American Horror Story, through all of its ups and downs, has remained a hotbed of acting talent since day one. Every performer gives their all each season to bring the wild and horrific imaginations of Ryan Murphy and Brad Fulchuk to life. There are clear standouts in the regular cast including Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, and Sarah Paulson. One of the more underrated performers, though, has been a series regular from the beginning and remains one of the show’s most valuable players: Lily Rabe.
Rabe first appeared in season one of the series, Murder House, as the heiress Nora Montgomery. This complex and funny character cemented Rabe’s skill as a powerhouse actress. Since then, she has appeared in all but one season of the show (Cult), playing a selection of new and repeating characters. Many fans forget to mention her when fawning over the other series regulars, but Rabe’s versatility as a performer deserves more attention than she’s received. Looking back at her tenure on American Horror Story, here are every one of Lily Rabe’s roles ranked.
7. Shelby Miller - AHS: Roanoke
Roanoke, as a whole, was an incredibly hit or miss season. Without a doubt, the change in format was a welcome change. The show had grown stale and predictable, so the added twist of the format certainly made the season worth the watch. That being said, so many of the character choices and arcs were so unfulfilling or contradictory that much of the action held little weight. Roanoke provided some creepy moments and some fun connective tissues to past seasons, but the characters were beyond dull.
This is where the issue with Lily Rabe’s character, Shelby Miller, arises. Shelby is one half of the couple that originally inhabited the Roanoke mansion in the series, only to devolve into madness from their supernatural experience. There was some excellent potential for this role, as it was shared between both Rabe and her co-star Sarah Paulson. With two powerful actresses playing the role, one would assume the writing would showcase their talents.
Instead, Shelby remained nothing more than a defenseless scream queen. Her motivations were driven by nothing more than fear, and her inevitable end completely undercut much of the subtext of her relationship between her former husband, Matt. Out of all of her appearances, Shelby felt like the biggest waste of Lily Rabe’s potential.
6. Sister Mary Eunice - AHS: Freakshow
Later, Sister Mary Eunice would appear again in Freakshow, but as a younger pre-devil exposed version. Although she didn’t have her devilish charm, we got to see more of Mary Eunice’s humanity through her treatment of Pepper during her transition into Briarcliff. This added even more tragedy to her previously seen story, as it really showcased the humanity that was ripped away. Mary Eunice shows off every tool that Rabe has in her toolbox as a performer, and remains one of the best aspects of the entire series (but mainly through season two’s showstopping performance).
5. Misty Day - AHS: Apocalypse
Misty made her comeback though in the most recent season of AHS: Apocolypse. In this series, she appears twice: firstly after the Antichrist Michael Langdon fails to resurrect her and finally brought back by future Supreme Mallory.
Misty didn’t have a lot to do during this season, but it is almost always fun seeing characters make a comeback. This iteration is one of the more seamless continuations of a returning character in the whole series. It felt natural and necessary to the story of Apocalypse.
4. Aileen Wuornos - AHS: Hotel
Hotel offered one of the most iconic episodes in the history of American Horror Story. Although the season itself received a divisive return, the episode titled Devil’s Night instantly became a fan favorite. In the episode, Detective John Lowe is forced to have a Halloween dinner alongside the undead denizens of the Hotel Cortez. Hosted by James March, the dinner party guests included some of the most infamous serial killers of all time, including Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. In her small role, Lily Rabe appeared in this episode as Aileen Wuornos.
Although Mr. March was mostly fictional, all the dinner guests, including Wuornos, were very, very real. Wuornos, after an incredibly troubled childhood, went on in her adulthood to become an infamous serial killer. Her methods and victims make her incredibly compelling, as she murdered men who had reportedly assaulted her.
While she remains sympathetic, Wuornos was still ruthless. Rabe embodied the role spectacularly. Covered in prosthetics and makeup effects, Rabe was the immediate stand-out performance in this episode. This placement is not to knock her work as Wuornos, but the sheer lack of time spent with the character impacted the outcome.
3. Misty Day - AHS: Coven
The first time fans met Misty was in season 3, titled American Horror Story: Coven. This flower power Lazarus pit of a witch is undoubtedly one of the most iconic characters of the whole series. In Coven, Misty almost became the Supreme and would have ruled the coven after the reign of Fiona. Sadly, she never got her chance after she was imprisoned in her own personal hell (can you imagine anything worse than an eternity in Sophomore year Biology?).
Misty Day is probably most fans’ favorite Lily Rabe character. This makes sense: Misty was incredibly powerful, likable, and had a stellar musical taste (no one can ever listen to too much Stevie Nicks). That being said, Misty has always seemed a little overrated. This is not to bash the performance or fans of the character, but when compared to other Rabe performances, Misty never stood a chance.
2. Nora Montgomery - AHS: Murder House
This is the role that started it all for Lily Rabe. Her first appearance on the entire series started in the very first season, Murder House. In season one, Rabe played the ghost of the first owner of the Murder House. Married to its builder, Rabe embodied the high socialite Nora Montgomery. Nora was one of many ghosts who haunted the halls of the Murder House. Obsessed with finding her mutilated child but never wanting the actual duties of motherhood, there was a sharp duality to the character.
The downside to many of the other roles Lily Rabe has played was the writing behind them. Rabe gives her performances everything she has got, which is why she remains a constant in the series. The issue, though, is the writing never meets it. Luckily, Nora was written as both a tragic and occasionally humorous character. She was full of conflicting feelings and tendencies. Pair that characterization with a brilliant actor and what results is a fantastic character. Rabe embodied the role of Nora in a way that many probably couldn’t. This is the reason she has remained on the series for so long.
1. Sister Mary Eunice - AHS: Asylum
Speaking of duality, Lily Rabe’s best character, without a doubt, is that of Sister Mary Eunice in both AHS: Asylum and AHS: Freakshow. Lily Rabe’s performance is arguably the best of the entire series. Her ability to balance the sweet naivete of Mary Eunice and the sadistic evil of the demon possessing her is unreal, and not something any actor can pull off.
Lana Winters was the ultimate hero of Asylum, but outside of her main story, Sister Mary Eunice was the main attraction. Rabe was equally entertaining and horrifying in the role. She had hilarious lines, disturbing moments, and more depth than almost any character in the past three seasons.
