Is Neil Patrick Harris’ ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Character Creepier Than Twisty The Clown?
Neil Patrick Harris will soon make his long-awaited debut on American Horror Story: Freak Show, and it looks like his creepy character will not disappoint.
Dandy hasn’t had anyone to look up to ever since Edward Mordrake spirited Twisty the Clown away, but the Mott heir just might find another partner in crime in Neil Patrick Harris’ Chester. According to TV Guide, NPH’s character will become the new owner of Elsa’s freak show after she leaves to pursue her dream of becoming a TV star.
In a promo for the January 7 episode of American Horror Story: Freak Show, Chester replaces Elsa’s performances of yet-to-be-released songs with his own magic act. Neil Patrick Harris should have no problem convincing viewers that he’s a master magician — he is the leader of the Academy of Magical Arts, after all. According to the Daily Record, NPH is so passionate about the Academy that he spends some of his free time responding to “angry emails from magic people.”
On American Horror Story: Freak Show, Neil Patrick Harris won’t be performing the delightful slight-of-hand tricks that he’s used to practicing — Chester’s macabre tricks would definitely get him kicked out of the Academy of Magical Arts. In the promo below, it looks like there’s no magic involved in his classic “sawing a woman in half” trick. If seeing Neil Patrick Harris as a sadistic killer is too much for you, remind yourself that he’s actually a swell guy by watching him help his adorable twins get in the holiday spirit.
In October, TV Line reported that Neil Patrick Harris’ character would be a “chameleon salesman.” This indicates that Chester isn’t a magician at all and that he tricked Elsa into selling the freak show to him.
Chester is also a very disturbed ventriloquist. Viewers were given a little time to recover from killer clown Twisty, but now they have a new nightmare companion in Chester’s creepy ventriloquist doll. It appears as though Chester sees the doll as a human girl (Jamie Brewer) and that she’s the one telling him to kill.
Dandy labels Chester a “sicko” in the promo, and this is likely his version of a compliment. However, Dandy probably won’t be too fond of Chester once he finds out that Bette and Dot are in love with him. Luckily for Dandy, Bette and Dot might run for the hills once they see how obsessed Chester is with his wooden companion.
Neil Patrick Harris’ husband, David Burtka, will also appear in a future American Horror Story: Freak Show episode. According to TV Line, he has “a sexy storyline” with Elsa in the season finale. Sadly, NPH might be long gone by then. Entertainment Weekly reports that Twisty and Edward Mordrake are set to return to the show, so perhaps they’ll pop up to claim Chester’s dark soul.
American Horror Story might seem like an odd fit for Neil Patrick Harris, but the How I Met Your Mother star has been a fan of freak shows since he was a child. During an interview with Charlie Rose, he talked about how excited he was to see a sideshow performer named Popeye. He also revealed why he’s so passionate about magic.
You can see Neil Patrick Harris combine two of his greatest loves when American Horror Story: Freak Show returns to FX on January 7.
[Image credit: Mike Pont/Getty via Zimbio]
