It was a dark day indeed when Jessica Lange confirmed she wouldn't be returning for American Horror Story: Hotel . But despite her former claims that she was done with the anthology series, more and more evidence continues to stack up, suggesting that her departure may be less permanent than we originally thought. Aside from Lange herself admitting that she'd be up for returning if the right opportunity presented itself, her former AHS colleague Angela Bassett also believes that Lange could come back in future seasons and that her presence would be a more than welcome one.
"She brings such experience and a way of doing things that's just so uniquely her own," Bassett says about Lange. "That's why I think they're going to throw everything at you [in Hotel] just to try to balance how much we're going to miss her presence." However, as Bassett was quick to remind me, one of the great things about this show is its ability to rotate characters in and out of the storyline since every season is basically like hitting the refresh button. "It's a revolving door," the actress explains. "It's close to an ensemble or acting troupe…you can go and you can return, and characters do that all the time. [Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy are] very loyal to their actors and crew."
So should we hold out hope for Lange's return? "It really is quite possible that she could come back and if she wants to I'm sure the door is wide open." (Do you hear that? It's the sound of the entire AHS universe cheering in unison.)
Speaking of things to get excited about, Bassett has also recently partnered up with Genworth to help promote their highly impressive looking R70i Aging Suit, which allows the user to feel some of the side effects associated with aging as a way to emphasize the importance of long-term care planning — a subject that Bassett is extremely passionate about.
Having served as a caregiver herself, Bassett knows firsthand that this is a topic which needs to be talked about more. And the suit takes us one step closer to doing just that. “Something like this will hopefully be something very cohesive for all generations to really open up a dialogue about." I'd say mission accomplished! Plus, if AHS ever does decide to do a space-centric season, I think we've found the perfect wardrobe option.
Images: Michele K. Short/FX; Giphy; Genworth
