‘American Horror Story: Hotel’: Kathy Bates on Lady Gaga casting

“American Horror Story: Hotel” is going to be filming throughout the summer in preparation of an October premiere, so is it not time that we started to get a little more information about it? We certainly think so, even if other than the cast, nobody really seems to be that interested in giving anything away.

What we do at least know, however, is that just about everyone seems excited about the idea of working with Lady Gaga, one of the surprising new leads for the season. While at a TV Academy event recently promoting the show, Kathy Bates (per Variety) had about the perfect answer when asked what she thought about the surprise casting of someone who, even though she has some acting credits to her name, is better known as a singer:

“Are you out of your mind? … It’s perfect casting for this show!”

Is there really even something to dispute in here? Bates has a point. Gaga has done a great job throughout her career of tackling the unusual and continuously bringing something new to the table, and this is also one of the greatest strengths and calling cards of the series.

Jessica Lange was also at the event, and while she is leaving the show, she did pour on some praise for the process that makes it so appealing to a variety of different performers:

“I thought it was the greatest … I mean, I love that whole idea of a repertoire theater, you know, a company. It was exciting because you come and you’d be playing with the same actors, actors that you really love and have deep respect for, and you know their rhythm and you know how you work together and everything, but you’re both in different skins. I mean, I thought that was one of the best conceits of our show.”

If you missed it, we recently conducted our own exclusive interview on “Freak Show” with Finn Wittrock; take a look at that over here! Also, you can sign up here in the event you want some other TV updates on just about all we cover, courtesy of our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: FX.)