from 2020 (which Murphy produced), starred in Murphy’s Netflix original period miniseries, Hollywood, from the same year, and had a role on The Watcher cast, most recently.
After getting his start on Broadway, the actor made his debut in a title made for the screen with Cookie — a 1989 comedy starring Peter Falk — and, in 1997, made his own feature-length directorial debut with Love! Valour! Compassion!, starring Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander.
Billie Lourd (Hannah)
Hannah is the sixth character Billie Lourd has played in the AHS universe (or the seventh if you count her episode of American Horror Stories). She made her acting debut in Murphy and Falchuk’s more comedic (and more network-friendly) horror TV show, Scream Queens, in 2015 — the same year she made her feature film debut in Star Wars: The Force Awakens alongside her late mother, Carrie Fisher.
In addition to reprising the role of Lt. Connix in two more Star Wars movies, Lourd stole the show in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart in 2019, played Debra Messing’s niece on Will & Grace in 2020, and, also in 2022, appears in the George Clooney and Julia Roberts-led rom-com, Ticket to Paradise.
Zachary Quinto (Sam)
As Sam, we have fellow AHS veteran Zachary Quinto, whose other most notable TV credits include his one-season stint on 24 as Adam Kaufman, his first starring role as Sylar on Heroes, the Joe Hill-inspired AMC horror show NOS4A2 as villain Charlie Manx, and Amazon’s animated, non-Marvel or DC superhero series, Invincible, as “Robot.”
On the big screen, the actor is best known from J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies as Spock, but also gave memorable performances in the likes of Oliver Stone’s Snowden as journalist Glenn Greenwald in 2016, 2018’s Hotel Artemis as the son of Jeff Goldblum’s crime lord character, and in his co-star Joe Mantello’s aforementioned directorial effort, The Boys in the Band.
Russell Tovey (Patrick)
While Patrick is his first AHS character, Russell Tovey is no stranger to horror, having played a werewolf on the BBC’s original version of Being Human, appeared in the funny creature feature Grabbers from 2012, and starred in 2014’s Blackwood — a modernized take on a traditional English ghost story. The British actor also had a role on a couple of Arrowverse DC TV shows, made a small appearance in Muppets Most Wanted, had a regular role on HBO’s queer drama, Looking, and also starred in the queer biographical movie, Pride, in 2014.
Leslie Grossman (Barbara)
Barbara is only the latest American Horror Story character played by Leslie Grossman, but her only other experience with the synonymous genre is appearing alongside Foo Fighters in Studio 666, having been better known for comedies — such as one of the best party movies, Can’t Hardly Wait, or Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous. She has a prolific small screen presence, however, from her regular roles on The CW’s Popular and What I Like About You (when the network was still called The WB) and, guest spots on hits like Nip/Tuck or 2 Broke Girls, and a more recent recurring role on Hulu’s Love, Victor.
Charlie Carver (Adam)
As Adam, we Charlie Carver, who is yet another AHS newcomer, but also a Ryan Murphy veteran, having starred in his Netflix original series prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest called Ratched and the aforementioned The Boys in the Band. He made his debut joining the Desperate Housewives cast as Porter Scavo, later starred on HBO’s The Leftovers, had a recurring role on MTV’s Teen Wolf, and most recently appeared in Matt Reeves’ The Batman — all of which also starred his twin brother, Max.
Sandra Bernhard (Fran)
Stand-up comedian, singer, and actor Sandra Bernhard first appeared on AHS in the Season 8 episode, “Sojourn,” and is returning for Season 11 in the regular role of Fran, continuing her working relationship with Ryan Murphy that also includes Pose. She also worked with Martin Scorsese on 1982’s The King of Comedy, stole the show from Bruce Willis in 1991’s Hudson Hawk, appeared alongside Leslie Nielsen in 1998’s Wrongfully Accused, and is well known for her recurring roles on shows like Roseanne, The L Word, and 2 Broke Girls, to name just a few.
Isaac Powell (Theo)
Yet another AHS and Broadway veteran in the Season 11 cast — as Theo — is Isaac Powell, who just made his feature film debut in 2021 with the cinematic adaptation of the Tony winner, Dear Evan Hansen. Before then, he was seen on an episode of the 2018 Murphy Brown revival, an episode of Amazon Prime’s romantic anthology Modern Love in 2021, and, also in 2022, appeared in the coming-of-age crime thriller movie, Susie Searches.
Denis O’Hare (Henry)
Playing Henry is longtime AHS veteran and three-time Emmy nominee Denis O’Hare, who has other creepy and fantastic shows under his belt like True Blood and The Nevers on HBO, and Starz’s American Gods, as well as movies under the same category like 2009’s Quarantine, 2014’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown and found footage thriller The Pyramid, along with Shudder’s 2018 Lizzie Borden biopic, Lizzie. O’Hare actually has a very eclectic filmography that also includes Oscar winners like Dallas Buyers Club and Michael Clayton, and fun comedies like Garden State, The Proposal, and Late Night.
Patti LuPone (Kathy)
Yet another veteran of theatre, American Horror Story, and other works by Ryan Murphy is Patti Lupone, who plays Kathy on Season 11 and landed her first credited feature film role in Steven Spielberg’s 1941 before going on to star in Oscar darlings like Witness and Driving Miss Daisy. Her most notable, previous small-screen credits include a main role on suburban drama Life Goes On, recurring sports on Oz and Penny Dreadful, playing herself on HBO’s Girls, and, also in 2022, she can be seen in Netflix’s The School for Good and Evil.
Sis (Dunaway)
Making her American Horror Story debut in the role of Dunaway is Sis, who has one other screen acting credit to her name — the brief, unnamed role of “Employee” on Season 4 of the TBS sitcom, The Last O.G. in 2021. The transgender actor also made history that year when she was cast in the role of Ado Annie in a Broadway tour of Oklahoma!
Kyle Beltran (Morris)
Another young theater performer making his AHS debut — as Morris — is Kyle Beltran, who actually made his screen acting debut more than a decade ago with two episodes of the CBS drama, Unforgettable, which he followed with a guest spot on Showtime’s The Big C before landing his first feature film in the form of 2016’s Equity. That same year, he appeared on the acclaimed web series Horace and Pete, only to return to screen acting four years later by lending his voice to The Shivering Truth and, the next year, two episodes of OWN’s David Makes Man before joining Netflix’s Inventing Anna cast earlier in 2022.
While AHS favorites like Sarah Paulson and Even Peters are nowhere to be found this year, I think fans should have no trouble warming to the talented newcomers in the American Horror Story Season 11 cast.
