When the Emmy-awarding and undisputed fan-favorite Jessica Lange opted to forego an appearance in American Horror Story: Hotel, it was more in line with ‘I’ll see you soon’ rather than an out-and-out goodbye. The series stalwart had been a cornerstone of the gothic series up until last year’s Freak Show, though according to co-creator Ryan Murphy, it’s more a question of when, rather than if, Lange will return to the fray.
After four seasons in FX’s acclaimed series, Lange swapped gothic horror to walk the boards, appearing in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which incidentally was produced by Murphy. Here, the co-creator offered his two cents on the chances of seeing Lange reprising her multi-faceted role in AHS.
“I’ve been talking to her. It’s always possible. I’m trying to deal with her play schedule. Jessica is always about the character. She’ll be back—she’s not gone forever. But that’s the fun and fresh thing about the show: sometimes somebody has to go away before you realize how much you miss them. She wants to come back we just have to come up with something.”
Scheduling will be the biggest hurdle for Murphy and Co. to overcome if they are to secure Lange for a future season of American Horror Story. With Hotel due to premiere in October, it’ll be some time yet before the actress gets an opening to return. Of course, that is unless FX sanction a second season for 2016. Further in the interview, Murphy indulged in some blue-sky thinking with EW, stating that AHS could expand to accommodate a second yearly outing if the numbers warrant it.
“Next year we might do a fall American Horror Story and a spring. We have to decide. We’re doing something that we’ve never done before on the show where we’re doing two different groups of writers rooms. Some of our writers will be bouncing around but a whole different group coming in late August. The next thing we’re crafting up is very, very different than this. Not smaller. But just not opulent. More rogue and more dark.”
American Horror Story: Hotel will premiere on October 7.
