Where You've Seen The Cast Of AHS: NYC Before
Over the course of its run, Ryan Murphy's horror anthology "American Horror Story" — along with its spinoff series "American Horror Stories" — has developed a rich, complex mythology spanning more than four centuries and leaving almost no horror trope unturned. From the lost colony at Roanoke to modern conspiracy theories and UFO mythology, each new season of "AHS" brings a whole new set of chills, thrills, and nightmare fuel.
Season 11 takes viewers into 1981 New York City, a world that was replete with dangers for LGBTQ folks living in the Big Apple during the HIV/AIDS epidemic, with a serial killer on the loose and almost no protection against LGBTQ-targeted crimes from the NYPD. Like past seasons of "AHS," "NYC" brings back a few faces familiar to the Murphyverse along with a handful of new ones. "NYC" stands apart from past seasons by featuring an extensive main ensemble of LGTBQ actors. Let's take a look at where you've seen the outstanding cast of "AHS: NYC" before.
Russell Tovey as Patrick Read
English actor Russell Tovey first became interested in acting as a kid: In an interview with The New York Times, he said he felt inspired to pursue it as a career after watching "Home Alone," "The Goonies," "Stand by Me," and "Dead Poets Society" one summer. As a child actor, Tovey regularly appeared in British television and films; his first TV appearance came through a starring credit on the children's program "Mud," which also featured Russell Brand. He later appeared on the children's World War II educational serial "Spywatch," in which he played a wartime evacuee. In 2007, Tovey appeared on the "Doctor Who" episodes "Voyage of the Damned" and "The End of Time" as Midshipman Alonso Frame along with Tenth Doctor David Tennant. From 2008 through 2012, Tovey appeared as werewolf George Sands on the British series "Being Human." Over the next few years, Tovey guest starred on shows like "Drunk History" and "Sherlock" and starred in a handful of British and American TV shows including "The Job Lot," "Looking," and "The Flash." From 2016 through 2018, he played MI6 agent Harry Doyle on the FBI series "Quantico."
Patti LuPone as Kathy Pizzaz
Patti LuPone is a musical theater legend who got her start on Broadway in the 1970s. Musical theater runs in LuPone's blood — according to Official London Theatre, she's the great-grandniece of Adelina Patti, the renowned Italian opera singer Opera Wire called "the reigning opera diva of the 19th century." The three-time Tony-winning LuPone attended Julliard, graduating with the school's first acting class alongside Kevin Kline (per The New York Times). Since the 1970s, LuPone has appeared in dozens of Broadway and off-Broadway shows, all while acting in a number of films and TV shows throughout her career. Her film credits include "Summer of Sam," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "City by the Sea," just to name a few.
More recently, LuPone appeared in "The School for Good and Evil" as Mrs. Deauville, although older viewers may best remember her because from 1989 through 1993, she played Elizabeth "Libby" Thatcher on "Life Goes On." LuPone's many television roles also include the recurring role of Stella Coffa on "Oz" and white witch Dr. Florence Seward on "Penny Dreadful." Her voice acting credits include Yellow Diamond on "Steven Universe" and Nanpire on "Vampirina." In addition to her role on "NYC," LuPone also appeared as the Robichaux witches' zealous neighbor in "Coven"; parts in other Ryan Murphy projects include "Glee," "Hollywood," and "Pose."
Joe Mantello as Gino Barelli
"American Horror Story: NYC" depicts how downright treacherous Manhattan could be for LGBTQ individuals in the 1980s amid the beginning of the AIDS crisis. Joe Mantello plays Gino, a gay reporter who is committed to fighting for the safety of his community the only way he knows how: with his typewriter. It's a world that Mantello himself personally experienced after moving to New York in 1984, according to The New York Times. He has worked extensively in theater and is an accomplished director with two Tony Awards under his belt for his directing in "Take Me Out" and "Assassins." In 1993, the actor-director earned critical acclaim for his Broadway performance as Louis Ironson in "Angels in America," telling the New York Times he found it "thrilling" to be an out gay actor appearing in that role. He also played Ned Weeks in the Broadway play "The Normal Heart." Mantello's film roles include the 2020 adaptation of "The Boys in the Band," along with his "AHS" co-stars Zachary Quinto and Charlie Carver. The actor also appeared in Ryan Murphy's "Hollywood" and "The Watcher."
