Diksha Sundriyal
The thirteenth iteration of Ryan Murphy’s ‘American Horror Story‘ serves as a culmination of the storylines explored in its previous seasons. Several major characters return, especially from earlier seasons, picking up where they left off and continuing to stir up more supernatural trouble. In this, the third season, ‘Coven,’ becomes an important storyline that is more extensively revisited with some fan-favorites making surprising returns. One such character is Papa Legba, who has previously played significant roles in ‘Coven’ and ‘Apocalypse,’ both of which are important to the current season. While the character remains the same, the actor portraying the character has changed.
Orlando Jones Takes Over the Role of the Underworld’s Gatekeeper
Orlando Jones plays the role of Papa Legba in ‘AHS: 13.’ In the earlier seasons, the character was portrayed by Lance Reddick, who passed away in 2023. With the thirteenth season serving as a compilation of the show’s greatest hits, the storylines of ‘Coven’ were a major one to be included. This called for the return of the surviving witches, such as Cordelia and Madison, as well as the dead ones, such as Fiona Goode and Marie Laveau. The first half of the season establishes Hell as a major plot point, and with the witches and Satan pitted against each other, it was only fair that the soul-collector guarding the Underworld showed up as well.
Jones takes on the role, carrying over the mysteriousness and gravitas that defined Reddick’s portrayal in the previous iterations. This is not the first time the actor has brought a supernatural figure to life on the screen. One of his more prominent roles includes playing Mr. Nancy in ‘American Gods.’ The actor and stand-up comedian started his career as a writer on ‘A Different World,’ on which he also appeared in a brief role. He had also worked on commercials for brands like 7-Up and McDonald’s. Over time, he decided to focus more on the work that puts him in front of the screen rather than behind it.
This move led him to star in shows like ‘MADtv,’ on which he was one of the nine original cast members. The 90s were defined by Jones’s expansion of his talents as a multi-hyphenate artist. Apart from writing and acting in shows like ‘Roc,’ he also wore the producer’s hat with the sitcom, ‘The Sinbad Show.’ He also took on varying roles in films like ‘Magnolia’ and ‘The Replacements.’ In 2001, he starred in ‘Evolution’ as Harry Block, sharing the screen with David Duchovny. This became his breakout role and one of his most memorable performances. Since then, he has explored a wide variety of genres in film and television.
He can be seen as Frank Irving in ‘Sleepy Hollow,’ Martin Eddie in ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Kevin Weiss in ‘Bloodhound,’ and one of the scorned groomsmen in ‘Til Death Do Us Part.’ Additionally, Jones has worked as a voice actor on video games such as ‘Halo 2’ and ‘LA Rush.’ His illustrious career has made him one of the most respected actors of his time. He has used his platform and privilege to pave the path for young and upcoming actors, while also speaking out passionately on social and political matters. With Papa Legba, he not only takes on the challenge of playing a character turned fan favorite by Reddick, but also adds a new dimension to him, showing just how relevant and important the supernatural character remains in the world of ‘American Horror Story.’
Read More: Which Previous Seasons is AHS 13 Connected To? Which Seasons to Watch Before Watching AHS 13?
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