All the roles Evan Peters has played in ‘American Horror Story’

From school shooter to hairstylist, Evan Peters is as quintessential to American Horror Story as murder or Sarah Paulson screaming. He doesn’t appear in every season, but he causes quite the stir when he does. So, grab your “I <3 Evan Peters!” and let’s reminisce on the many faces he’s put on for American Horror Story.

Good guys

Believe it or not, Evan Peters’s American Horror Story characters were sometimes genuinely good people just caught up in horrific circumstances. Asylum sees Kit Walker’s life turned upside-down & extraterrestrial. Walker goes from a simple gas station job to witnessing untold horrors within the stony walls of Briarcliff Manor.

Likewise, Roanoke sees Rory Monahan trying to maintain a happy life, a happy wife, and his fifteen minutes of fame. Instead, he ends up traumatized on the set of the fictional reality show My Roanoke Nightmare while separated from his wife.

Real-world jerks

In the spirit of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, some of the American Horror Story storylines were ripped from the headlines. Many characters played by Peters in Cult were loose interpretations of real-life villains.

Peters brings Andy Warhol to life as a snotty artiste who basically invites his own murder via misogyny. His portrayal of David Koresh highlights the dangers of blindly following anyone, but especially when they’re rocking a mullet. Honestly, that was the first red flag.

Charles Manson and Jim Jones are Evan Peters’s most recognizable American Horror Story portrayals aside from Warhol. Peters accurately captures the unhinged, bug-eyed essence of Manson. Then he believably captures the menacing gravitas of Jones and the mentally disconnected Marshall Applewhite.

Accidental murderers

Many of Peters’s characters have blood on their hands. But not all of them set out for them to happen. Some of them got caught up in circumstances they couldn’t control. For them, it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

Yes, Jimmy Darling kills a police officer in Freak Show. But he’s trying to protect conjoined twins Bette & Dot Tattler from a false accusation of murder that could lead to them being put to trial by a roomful of bigots.

Kyle Spencer is a good person suffering sexual abuse at the hands of his mother until he’s a murderous zombie. Madison Montgomery accidentally kills him while seeking revenge against his fraternity brothers for raping her in Coven. Zoe Benson resurrects him, but he’s never the same. 

Mr. Gallant also endures suffering at the hands of his mother in Apocalypse. It’s nowhere near as severe as what Spencer goes through. But it’s bad enough to leave the stylish hairstylist susceptible to the devilish charms of Michael Langdon.

Just the worst

Some of Evan Peters’s characters in American Horror Story are the literal worst. Maybe they’re interesting; maybe they’re not. The atrocious crimes they commit, however, far outweigh any possible charm they may possess.

Tate Langdon caused quite the controversy throughout Murder House. Audiences are led to believe that he’s just a kid who is going through a lot and needs help. The series slowly reveals, however, that he’s the ghost of a school shooter with a penchant for sexual assault and murder.

Yet, somehow he’s not as terrible of a person as Kai Anderson in Cult. Langdon is the type who secretly surfs alt-right message boards. Anderson is the type who leads them and Jeff Pfister of Apocalypse is the type who creates them, all while sporting a cocaine-inspired bowl cut.

Entertainingly evil

Some of Peters’s characters, however, are terrible in ways fans actually enjoy. They have a flair for the dramatic matched only by the creativity with which they ruin lives. Fans both love to hate them and hate to love them.

Roanoke uses its pseudo-reality show to portray Edward Philippe Mott. He wrongly accuses the enslaved people in his captivity of destroying his art and then locks them in his cellar. He’s truly awful, yet, there’s something terribly delightful about watching Peters strut around in a powdered wig.

One could argue that Peters’ evilest and most entertaining portrayal is of James Patrick March in Hotel. His wicked mind helps him create Hotel Cortez into an infamous deathtrap filled with hidden secrets and untraceable rooms.

Then there’s the time he portrayed Jesus in Cult. Well, he’s more a figment of Kai Anderson’s deranged psyche than the actual Lord and Savior. It was still really weird, though.

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Which Evan Peters AHS character is your favorite? Or do you prefer a different actor? Let us know in the comments below!