GaGa plays Elizabeth, the hotel owner who is consumed with art and fashion and people, and has 'a very strong real lasting relationship with' Angela Bassett's character.
- Aug 8, 2015
AceShowbiz - Details of "American Horror Story: Hotel" characters were revealed at the Television Critics Association summer press tour in Beverly Hills on Friday, August 7. Co-creator Ryan Murphy, who took the stage with the cast, announced that Lady GaGa would play Elizabeth, who owns the hotel.
He went on describing the character, "She is sort of a very wealthy social doyenne who is consumed with art and fashion and people and she has a nefarious plan that is revealed in the first episode and plays out over the course of the season." GaGa will start filming her part on Monday.
Angela Bassett later revealed that her character, Ramona Royale, has "a very strong real lasting relationship with [GaGa's] character." She further teased, "I'm sexy as well, yet not in a drug addicty kind of way. ... And my character is also this fabulous actress. I don't live at the hotel, but I visit there a lot."
Sarah Paulson, who attended the panel, plays Sally. Claiming that it's not like she had done on the show before, she added, "My character this year is quite dark. I think she's sexy. She's a drug addict, and not that drug addicts are sexy, but this girl happens to be quite sexy. She's got a thing. ... I live at the hotel. I hate Iris in a rather ancient way for reasons that are revealed quickly. I have kind of budding something with Wes' character. It's sort of dark and, sorry, you don't know this yet."
Kathy Bates is Iris, the hotel manager. The actress said, "I have relationships with Matt Bomer and with Wes, and I can't stand [Paulson], I hate you. And I don't know yet if I get to work with Angela, I hope I do. And Liz Taylor and I have a very close relationship, and I do crossword puzzles in my spare time."
Chloe Sevigny's character Alex is the wife of Wes Bentley's character. She's "a mother and a doctor and dealing with a great loss that [they] had in [their] family and coming to grips with that, among other things."
Bentley himself plays Detective John Lowell. He shared, "We had a great loss in the family. Investigating some grisly murders, which somehow leads me to checking into the hotel."
Matthew Bomer plays Donovan, "who is closely associated with Ms. GaGa and Ms. Bates, and Mr. Wittrock, amongst others. And he has very interesting relationships with the lady folk in his life."
Finn Wittrock plays "a male model named Tristan Duffy who's always looking for the next high." The actor dished, "And I think he sort of finds his biggest high in Lady GaGa, and they have a lot to do together. She sees all of me."
Denis O'Hare said he played Elizabeth Taylor, before adding, "I'm not actually playing Elizabeth Taylor, but I'm playing a person who is inspired by the awesomeness of things like 'Butterfield 8' and 'Cleopatra' and eye makeup like that. And I shaved my head for the part and other body parts. I work in the hotel, I work with Kathy, and I work in the bar."
Cheyenne Jackson is Will Drake, a fashion icon. "He's trying to creatively reestablish himself, so he moves from New York to Los Angeles. A father, and a little desperate," so Jackson described his character.
As for Max Greenfield, he plays "an addict who checks into the hotel and tangles with Sarah Paulson." Murphy said the actor "cut off his beautiful hair and dyed it and then we had to let the roots grow in" for the role. Greenfield also "lost 30 pounds." Murphy went on dishing, "He does, incredibly, probably the most disturbing scene we've ever done."
Murphy also confirmed that "people that you have known from other seasons" would be featured in "Hotel". The hotel is set in downtown Los Angeles and this season will see "a lot of American horrors."
As reported before, the fifth installment of the horror anthology series is set to debut Wednesday, October 7 on FX. Besides those actors, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe and Naomi Campbell are also among the cast. Darren Criss is reportedly in talks to join the show.
