This AHS Scene Got Naomi Grossman So Excited She Peed A Little
As "American Horror Story" preps for its 12th season, it's easy to forget how many stories the series has told since its premiere in 2011. After the raging success of Season 1, "Murder House," fans of that debut story eagerly awaited the arrival of Season 2, "Asylum" — although fans' reactions to "Asylum" were a mixed bag.
Despite the polarizing reviews of the season, Naomi Grossman's role as the lovable Pepper was an absolute standout. Grossman breathed life into Pepper and helped make "Asylum" a compelling story. In a 2013 Reddit post, Grossman admitted that one of her favorite scenes was one of the sillier moments in the season: "The Name Game" song. "I peed a little I was so excited," she revealed, allowing her response to speak for how much she enjoyed the scene.
Grossman's presence in "The Name Game" scene helped fill the asylum with joy, even if only momentarily. Her happiness at bopping around the room made others want to join in. Grossman's love of the scene shined through in her performance.
Grossman elaborated on the preparation for the scene
Naomi Grossman spoke about her excitement for "The Name Game" song when U/klahaya commented, "One of the greatest moments in television of 2012 was the song and dance number in 'The Name Game.' How did you react when you first heard or read about it in the script?" They also asked how the other cast members felt about the scene and whether choreography was involved.
Grossman wasn't able to say how her castmates felt about the scene, and noted that the entire sequence took a full day to film. She continued, "We had one day of rehearsal — I was only there for maybe 20 [minutes]. But Jessica, Evan, and Sarah had more. My choreography was more moving from one place to another (without hitting moving cameras, cranes, etc), whereas they had actual dance moves to learn."
This makes sense because Pepper isn't in the scene all that much. She can be seen moving around the room as Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) sings and dances. When Pepper's name pops up in the song, viewers get a close-up of her smiling. Her excitement over the scene is portrayed beautifully through Pepper's enjoyment of the song. Even with her limited screen time, Grossman's performance speaks for itself.