Ryan Murphy is sharing what it took for Jessica Lange to agree to return to "American Horror Story" after a seven-year absence. The Ryan Murphy Reveals Jessica Lange’s Condition For Her ‘American Horror Story’ Return first appeared on The Blast

Jessica Lange became one of the defining stars of Ryan Murphy‘s “American Horror Story,” appearing in several of the anthology’s early seasons. The actress eventually stepped away from the show and moved on to other projects, later saying that her time with the series was over.

Now that her return has been confirmed, Murphy is revealing the one condition that helped make her comeback possible.

Jessica Lange Was The First Person Ryan Murphy Approached For ‘AHS 13’

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In April, first-look photos of “American Horror Story” Season 13 confirmed that Jessica Lange was returning to the anthology series, per The Blast. The actress appeared in Seasons 1 to 4 and made a guest appearance in Season 8, but has since been absent from the show, much to the detriment of fans.

Showrunner Ryan Murphy is cooking up something special for the show’s upcoming 13th installment, and Lange was the first person he approached for what he described as a “greatest hits season.”

While having dinner together, Lange appeared nostalgic and told Murphy that many people praise her for her work on “AHS” and gloss over her other projects. The actress repeatedly said over the years that she was done with the series, but Murphy pitched Season 13 to her anyway.

The showrunner told Vogue that Lange agreed on one condition: “I’m in as long as I have a musical number.”

Jessica Lange’s Has Performed Songs In Past ‘AHS’ Seasons

Lange, an award-winning actress with five decades of acting, admitted in past interviews that she has never had vocal training and does not consider herself a singer. However, she seized the opportunity to try something new and agreed to sing in “American Horror Story.”

The actress’ first musical number was in Season 2, “Asylum,” in which she portrayed Sister Jude Martin, the head nun at Briarcliff Manor. While having hallucinations after undergoing electroshock therapy, Sister Jude sings and dances the 1964 hit by Shirley Ellis, “The Name Game.”

In “AHS” Season 4, “Freak Show,” Lange played Elsa Mars, the ringleader of a traveling sideshow. She performed four songs: “Life on Mars” and “Heroes” by David Bowie, “Gods and Monsters” by Lana Del Rey, and “September Song” by Kurt Weill.

Discussing her musical numbers in 2014, Lange told E! News she had the “best time.” “This has been kind of like an extraordinary experience to actually do it, and then do it like a big musical number, like some kind of rock star. Yeah, it’s been kind of crazy.”

Ryan Murphy Says ‘AHS’ Season 13 Is Not A Reboot

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The plot of “American Horror Story” Season 13 is kept tightly under wraps, but what Murphy can confirm is it’s not going to be a reboot, as many fans online have theorized.

Photos from filming circulating online led fans to assume that the upcoming installment will be a reboot of the third season, “Coven.”

“I didn’t want to just do a ‘Coven’ reboot. Everybody thinks that’s what it is; it’s not,” Murphy shared, adding that while old characters will appear in Season 13, they have a new storyline “anchored by a new person.”

“What I was interested in was bringing back the baddies and the classic characters. That was my goal,” he explained.

The Showrunner Returned To The Director’s Chair

Apart from co-creating the series and serving as showrunner, Murphy directed a few episodes in the earlier seasons, the last of which was in Season 4.

Murphy previously said he prefers directing the first episode of the season to “set the look and tone.” He returned to the director’s chair for Season 13 and helmed episodes 1 and 3.

“I was thrilled to be able to direct Jessica like I had directed her in Season 1,” Murphy said, adding that he would often act out the parts, which Lange found hilarious. “She’s the only actor I always work that way with,” he said.

Ryan Murphy Gives A Hint Of What’s To Come On ‘American Horror Story’ Season 13

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Murphy is keeping mum about the plot of Season 13, saying it’s “top secret.” He did, however, offer a clue about the “ultimate evil” in the upcoming installment.

“In many seasons, the [characters] have battled the Antichrist. The only hint I’ll say is, ‘Let’s go above his pay grade for this.’ That’s my clue,” Murphy teased.

Apart from Lange, other returning cast members include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Frances Conroy, Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe, and Billie Lourd. Joining them are newcomers John Waters, Joey Pollari, Paul Anthony Kelly, Madelaine Petsch, Alex Consani, and Avantika Vandanapu.

“American Horror Story” Season 13 will premiere on September 24.

The Ryan Murphy Reveals Jessica Lange’s Condition For Her ‘American Horror Story’ Return first appeared on The Blast