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Cody Fern is certainly having a moment in Hollywood.
As of last Friday, viewers can also see Fern in the final season ofHouse of Cards.
Mostly the wigs, it turns out.
I just finishedHorror Story, and Im emotionally drained and I cant go.
So I walked around West Hollywood with some friends and beheld the spectacle before me.
It was cool and overwhelming and too many people.
Im not used to Halloween.
We dont care about it in Australia.
What was your mask?Do you rememberMortal Kombat?
I went as Scorpion.
I just walked around in disguise.
There were a lot of people like, Youre Cody Fern.
AfterAmerican Horror Story, is horror too spooky for you?Oh no, I like psychosocial horror films.
One my favorite films isLet the Right One In.
Ive always been a fan ofHorror Storyand Ryans work.
I dont get scared easily.
Its really thrilling, if anything.
All of my role models as an artist have always been women actors.
When he said, I want you doHorror Story.
Youll be opposite Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates, I burst into tears.
He said my character had long hair with an affinity for capes and thats all I needed to know.
Which was better, the wigs or the capes?Both were really fun to play around with.
You put the wig on and the cape on and a lot of the work is done for you.
But I love that wig.
It was a beautiful thing.
How many people get to play, essentially, the Devil?
Its such an iconic role.
Instantly I was aware of the pressure because people have been waiting for him since season one.
I didnt know I was playing him until two days before I stepped on set.
All of the details were under wraps, so I didnt know that it was Michael Langdon.
I put all of that Antichrist stuff out of my mind and came at Michael from a human angle.
How can I play that?
Its like saying,Here, play this mug.
Hes a boy who is used by those around him.
The Satanists use him to fulfill their prophecy.
Hes used by the warlocks who want to rise up and be more powerful than the witches.
Hes a lost young man who needs help.
I want to say there is a big separation between the character and the actor.
Oh, you dont say!Someone said, How can you see him as a righteous character?
I dont know what evil is.
You tell me what it is.
Hes not in the higher court in the country.
What form of evil is Michael?
In Michaels mind, the evil he is enacting is righteous.
He sees the dirty, dark secrets inside a persons soul because he understands these pains and desires.
Thats not him its in the people in the first place.
Hes tempting them towards it.
I find that interesting, his sense of righteousness.
The girl who played her, I cant think of her name right now, was so good.
She was such a fine actress.
It was really disturbing.
I had nightmares after filming that scene.
Eating the heart was fine, but watching her go through it was tough.
A young girl screaming for dear life in front of you, thats hard.
Adult Michael is so delicious to play hes just fucking with people.
Its just psychological torture and thats great to play.
Youre playing that with Sarah Paulson as Venable.
You mentioned that your role models have always been actresses.
Which of the legendaryHorror Storyactresses were you most intimidated by?They were all intimidating in their different ways.
I grew up watching Kathy Bates andMiseryis one of my favorite films.
Sarah Paulson is pioneering a new form of acting.
She is acting evolved, so that was intimidating.
Then Im in a scene with Miss Jessica Lange.
Im like,Oh my God, here we go.
You better bring it with these people.
Whats theAmerican Horror Storyinitiation ceremony like?My first day was shooting a nine-page interrogation scene with Sarah Paulson.
It was like,Here is your costume.
Here is your makeup.
Get out there.The initiation ceremony is youre led to the edge of a cliff and youre asked to jump.
And when you jump you have no idea where youre going to fall.
I would have done that in a heartbeat.
Its an ending that, I will say, has many surprises.
Its an incredibly twisted, tragic, gleeful episode.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
