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American Horror Story’s Chrissy Metz: “I’m Scared Out of My Mind” by the Show

Chrissy Metz on American Horror Story
American Horror Story: Freak Show's Chrissy Metz dished to Us Weekly about the scariest part of AHS, what it's like to work with Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange, and what's in store for her character

Nothing to fear but fear itself? Yeah, right. Fans aren't the only ones spooked by the scenes on Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Freak Show. Us Weekly caught up with the series' newest star, Chrissy Metz, earlier this week, and she admitted to being "scared out of her mind" by the FX drama. 

Metz — who plays Barbara "Ima" Wiggles on Freak Show — recalled watching the first and second installments of AHS, Murder House and Asylum, with her best friend last Christmas. "I was like, 'If I am ever on this show, I will be scared out of my mind,'" she quipped to Us. "I definitely watched it through my fingers because I'm scared out of my mind about it." 

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Asylum was "super scary," she added, as are the opening credits of Freak Show. "That's enough to not even make me want to watch it," she said, referring the creepy carnival-themed montage of killer clowns and animated dolls. "I had to really separate it. I was like, 'Chrissy, this isn't real. This blood and all this stuff, it's not real. Because I really feel invested."

Even more traumatizing than the blood and guts, though, is "the conniving nature of so many of these characters," she shared. "That's scary to me, because blood and all that stuff is gross, but I know it's not real." Personalities, on the other hand, are harder to isolate, especially when they're brought to life by icons like Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange.

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"I have to remind myself that I'm in the show and not watching a show," Metz joked of seeing them perform on set. "Besides their incredible mastery of their art, they have incredible chemistry and these characters are so deep. I'm just kind of in love with Kathy Bates. And Sarah Paulson."

She admires them so much, in fact, that sometimes she can't believe she's working alongside them — but she is. "It was difficult for me because I've revered so many of these actresses and actors for so long," she admitted. "Then I was like, 'You know what? We're all here to do a job.'"

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Which is not to say she doesn't have to pinch herself every once in a while. "It's very surreal," she dished. "I still am like, is this my life? It is!"

Metz was vague about what's next for her character — "we never know until we get the scripts what's going to happen," she said — but she did hint at an interesting dynamic between Ima and Evan Peters' alter ego. "[Ima] happened to be somebody who would be there for him or was there for him when he needed somebody, but who knows what his intentions are?" she teased. "I think he's just looking for someone, not necessarily Ima." 

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In real life, of course, Peters is engaged to costar Emma Roberts. "He's the nicest guy," Metz gushed to Us. "You're like, 'Oh my god, why are you so cute?' It's funny, because he and Emma are engaged and in a relationship, and I'm always like, 'Oh my gosh, I hope we don't have to do anything that's going to be weird!'"

Like make out with Roberts' fiance, perhaps? "Oh, one could only hope," Metz joked.

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