Evan Peters has candidly discussed taking on the demanding role of Kai Anderson in American Horror Story, revealing his surprise at walking away “alive” after the intense filming experience. Both Peters and show creator Ryan Murphy shared insights about the role and how the actor coped with portraying the murderous cult leader.
Throughout the course of season 7, Kai’s character undergoes a progressive descent into darkness as he rises to power. Starting from his campaign for city council, he gradually escalates to running for the Senate, fueled by a devoted following of fanatics who carry out his every command, even resorting to gruesome murders.
Evan Peters Took On The Role Of A Cult Leader
Season 7 of American Horror Story, titled Cult, is set in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Evan Peters, a key figure who has been part of nearly every season of the anthology TV series, portrayed the enigmatic blue-haired cult leader Kai Anderson.
In addition to his portrayal of Kai Anderson, Evan Peters took on the roles of various infamous cult leaders throughout the season, including Charles Manson, Jim Jones, and David Koresh.
During a Q&A session at the Fox Lot, show creator Ryan Murphy explained that the season delves into the rise of these cult leaders and explores the reasons why people chose to follow them, despite their actions being perceived as foolish in hindsight.
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Evan Peters Was Scared For His Life After The Role
Actor Evan Peters candidly discussed his portrayal of Kai Anderson on American Horror Story: Cult. While he found the filming experience “fun,” he admitted to being genuinely surprised that he managed to emerge from it “alive.”
“I had a great time playing Kai Anderson because I got to play six roles in one season,” Peters said. “Which was incredible and incredibly challenging and daunting, but it was really fun. And I sort of, I was sort of shocked that I walked away alive doing it.”
He further explained that the role was significant and carried a lot of weight, making it a life-changing experience for him. The experience was great overall, and he had a lot on his shoulders throughout the portrayal.
“So it was a great experience, and it was a big role in the show, and there was a lot on my shoulders… It was definitely a life-changing experience for me,” he added.
In 2019, Ryan Murphy, the show’s creator, disclosed that Cult stood out as his favorite season of American Horror Story. One of the reasons behind this choice was Evan Peters’ “criminally underrated” performance in the role of Kai Anderson.
American Horror Story is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: Cheatsheet
