Note: This story contains spoilers from “American Horror Story: 13” Episode 13.
“American Horror Story” wrapped up its milestone 13th season with a rather puzzling ending. But for the actor who played the devil himself, it was the right way to end the tense battle between the witches and the root of all evil.
This season, titled “13,” followed as characters from previous installments of the FX anthology series came together to either fight against or conspire with the devil (Paul Anthony Kelly) as he aimed to win a bet with God to secure control over Earth and the human race. But in Episode 13, titled “Devil of a Good Time,’ Satan reversed course on his plan, freeing Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) from hell and giving her the leeway to stop the devil possibly for good.
“I think it was a great ending to him. He’s now stuck in the painting and watched over by his kin, essentially his granddaughter and daughter,” Kelly told TheWrap of the season’s surprising finale conclusion, written by Ned Martel, Charlie Carver and series co-creator Brad Falchuk and directed by Crystle Roberson Dorsey.
Satan told Cordelia, who viewers learned is actually his direct descendant, that the idea of ruling humanity and having to handle billions of lives didn’t sound all that fun. Instead, he opted to continue ruling the underworld exclusively, so he could keep tempting people into damnation occasionally and keep the battle between light and dark going for a few more generations. He even offered Cordelia a peace offering by giving her his New York City penthouse, where most of the season’s action took place, as a new satellite office for her coven.
She reluctantly agreed, as her successor Supreme Mallory (Billie Lourd) went back in time to the times of Salem in search of a spell to potentially kill Satan forever. That seemingly didn’t exist, but Mallory did find a spell previously used by the aristocrat Dorian Gray, allowing the witches to entrap a soul in a painting. The catch? They needed a tremendous sacrifice to summon the power for it to work.
That sacrifice turned out to be the recently awakened Antichrist Ben (Joey Pollari), who had just welcomed a baby girl with witch Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts). His death gave Cordelia and Mallory enough power to trap Satan’s soul inside Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” which had been previously stolen and brought inside the penthouse. As the witches walked away, seemingly with victory in their hands, the pile of dust that became Ben’s body floated from the ground and went inside a nearby fireplace — hinting that evil might not be completely defeated.
“He’s just stuck in a painting. You can always break out of that at some point,” Kelly said of his demonic character’s fate. “This show is just cuckoo bananas. It’s so fun.”
Thus ends the crossover-style installment of “AHS” that was first teased last Halloween with the announcement of Lange’s return. The season involved her prior four characters on the series, for which she received four Emmy nominations and won two. Most of her work in “13” involved scenes with Kelly, a model and actor whose breakout role came earlier this year playing John F. Kennedy Jr. on the FX hit “Love Story.” Both shows hail from Ryan Murphy’s TV empire.
“Dancing with Jessica Lange as Constance, that was so much fun.” Paul said, recalling some of his favorite moments from filming “AHS.” “We learned how to tango like an hour before we actually shot it. During the filming of it both of us would misstep and it just was all laughs.
“For such a heavy, spooky show, actually making it and in between the takes and stuff was very light and fun. It was a great time,” he added.
Kelly agreed immediately when Murphy called to see if he would be interested in playing the devil this season, and giving him the chance to act alongside legends like Lange, Paulson and John Waters — another newcomer to the “AHS” franchise this season. Fans have had heated debates about Kelly’s take on the role throughout the season’s airing, but Kelly relished in playing a “suave” and “a little debonair,” Old Hollywood-style devil.
“The devil’s an individual who already knows everything and knows how to get what he wants, so he doesn’t really have to push too hard … I think it’s almost a little scarier if [he’s] not scary,” he said.
Having gone through his first season of “AHS,” Kelly said he’d be happy to sign up for another one if Murphy called again. For now he’s filming for “The Housemaid’s Secret” with Sydney Sweeney, Brittany Snow, “Off Campus” breakout Stephen Kalyn and others.
He also hopes to play a “really disgusting human” type of villain someday as an acting challenge.
“I’m living my dreams, and it’s all really thanks to [Ryan Murphy],” Kelly said.
“American Horror Story: 13” is now streaming on Hulu.
The post ‘AHS 13’: Paul Anthony Kelly Unpacks That Puzzling Ending and His ‘Suave’ Take on the Devil appeared first on TheWrap.
