American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy reveals his all-time favourite moment as show celebrates 100th episode
AMERICAN Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy has revealed his all-time favourite moment as the show celebrates its 100th episode.
The 53-year-old is behind some of the biggest shows of the last decade, including Glee, American Crime Story and Pose.
Ryan is the co-creator of the anthology horror series alongside Brad Falchuk and has presided over nine seasons, including the current series, 1984.
The show has hit its landmark 100th episode, but despite all that's happened over its run, Ryan admits his favourite all-time moment is the pilot for the first series, Murder House.
He explained to Entertainment Weekly: "The first, and always number one in my heart, for several reasons.
"One, Brad and I spent so long on it…years on the pitch, years on the script, until [FX CEO] John Landgraf and [co-head of 20th Century Fox TV] Dana Walden and Brad and I got it to where we wanted.
"From rough idea to day one of filming took four years. It was a huge risk at the time, creatively and financially.
"Dana Walden has said to me several times it was one of the most out of the box ideas in the history of modern television, and I think she’s right."
The pair had to convince the TV bigwigs it was a good idea to start with fresh sets every season, and then the rest was history.
He continued: ";That first season sort of reinvented the anthological storytelling space that I loved as a kid and has ushered in a whole new way of MAKING television (creatively and economically) and I’m very proud of that."
Ryan also said the ensemble cast in that first series - many of which have returned for subsequent seasons - was a big part of why the pilot was his favourite all-time moment.
He explained: "Also, there’s the cast. My first time with Jessica [Lange], Connie [Britton], Dylan [McDermott].
"Jessica was an idol growing up, and on our first day I am sure she thought I was from outer space.
"It was such a privilege working with her, I spent hours with her in her trailer on her look, movement, that hairstyle. We loved talking to each other, the creation of that, and we still do almost ten years later. "By the end of the first day she said something to me like, “This is insane, but I trust you.” She kissed my cheek and we were off."
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The series certainly goes done some bizarre avenues, but Ryan appreciated his actors sticking with him in those early days.
He said: "I remember Brad and Connie and Jessica and I were constantly saying to each other, “This is so strange. What are we doing here?”
"We were always taking the script apart and redoing it. It was like this great thrill ride, that we found in the filming.
"The only person who never wavered ever was Dylan McDermott. Always grinning, always so in the part and willing to go anywhere.
"I remember on the day I had to direct him masturbating and crying I said after the first take “I know this is odd—are you OK?” And he smiled and said, “I’m good.” I said, “How can you be good? This is so weird.'
"He smiled and said, “Because this thing is gonna be a f***ing hit.” And he was right."
American Horror Story: 1984 is available on Fox now.