Leslie Grossman as Barbara Read
Leslie Grossman is a familiar face to fans of "American Horror Story," as the actor has appeared in several seasons of the show in a number of different roles. She first started working with Ryan Murphy on the 1999 series "Popular," joining the main cast as cheerleader Mary Cherry. From 2003 through 2008, Grossman appeared in the recurring role of Bliss Berger on "Nip/Tuck." Her first "AHS" appearance was in "Cult" as Meadow Wilton, the platonic wife of openly gay Harrison (Billy Eichner). She also appeared as Manson family follower Patricia Krenwinkel during the same season. In 2018, Grossman returned to "AHS" to play nuclear bomb survivor Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt on "Apocalypse." She played murderous camp owner Margaret Booth in the summer camp slasher-themed "1984," and she appeared as Ursula Khan and Calico in "Double Feature."
Since her first television appearance in the short-lived 1998 sitcom "Guys Like Us," Grossman has worked steadily on TV. Eagle-eyed "AHS" fans will notice her in the "Charmed" episode "Witch Way Now?" as Phoebe's assistant. She appeared with Jennie Garth and Amanda Bynes in The WB series "What I Like About You" from 2003 through 2008, and she's also guest-starred on a number of TV comedies and dramas including "Grey's Anatomy," "10 Things I Hate About You," "Hot in Cleveland," "The Good Place," and "Black-ish," to name just a few. Grossman's film credits include "Can't Hardly Wait," "Running with Scissors," and "Studio 666."
Billie Lourd as Dr. Hannah Wells
The child of Carrie Fisher and grandchild of Debbie Reynolds, Billie Lourd inherited every bit of her mom and grandmother's talent and wit. Her first acting role came alongside her mother in the 2015 film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," where she played Lieutenant Connix after originally auditioning for the role of Rey, according to Entertainment Weekly. Lourd would reprise the role in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker." She also helped bring her mother back to life in a CGI-aided "secret cameo" as a young Princess Leia in "The Rise of Skywalker," as reported in Teen Vogue.
Lourd began working with Ryan Murphy in 2015 when she was cast as Chanel #3 in "Scream Queens," a black comedy slasher series centering around a sorority. Her first "AHS" appearance was in "Cult" as Winter, the sister of cult leader Kai Anderson and Manson family member Linda Kasabian. In 2018, Lourd played undercover witch Mallory in "Apocalypse," and also appeared as aerobics instructor Montana Duke in "1984." Lourd played vampire stylist Leslie "Lark" Feldman in "Double Feature," and she appeared in the spinoff anthology series "American Horror Stories" episode "BA'AL" as Liv Whitley. Lourd has also landed roles in a handful of films including the crime biopic "Billionaire Boys Club," which explores the Ponzi scheme murders organized by Joseph Henry Hunt, and Olivia Wilde's critically acclaimed "Booksmart."
Sandra Bernhard as Fran
Long before she played the knife-wielding Fran on "AHS: NYC," Sandra Bernhard began her career performing stand-up comedy in the 1970s. She joined the cast of "The Richard Pryor Show" in 1977, which led to bigger notoriety and a series of screen credits; one of her earlier breakthroughs came courtesy of a small role in "Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams" in 1981. Two years later, the comedian's performance as Masha in Martin Scorsese's 1983 film "The King of Comedy" won Bernhard a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. Around that time, she began working regularly in films and on television, with highlights that included appearances in episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and in the children's film "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird."
