American Horror Stories' Sierra McCormick Opens Up About The Rubber Suit
"American Horror Story" is an anthology show, and, as such, each season tells its own story with its own characters — but that doesn't mean actors don't return and it doesn't even mean we won't see similar locales or characters from time to time. And sometimes what returns is something as simple (and complex) as a costume.
The first season of "American Horror Story," subbed "Murder House," introduced a number of ideas and concepts into the ongoing legacy of the AHS franchise — the titular murder house, the idea that ghosts exist, and, of course, the Rubber Man. The Rubber Man isn't so much a person as it is a BDSM, latex gimp suit. In the context of the story, it was originally purchased by Chad Warwick (Zachary Quinto) to spice up his relationship with boyfriend Patrick (Teddy Sears). Instead of being a marital aide, the suit ends up being worn by Tate Langdon (Evan Peters) who murders both Chad and Patrick. Langdon also uses the suit to sexually assault and impregnate Vivien Harmon (Connie Briton).
The Rubber Man was a disturbing starting point for AHS, but that wasn't the last we saw of the suit. Langdon and Harmon's offspring Michael Langdon (Cody Fern) dons the suit during the eight season of "American Horror Story" Season 8, "Apocalypse."
The last time we saw the Rubber Man was 2018, but thanks to the spin-off series "American Horror Stories," the suit is back in a new form — the Rubber Woman. Sierra McCormick, the latest performer to don the suit, recently talked about what it was like to inhabit the role, and, more importantly, to wear that suit.
Being the Rubber Woman is surprisingly comfortable, but...
"American Horror Stories" tells a number of anthology stories over the course of its debut season, the first of which is the two-part episode, "Rubber (Wo)man". The episode follows Scarlett (Sierra McCormick) and her dads Michael (Matt Bomer) and Troy (Gavin Creel) as they move into the Murder House with the intention of fixing and flipping it. Violence and chaos ensue instead — with a little help from a familiar rubber suit who finds a new owner in the form of Scarlett.
McCormick explained in an interview with E! News that the suit is far more comfortable — and better for your posture — than one would expect. "It's super stretchy," McCormick revealed. She further explained that the suit is "very unique, there's nothing else like it. It is essentially, like, putting a giant condom on your body that's fit to your exact body. It's very strange."
You've likely used latex at least a few times in your life, and if you have, then you know that it's very sticky. In "Rubber (Wo)man" the suit seems to glide effortlessly over McCormick's body, but it wasn't as simple as all that. The key? A lot of lubricant. There was, however, one part of the ensemble that McCormick didn't care for — the mask which covers all but her eyes. "The mask was the only thing where I was like, 'I can only do this for a short amount of time,'" she said. "That was the one that got to me eventually. The mask was pretty tight."
You can see how McCormick and her character Scarlett are impacted by their new latex threads on "American Horror Stories," which is streaming on Hulu now.