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American Horror Story Character Breakdown: Meet the Freaks
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Elsa Mars

  • Played by: Jessica Lange
  • Is she in the freak show? Sort of
  • Who she is: Elsa is the ringleader of the freak show. She's a former German cabaret star who, in Lange's words, is "very manipulative. She understands what's needed, and she provides it. However the thing I want to be very clear that Elsa really loves these people. She truly cares for them in her own selfish narcissistic way. It's not just exploitation." As Ryan Murphy told EW, her character is very benevolent: "She loves them and takes care of them. She's sort of like the mama of all of them. She's trying to do anything to keep this freak show going because where are these people going to go? In her way, she relates to them and feels like she's one of them as well." Stay tuned for flashbacks to her 1930s cabaret heyday.
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