In 1995, Bernhard joined the cast of "Roseanne" in the role of Roseanne's friend Nancy. The performance marked a pivotal moment in LGBTQ representation, with Nancy coming out as a lesbian and later as a bisexual in the series, a rarity for the time. Bernhard's many TV performances over the years include co-hosting "The Queer Edge" from 2005 through 2006. In 2018, she joined the cast of Ryan Murphy's "Pose" in the role of HIV/AIDS activist Judy Kubrak. Berhnard's first "AHS" appearance came in "Apocalypse," with the actor appearing as a Satanic high priestess named Hannah.
Charlie Carver as Adam Carpenter
The identical twin brother of Max Carver, who played Aiden on "Teen Wolf," Charlie Carver plays "AHS" character Adam Carpenter, who ends up investigating the disappearance of his friend when local authorities refuse to take the report seriously. Carver got his start acting in the eighth grade as part of a school Shakespeare production; he and his brother Max first began acting onscreen on "Desperate Housewives" as the twin sons of the Scavos. The siblings also played twin brothers on "The Batman," "The Leftovers," and "Teen Wolf."
In 2017, Carver appeared in the ABC docudrama miniseries "When We Rise," which recounts the history of LGBTQ activism in the United States. In 2020, he appeared with "AHS" veteran Sarah Paulson in the Ryan Murphy production "Ratched," a horror prequel to "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." He has also appeared in a number of other TV shows and films, including "Hawaii Five-0" and "The League."
Isaac Powell as Theo Graves
Fans of "American Horror Story" will instantly recognize Isaac Powell from his work as the paranormally pregnant Troy Lord in "Double Feature." Although Powell seems right at home onscreen, the actor has also worked extensively in professional theater; one of his earlier roles was as Nikos in "Legally Blonde" at the Barn Dinner Theater in North Carolina. In 2017, Powell appeared in the Tony-winning Broadway revival of "Once on This Island," with TheaterMania calling his performance "charismatic and silvery-voiced." He went on to play Tony in the Broadway Theatre production of "West Side Story" for the 2019-'20 season. Powell appeared on an episode of the revival season of "Murphy Brown" in 2018, and also in an episode of "Modern Love" in 2021. That same year, he joined the cast of "American Horror Story: Double Feature," appearing in the four-episode "Death Valley" segment as one of four friends who become impregnated and abducted by aliens after their camping trip turns super weird.
Rebecca Dayan as Alana
French actor and model Rebecca Dayan first began appearing on the small screen after moving from the south of France to the United States to pursue an acting career in 2009. The following year, Dayan appeared in the Luc Besson co-written thriller "From Paris with Love" starring John Travolta and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In 2011, she appeared in the Bradley Cooper-led sci-fi film "Limitless," which depicts the changes in a creatively struggling and unfocused writer after his ex's brother gives him a dose of NZT-48, a nootropic drug that gives users an eidetic memory. She went on to appear in the Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg romantic comedy-drama "Celeste and Jesse Forever," the independent film "H.," and the biopic series "Halston." In 2020, Dayan played famed late-19th to early-20th-century French stage actor Sarah Bernhardt in "Tesla." She joined the Murphyverse in 2021 as 1950s Death Valley housewife Maria Wycoff, whose body was possessed by an alien force in "Double Feature." Dayan returned to the "AHS" universe in "American Horror Stories" as elite facelift doctor and cultist Dr. Enid Perle.
Zachary Quinto as Sam
Zachary Quinto plays Sam, Theo Graves' highly connected boyfriend in the actor's most unsettling performance since his appearance as Thredson in "Asylum." The depraved art dealer is controlling, manipulative, and like Thredson, into some pretty dark home decor. Quinto has been performing since high school, when he won a Gene Kelly Award for Excellence in High School Musical Theater. Quinto got his start on television in 2001, when he appeared in an episode of the short-lived NBC paranormal series "The Others." Over the next few years, he appeared in a number of TV shows including "Touched by an Angel," "Six Feet Under," "Charmed," and "Lizzie McGuire."
