American Horror Story: 1984 Cast & Character Guide

Get to know the cast and characters that are appearing in American Horror Story: 1984. The ninth season of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series, AHS 1984 is paying homage to the slasher era of horror. It’s fair to say that the audiences have been waiting for Murphy to dive into the likes of Halloween and Friday the 13th.

American Horror Story season 8 served as a cross-over to two previous seasons, Murder House and Coven. This time around, the series has gone back to basics with an original storyline featuring an array of new characters, including a new villain, Mr. Jingles. There will undoubtedly be connections to other seasons but it won’t rely on the past to further the new story.

Related: American Horror Story: 1984’s Trailers Aren’t Marketing – They’re A Prequel

As with past seasons, a number of familiar faces star in American Horror Story: 1984 but there are also a handful of cast members making their AHS debut. It’s important to add that American Horror Story veteran Evan Peters is absent for the first time in AHS’s nine-year history. Sarah Paulson will also be missing from the new season but it’s possible that she could appear in a limited role. That said, here’s a full guide to the cast of American Horror Story: 1984 and stay tuned for updates as the season continues.

Last Updated: September 18, 2019.

Emma Roberts as Brooke Thompson

Emma Roberts is back in a lead role for American Horror Story season 9. The actress is playing Brooke Thompson, a new girl in town who meets a new group of friends at aerobic class. She gets an invite from Xavier to work at Camp Redwood for the summer and initially declines. After Brooke is attacked by the Night Stalker, she decides to take the job to leave Los Angeles. Due to Brooke’s “nice girl” demeanor, she might have a chance at being the final girl.

Before this, Roberts has starred in four other AHS seasons: Coven, Freak Show, Cult, and Apocalypse. The actress is also no stranger to horror having worked on Scream 4, The Blackcoat’s Daughter, and Murphy’s horror-comedy, Scream Queens.

Billie Lourd as Montana Duke

After breakout roles in previous seasons, Lourd has returned to American Horror Story as a lead character, Montana Duke. Like Brooke, Montana is one of Camp Redwood’s counselors. Due to her bleached blonde hair and rocker-inspired look, it’s no surprise that she’s portraying the rebel of the group in AHS: 1984. Montana doesn’t seem to be affected by the stories surrounding Camp Redwood’s past.

Lourd joined American Horror Story in season 7, Cult, in the prominent role as Winter Anderson. She returned for Apocalypse to play a young witch named Mallory. Before her time on AHS, Lourd starred in Murphy’s series, Scream Queens alongside Roberts.

Related: American Horror Story: Every Character That Jessica Lange Played

Cody Fern as Xavier Plympton

After Fern’s AHS debut last season, the actor has returned for another key role, playing the aspiring actor, Xavier Plympton. After an intense ’80s workout, Xavier convinces his friends to leave Los Angeles and join him to take jobs at Camp Redwood. Out of everyone, he seems to know the most about the camp’s deadly history but he isn’t letting that stop his friends from having a good time.

Fern previously worked on Murphy’s sister series, American Crime Story in its second season, The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Murphy then cast the actor to play the Antichrist, Michael Langdon, for American Horror Story: Apocalypse.

Gus Kenworthy as Chet Clancy

Kenworthy is making his AHS debut in the role of Chet Clancy. Chet is the stereotypical jock type and has been kicked off of his Olympic team for failing a drug test. He agrees to take the job to get out of L.A. due to all of the Olympic coverage throughout the city. Chet seems to suffer from roid rage and often lashes out at his friends.

American Horror Story: 1984 marks Kenworthy’s first acting gig in a scripted series. The freestyle skier is an Olympic silver medalist and the first action-sports star to publicly come out as gay.

Related: American Horror Story: Every Character Sarah Paulson Has Played

DeRon Horton as Ray Powell

Horton is also making his first American Horror Story appearance, rounding out the new group of counselors in the role as Ray Powell. Ray works as an orderly but enjoys having a fun-filled social life. He brings an array of drugs to Camp Redwood so he and his friends can have a good time during their summer as counselors. He will soon learn that a dark force plagues his new workplace.

The actor is no stranger to working on TV shows. Horton previously starred in Lethal Weapon, American Vandal, and Dear White People.

Angelica Ross as Rita

Ross serves as another AHS newcomer playing the role of Rita, the resident nurse at Camp Redwood in American Horror Story: 1984. While driving his friends to the camp, Xavier seemingly hits someone with his car. The victim is taken to Rita when the group arrives at the camp. Rita is also well aware of what happened at Camp Redwood years prior and knows that why she was able to get a job with barely any experience.

After appearing in roles on shows such as Her Story, Claws, and Transparent, Ross got her breakout role in Murphy’s drama series, Pose. As a transgender woman, Ross fights for LGBTQ rights and representation in media.

Related: What to Expect from American Horror Story Season 9

Leslie Grossman as Margaret Booth

Grossman is back for American Horror Story season 9 in the role of Margaret Booth, the owner of Camp Redwood who decides to reopen the facility. She is one of Mr. Jingles’ victims from 1970 and was the only one to survive the massacre. Margaret testified against the man and made sure he was sent away from what he did. She has since turned to religion and vows to turn Camp Redwood back to a happy place.

The actress previously starred in dozens of TV roles before joining American Horror Story’s seventh season, Cult. Grossman returned to portray Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt in season 8.

John Carroll Lynch as Mr. Jingles

Lynch is back portraying an American Horror Story villain, but this time he’s playing the killer, Mr. Jingles. His real name is Benjamin Richter and he’s a previous employee of Camp Redwood. In 1970, he snapped and killed an entire cabin, taking nine victims before he was caught. Mr. Jingles’ has escaped and is making his way back to Camp Redwood.

Lynch previously played Twisty the Clown in two seasons of American Horror Story. He also served as the real-life killer, John Wayne Gacy, for AHS: Hotel.

Related: American Horror Story: 1984 Needs A Slasher Scream Queen – Who Could It Be?

Matthew Morrison as Trevor Kirchner

Morris is making his AHS debut as Trevor, the activities instructor at Camp Redwood. Trevor is completely full of himself and claims to have starred in one of Jane Fonda’s workout videos. Montana is completely enamored by Trevor and the two quickly has a steamy encounter while skinny-dipping in the lake.

Morrison previously worked on Murphy’s past series, Glee, as the series regular, Will Schuester.

Additional Supporting Cast In AHS: 1984

Zach Villa as Richard Ramirez – Villa is portraying the famed serial killer Richard Ramirez in American Horror Story: 1984. Ramirez was also known as the “Night Stalker” as he terrorized Los Angeles in the mid-’80s during his deadly crime spree.

Orla Brady as Dr. Hopple – Brady is portraying the doctor connected to the institution that was holding Mr. Jingles. Dr. Hopple can be compared to as Dr. Loomis in the Halloween franchise.

Mitch Pileggi as Art – Pileggi’s character, Art, also has a connection to the institution as he is the one who gets Dr. Hopple up to speed on the mass breakout.

Tara Karsian as Chef Bertie – Karsian rounds out the major employees at Camp Redwood by playing the chef, Bertie. Karsian has never starred in the series but she has appeared in Murphy’s 9-1-1.

Next: American Horror Story Timeline: When Each Season Takes Place