American Horror Story star Sarah Paulson has revealed that Season 13 will call on her most demanding performance yet, requiring her to play multiple characters, including four different roles filmed in a single day. Speaking to Collider at the Toronto International Film Festival, Paulson described the gruelling costume, wig and personality changes involved, framing it as a moment that made her reflect on how far she has come since the show's first season, Murder House. The revelation matters because it underscores the scale of the ambition behind this milestone season, which is being positioned as a celebration of the franchise's history.

Paulson did not name the specific characters involved in the rapid changes but confirmed each required its own trailer visit for a fresh costume, wig and persona. She was reportedly filming the season simultaneously with Ryan Murphy's legal drama All's Fair, adding to what she called "a pretty nutty time" for her brain, though she said she considers the workload a privilege. Season 13, subtitled "13", brings back familiar faces including Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, Paulson as Cordelia Goode, Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery, Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown, and Evan Peters as Kai Anderson, with further surprises still under wraps. It premieres on 24 September on FX and Hulu, running for 13 half-hour episodes through Halloween.