Ariana Grande is deep into her acting bag, and soon she will join a beloved television universe.
On Friday, October 31, the “Thank U, Next” hitmaker was announced as part of the cast of American Horror Story’s upcoming 13th season. The news was revealed in a post shared to the show’s official Instagram account.
This marks Grande’s second entry into the Ryan Murphy universe, the first being in Murphy’s 2015 horror comedy series Scream Queens. Details of the season’s plot and character storylines have been kept under wraps, but Grande is in good company with several of the show’s beloved alumni, including Angela Bassett — who had nothing but kind words to say about Grande.
When asked by Variety, during an appearance at LACMA’s Art + Film Gala on Saturday, November 1, if she had any advice for Grande, Bassett lauded her craft.
“Ariana has been at it for quite a while,” Bassett said. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her— she’s a delightful human being. I think she’ll be just fine. She’s a hard worker, obviously. Very talented. She’ll be ok. She doesn’t need any advice from me.”
Fans believe that the upcoming season of American Horror Story — which is rumored to be its last — may be related to the show’s third season Coven. Bassett made her American Horror Story debut in Coven playing Marie Laveau. Also in the season are Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Gabourey Sidibe, Evan Peters, and Jessica Lange, all of whom also appeared in Coven. Other returning American Horror Story alumni include Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd.
At the time of writing, Grande recently wrapped production on Focker In-Law, in which she plays a character named Olivia. She is also gearing up for the premiere of Wicked: For Good, which arrives in theaters on Friday, Nov. 21.
Her schedule for 2026 appears to be stacked, as Grande will also embark on the Eternal Sunshine Tour, which will be her first concert tour in seven years.