Who plays Papa Legba on AHS: 13?

The 13th iteration of Ryan Murphy’s ‘American Horror Story’ serves as a culmination of storylines explored in previous seasons. Several key characters especially return from previous seasons, picking up where they left off and continuing to stir up more supernatural troubles. Here, in its third season, ‘Coven’ becomes an important storyline that is revisited more broadly, with some fan favorites making surprising returns. One such character is Papa Legba, who previously had prominent roles in ‘Coven’ and ‘Apocalypse’. Both are important for the current season. The character remains the same, but the actor playing the character has changed.

Orlando Jones plays the gatekeeper of the Underworld.

Orlando Jones plays dad Legba in ‘AHS: 13’. In earlier seasons, the character was played by Lance Reddick, who passed away in 2023. While the 13th season brought together the show’s greatest hits, it was a major storyline that included the ‘Coven’ storyline. This led to the return of surviving witches like Cordelia and Madison, as well as dead witches like Fiona Goode and Marie Laveau. The first half of the season had Hell as the main plot, and it was only fair that the Soul Collector who protects the Underworld also appeared as witches and Satan clashed.

Jones takes on the role, carrying over the mystery and gravitas that defined Reddick’s portrayal in previous iterations. This isn’t the first time the actor has brought a supernatural character to life on screen. One of his most prominent roles was playing Nancy in ‘American Gods.’ The actor and stand-up comedian began his career as a writer on ‘Another World’, in which he also appeared in a brief role. He has also worked on commercials for brands such as 7-Up and McDonald’s. Over time, he decided to focus more on work that put him in front of the screen rather than behind it.

This move led to him appearing on shows like ‘MADtv’, where he was one of the nine original cast members. The ’90s were defined by Jones expanding his talents as a multi-hyphenate artist. In addition to writing and acting in shows like ‘Rock’, he also donned the producer hat on the sitcom ‘The Sinbad Show’. He also had various roles in films such as ‘Magnolia’ and ‘The Replacement’. In 2001, he starred as Harry Block in ‘Evolution’, sharing the screen with David Duchovny. This became his breakthrough role and one of his most memorable performances. Since then, he has explored a variety of genres in film and television.

He can be seen as Frank Irving in ‘Sleepy Hollow’, Martin Eddy in ‘Abbott Elementary’, Kevin Weiss in ‘Bloodhound’ and one of the despised groomsmen in ‘Til Death Do Us Part’. Jones has also worked as a voice actor for video games such as ‘Halo 2’ and ‘LA Rush.’ His outstanding career made him one of the most respected actors of his time. He has used his platform and privilege to pave the way for young, emerging actors while speaking passionately about social and political issues. With Papa Legba, he not only takes on the challenge of playing a character that Reddick has turned into a fan favorite, but also adds a new dimension to him, showing just how relevant and important supernatural characters are in the world of ‘American Horror Story.’

Read More: What Previous Seasons Is AHS 13 Connected to? Which season should I watch before watching AHS 13?