Ryan Murphy may have left FX for Netflix, but his American Horror Story is still going strong. The anthology series, which he still writes for, is currently in its ninth season and tonight’s episode, titled “Episode 100,” is, well, the 100th episode. But of the previous 99 installments and nine themes — Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse, and 1984 — does Murphy have a favorite episode?
He does, and although it’s not the best episode of American Horror Story (cough MURDER SANTA cough), it’s the one that means the most to him: the pilot.
“The first, and always number one in my heart, for several reasons. One, [co-creator Brad Falchuk] and I spent so long on it… From rough idea to day one of filming took four years. It was a huge risk at the time, creatively and financially,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “That first season sort of reinvented the anthological storytelling space that I loved as a kid and has ushered in a whole new way of MAKING television (creatively and economically) and I’m very proud of that.” Murphy also praised working with actress Jessica Lange for the first time, who was one of his idols growing up:
“I remember Brad and Connie [Britton] and Jessica and I were constantly saying to each other, ‘This is so strange. What are we doing here?’ We were always taking the script apart and redoing it. It was like this great thrill ride, that we found in the filming. The only person who never wavered ever was Dylan McDermott. Always grinning, always so in the part and willing to go anywhere. I remember on the day I had to direct him masturbating and crying I said after the first take ‘I know this is odd — are you OK?” And he smiled and said, ‘I’m good.’ I said, ‘How can you be good? This is so weird.’ He smiled and said, ‘Because this thing is gonna be a f*cking hit.’ And he was right.”
The show about Dylan McDermott masturbating and crying has gone on to win 16 Emmys and two Golden Globes. Happy 100 episodes!
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
