Paul Anthony Kelly is the newest cast member of the 13th installment of American Horror Story, unveiled Thursday at the 2026 Disney Upfront with a little help from Emma Roberts, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe and Billie Lourd. Kelly walked onstage to a room that already knew the franchise’s habit of turning fresh faces into fresh fears.
He kept the pitch in character and short: “I guess every nightmare needs fresh blood… and thirteen's my lucky number.” FX did not say what AHS 13 will be about, leaving the series’ next chapter just as sealed as its title. The network did say Kelly arrives after playing JFK Jr. in Ryan Murphy’s limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette, which set a streaming record at its April premiere as FX’s most-watched limited series on streaming.
The new casting also ties Kelly to a franchise that has survived by changing its skin every season. American Horror Story, co-created and co-produced by Brad Falchuk, has previously sent viewers through a murder house, a coven of witches, a traveling freak show, a haunted hotel and the apocalypse. The series now streams on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
Kelly is not the only new name attached to Season 13. Ryan Murphy announced in October 2025 that Ariana Grande was also joining the cast, adding another high-profile turn to a lineup that already leans heavily on familiar franchise faces. Bassett, who appeared onstage for the announcement, said she had “seen a couple of them,” before adding, “I haven't read 'em yet,” and then: “But I'm looking forward to it. I'm hearing all these twists and turns for everyone and new faces... I'm looking forward to it.”
That is the point of this franchise, and the source of its staying power. Each season promises a new nightmare, but the show has never revealed its hand early, and it is not doing so now. With Kelly and Grande both in place, AHS 13 enters the summer without a plot, a setting or a monster named, which is exactly how Ryan Murphy’s horror machine likes to keep its audience waiting.