The actor caught his first big break in 2003 when he was cast as CTU Los Angeles analyst Adam Kaufman on "24"; following this, he proved his chops as a villain when he was cast as the superhero serial killer Sylar in "Heroes." He would later parody the role on an episode of "Robot Chicken" ("Bionic Cow"). In 2009, Quinto took on one of his most memorable roles as Spock in the Kelvin timeline "Star Trek" film series, a role he would reprise in "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Star Trek Beyond." In 2011, the actor joined the first season of the "AHS" universe, appearing as one of the Murder House's former homeowners, Chad Warwick. He returned to the series in "Asylum" as the serial killer Oliver Thredson, winning a Critics' Choice and Gold Derby Award for the role. He played Matthew Macdell's boyfriend Aiden on the adult animated series "Big Mouth" from 2019 through 2020. And in 2019, Quinto joined the cast of "NOS4A2" as Charlie Manx, a supernatural villain with the ability to capture children and send them to a dreamworld where he can gain immortality by draining their souls.
Kal Penn as Mac Marzara
Kal Penn plays NYPD Chief Mac Marzara on "AHS: NYC." The New Jersey native got his start performing in high school theater and went on to pursue a UCLA double major in sociology and film, both of which have served him well in his professional life. Some of Penn's early film roles include "American Desi" and "Van Wilder." In 2004, he starred with John Cho in the stoner film "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle," a role he would later reprise in "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay," "Harold & Kumar Go to Amsterdam," and "A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas." Penn's many early television appearances include roles on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Spin City," "Angel," and "24."
In 2007, he was cast as Dr. Lawrence Kutner on "House," a role he left to work for President Barack Obama in 2009 as Principal Associate Editor in the White House Office of Public Engagement. He later left that position to take on the recurring role of Kevin on "How I Met Your Mother." In 2015, Penn hosted a National Geographic documentary called "The Big Picture With Kal Penn." He played Richmond administration White House Press Secretary Seth Wright on "Designated Survivor" and would later produce and star in the sitcom "Sunnyside." In addition to his acting career, Penn has worked extensively in politics and served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kyle Beltran as Morris
Kyle Beltran's first television appearance came in 2011, courtesy of the police procedural "Unforgettable." In 2013, he appeared in "The Big C," a dramedy dealing with the subject of cancer. He later appeared in an episode of the web series "The Battery's Down," a musical comedy about actors looking for their big break in New York City. After appearing in a handful of TV shows and films including "Equity," "David Makes Man," and "The Shivering Truth," Beltran played a detective on "American Rust." In 2022, he landed the role of Alexi on the Shondaland Netflix series "Inventing Anna," a crime drama that tells the true story of Russian-German con artist Anna Sorokin (also known as Anna Delvey), who earned the trust — and financial support — of New York's elites by pretending to be a wealthy European heiress. Beltran also has extensive stage credits to his name, appearing in numerous off-Broadway productions as well as the Broadway production of "The Cherry Orchard."
Sis as Dunaway
Sis plays Dunaway on "American Horror Story: NYC." The Houston, Texas native is a Broadway performer with extensive stage credits, and also an activist for the trans community and other marginalized groups. Sis founded The Next Generation Project, which uses crowdfunding and donations to help Black and Brown trans folks gain access to mental health support and self-care, distribute resources, and ease their financial burdens. She also works actively to raise awareness about the erasure of trans folks in theater and organized the Trans March on Broadway. As Sis told them, "To erase trans people from the narrative of storytelling makes no sense, because any human being can tell a story." In 2021, Sis joined the cast of the Tony-winning revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" as Ado Annie. The performer also appeared in Ryan Murphy's "Pose," which focused on the New York ballroom culture scene during the 1980s and 1990s.