TCA 2011: Connie Britton ‘scared to death’ by FX’s ‘American Horror Story’
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It may seem like ‘Glee’ has been Ryan Murphy’s real life ‘American Horror Story,’ with the recent will-they-won’t-they return question that plagued cast members of the hit Fox series, but on Tuesday, ‘American Horror Story’ was actually just the name of Murphy’s newest TV venture.
FX gave TV critics a first look at its new series ‘American Horror Story,’ from Murphy and fellow ‘Glee’ czar Brad Falchuck.
The series centers on a husband and wife, played by Dylan McDermott (‘The Practice’) and Connie Britton (‘Friday Night Lights’) who move across the country in an attempt to rebuild their family after an affair and miscarriage tests its limits. But as the title suggests, a bit of horror--which comes via their new home--disrupts their efforts.
Murphy, Falchuck (both also the masterminds behind FX’s ‘Nip/Tuck’) and Britton were on hand to introduce the screening. When discussing the new series, Murphy compared it to his past projects, saying ‘Nip/Tuck’ was about transformation, ‘Glee’ was about underachievers and ‘American Horror Story’ is a portrait of a marriage coping with infidelity.
But he was probably most proud of the fact that it was devoid of a few characters making a resurgence in pop culture. ‘I love it because there are no vampires or werewolves,’ he said. ‘The monster in the closet is infidelity.’
That’s surprisingly what drew Britton to her character: ‘I’ve been in a pretty good marriage for the last five years,’ she said, referring to her on-screen marriage to Kyle Chandler on ‘Friday Night Lights.’ ‘Why not mix it up a little bit?’
That’s not to say it wasn’t without fear. ‘I was scared to death by their vision,’ Britton added.
Falchuck said movies like ‘The Exoricst’ and ‘The Shining’ served as inspiration for the series. The first day of shooting post-pilot began Tuesday.
So what can you expect? Jessica Lange drew laughs as a nosey neighbor with a Southern accent and something to hide. The title sequence is designed by Kyle Cooper, who did the landmark opening for ‘Se7en.’ And there are more than a few butt shots of Dylan McDermott. Oh, and a dude in a rubber suit.
Judge the rest for yourself when the 90-minute premiere airs Oct. 5.
--Yvonne Villarreal
twitter.com/villarrealy
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