Summary
American Horror Storystar Angelica Ross added to the toxic workplace claims against Ryan Murphy. The star ofPoseandAmerican Horror Story: Delicaterecently claimed that the showrunner was responsible for her losing out on an unspecified Marvel role.
For context, the creator ofAmerican Horror Storyhas a long history of controversy in the entertainment industry. Duringthe recent dual strike in Hollywood, the WGA strike captain accused the writer-director of blackballing any actors who picketed and didn’t return to work. Since then, Murphy threatened to sue the captain, and the subsequent SAG-AFTRA strike made that a moot point. Murphy’s sets are often a source of toxic treatment, so these sorts of claims aren’t surprising.
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The next star to add to the list isRoss, who told her story to the Los Angeles Times. She further elaborated on Twitter that she was in talks with Murphy for a potentialAmerican Horror Storyseasonwith an all-Black cast. However, the writer never responded, and the idea was suspended in limbo while Marvel tried to contact her for a potential role. “It’s not JUST that the idea changed,” Ross explained. “Things change all the time. It’s that I called business affairs for MONTHS trying to get clarity if they were picking up my contract option or if I was ok to tell Marvel that I was available for whatever they were calling me for. I had been auditioning for THREE YEARS for marvel. It’s that I was HELD in first position the whole time.”
Ross encountered rough treatment on multiple occasions during her time in the Murphy-verse. The actor also reported thatAmerican Horror Storyrecurring cast memberEmma Roberts misgendered her while filming the current season ofAmerican Horror Story. TheMadame Webactor has since apologized to Ross for this event, but it is still one of many allegations of mistreatment on theAmerican Horror Storyset.
Ross herself has been more than fair about what is normal in the entertainment industry. As she said, options change all the time. But being held in first position for years is not the norm, especially when something as lucrative as Marvel is on the line. Adding a property from the comic book brand to her resume would have been great for her career, and being snubbed by someone she called a collaborator is not the way to go about business. There is no news yet about what role the Marvel audition would have been for. However, with the Los Angeles Times article exposure and her social media presence, hopefully, that is not the last time Ross will have the opportunity. Marvel projects are constantly creating new roles, and the brand shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
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