AHS' Dylan McDermott Recalls 'Gruesome' Experience Of Wearing The Bloody Mask
The persona of Bloody Face in "American Horror Story: Asylum" is a twisted visage donned by an unconnected father and son duo. Originally used by Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto), this fan-favorite serial killer persona is eventually stopped by the combined efforts of Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) and Kit Walker (Evan Peters). However, Thredson's son Johnny Morgan (Dylan McDermott) follows in his father's footsteps, and kills several innocent people in his quest to understand his father's murderous motivations. Although Johnny and Oliver never meet, they both don the same kind of mask, hence the moniker.
Entertainment Weekly asked McDermott which was more uncomfortable — the Bloody Face mask from "Asylum" or the Rubber Man suit from "Murder House." He replied, "Wow. I enjoyed the Rubber Man suit. It still hangs in my closet. I break it out every once in a while. The Bloody mask ... you have the hair, which kinda gets in your mouth and gets uncomfortable at times. It's gruesome. It's a gruesome, gruesome character. There's no way of softening that. But like all of Ryan's shows, there's a reason for it. We uncover what those reasons are as we go."
McDermott was attracted to the Asylum role because he loves depraved characters
Considering the nature of Bloody Face persona and the mask Dylan McDermott dons as Johnny, it makes sense as to why the actor said the mask was uncomfortable. The mask itself appears to be haphazardly stitched together, and it is incredibly haunting, with a disproportionate mouth, crooked teeth, blood stains, and loose strands of matted hair. However, neither Dr. Thredson nor Johnny dons the mask first in "American Horror Story: Asylum," audiences are introduced to this horrible costume from a pair of Bloody Face copycats, which highlights what kind of legacy the prolific killer has left on the world.
However, in the previously mentioned interview, McDermott clarified that even though the mask was uncomfortable, he knew what he was getting into because the series showrunners didn't hide what his role would entail. McDermott added, "To play the modern day Bloody Face and to have this whole back story of a guy who's thrown away and aborted and still lived! It was just like, are you kidding me? It was music to my ears, maybe nobody else's. But to me? I couldn't believe it. It's so twisted and dark and f***** up. That's why I'm on the show because I love stuff like that." On the bright side, it sounds like McDermott has a lot of fun appearing in the "American Horror Story" franchise, and a little bit of hair in the mouth is a price he is willing to pay in order to play dangerous and deadly characters.