Emma Roberts Joins Paul Anthony Kelly for AHS 13 Cast Reveal
emma roberts was onstage at the 2026 Disney Upfront when Paul Anthony Kelly joined American Horror Story Season 13 as its newest cast member. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe and Billie Lourd were there too, giving the franchise another ensemble reveal before FX has said what the 13th installment will cover.
Paul Anthony Kelly at Disney
Paul Anthony Kelly said, "I guess every nightmare needs fresh blood… and thirteen's my lucky number." The line fit the franchise's long-running habit of selling each season through cast chemistry before plot, and FX still has not shared what AHS 13 is about.
Kelly was brought onstage by Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Billie Lourd and Emma Roberts, which made the announcement feel like a handoff rather than a solo entrance. For a series that has leaned on repeat players for years, the addition of a new face signals that Murphy is still building the next installment around a familiar core.
Ryan Murphy's October move
In October 2025, Ryan Murphy had already set part of the cast by announcing Ariana Grande's involvement. Kelly now joins that lineup after playing JFK Jr. in Murphy's limited series Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette, a credit that gives him a direct line into the creator's current TV orbit.
In April, FX said Love Story: John F. Kennedy & Carolyn Bessette premiered as FX's most-watched limited series on streaming. That performance gives Kelly a quicker way into a flagship horror property than a typical TV newcomer gets, especially with Murphy once again using a high-profile ensemble to sell the next chapter before the story is public.
FX keeps the plot shut
Brad Falchuk co-created and co-produces American Horror Story, and Ned Martel, Charlie Carver, Eric Kovtun, Nissa Diederich, Scott Robertson, Tanase Popa, Crystle Roberson Dorsey, Jennifer Salt and Tim Minear are also executive producers. Previous installments have streamed on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+, so the casting news lands inside a franchise that still has a built-in distribution path once the season arrives.
For now, the practical takeaway is simple: FX is still assembling the season around names viewers already know, but the studio has not opened the plot. That keeps the focus on the cast list, where Kelly's addition makes AHS 13 look more like an ensemble roll call than a one-star pitch.
