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The Full Story Behind Lady Gaga on American Horror Story; Plus, What to Expect From Hotel

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Lady Gaga wanted in on American Horror Story, bad. Like, more than a Bad Romance.

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According to Entertainment Weekly‘s current cover story, Mother Monster contacted AHS creator Ryan Murphy directly about taking part in the show, which is one of her favorites (and Freak Show is her favorite installment, naturally). Murphy explains:

I was at a construction site and my phone rang. I didn’t recognize the number. [I answer and] I hear ‘Please hold for Gaga.’ I think ‘Bad Romance’ was playing [while I was on hold]. Then she got on the phone. At first I thought it was a prank, but we then had a lovely call.

Gaga says the phone call was also brief, saying “I called him and I said, ‘Ryan, I wanna be on Horror Story.’ And he goes, ‘Okay.’ And that was it.”

Life is good when you’re Gaga.

Entertainment Weekly sums up the broad strokes of American Horror Story: Hotel:

Built in 1930 by the rich and charming but deeply psychotic James March (Evan Peters), the beautiful art-deco [Hotel Cortez] is, in actuality, a labyrinthine structure built to hide March’s murderous activities (think dead ends, secret rooms, endless shafts).

In present day, though, the Cortez is acquired by Gaga’s Countess, a glamorous socialite who attends art openings and fashion shows and maintains her looks not from a steady diet of kale but from imbibing human blood. The Countess is also insatiable when it comes to love and sex, which sets up a macabre love triangle between her, the similarly blood-hungry Donovan (Matt Bomer) and the newly turned male model Tristan (Finn Wittrock).

Also gravitating around the world of the Cortez are Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett), an actress/former lover of The Countess’ seeking revenge; Iris (Kathy Bates), Donovan’s mother and the front desk clerk; Liz Taylor (Denis O’Hare), a cross-dresser nicknamed by The Countess; Hypodermic Sally (Sarah Paulson), a junkie and friend of The Countess; Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a cop investigating a murderer named the Ten Commandments Killer; and The Addiction Demon, a creature in the vein of Rubberman or Bloodyface, who has no eyes or mouth but does wield a nasty, conical drillbit dildo.

Sounds… fun? With the characters having names like “Liz Taylor” and “Hypodermic Sally,” this installment of AHS may be the campiest yet. Are you looking forward to Hotel?

For more American Horror Story: Hotel info, check out the Entertainment Weekly website and next week’s print issue.

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Author
Teresa Jusino
Teresa Jusino (she/her) is a native New Yorker and a proud Puerto Rican, Jewish, bisexual woman with ADHD. She's been writing professionally since 2010 and was a former TMS assistant editor from 2015-18. Now, she's back as a contributing writer. When not writing about pop culture, she's writing screenplays and is the creator of your future favorite genre show. Teresa lives in L.A. with her brilliant wife. Her other great loves include: Star Trek, The Last of Us, anything by Brian K. Vaughan, and her Level 5 android Paladin named Lal.

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