Michael Chiklis returns to FX for American Horror Story: Freak Show

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Last week we learned that the hit FX show "American Horror Story" would be returning for a fourth season under the title "American Horror Story: Freak Show", with the new season set in Jupiter, Florida in the 1950's and series star Jessica Lange playing a German ex-pat who is managing one of the last freak shows in the U.S. We also learned that her “unusuals” will include returning AHS stars  Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, and Frances Conroy, who will play performers whom Lange’s character has rescued. So far, so good, right? Well, this past weekend at PaleyFest the cast and creators of the hit FX show hit the stage to announce the latest casting for "Freak Show" with none other than "The Shield" star Michael Chiklis signing on for the fourth season!

The Emmy and Golden Globe winner will return to FX six years after "The Shield" ended its run and co-star in "American Horror Story: Freak Show", creators announced Friday night at PaleyFest, where the actor made a surprise appearance. Chiklis will be playing the father to Peters' character and ex-husband to Bates' character.

Showrunner Ryan Murphy also revealed that everyone on the PaleyFest stage would be returning in season four in "some capacity" including Gabourey Sidibe and Jamie Brewer.

 So how does this news hit ya? I was always a huge fan of Chiklis' work on "The Shield", which was my all-time favorite television series (thanks in no small part to Chiklis' performance as Vic Mackey), so hearing that he'll be involved with "Freak Show" has me more excited for the fourth season of AHS than any other previous season.

The new season will film for the second year in New Orleans but be set in Florida. "American Horror Story: Freak Show" returns in the fall to FX.