Though four years on the FX anthology have netted the actress two Emmys, three Emmy nominations, a SAG Award and a Golden Globe, she broke fan hearts by announcing her exit on a PaleyFest panel in March. “I’m done,” she declared simply.
Or is she?
“If Ryan came to me and said, ‘Would you want to do a small character for a couple episodes?’ I would absolutely say yes if I liked it,” Lange said during a recent interview for TheWrap’s Emmy magazine. “This was a great collaboration, so I would love to keep working with him.”
Lange is technically headed back to work for Murphy — for a Broadway staging of “Long Day’s Journey Into Night,” which begins previews at the Roundabout Theatre Company in March 2016. But first we’ll see if her last major “Horror Story” effort, as grande dame Elsa Mars in this year’s “Freak Show,” will earn her a fourth consecutive Emmy nod.
“There was a thread through all four of those characters, which is a kind of desperation, a profound disappointment in life,” Lange said.
“As on-edge or neurasthenic as they appear to be, they have a spine of steel,” she said. “It’s exactly the kind of complexity in a character that I love, that it appears to be one thing and it’s something else.”
The fifth season, “American Horror Story: Hotel,” returns to FX in October and will star Matt Bomer, Lady Gaga, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates.
TheWrap's Emmy Party: Stars of 'Empire,' 'Silicon Valley,' 'American Crime,' 'Jane the Virgin' (Photos)
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"American Crime" creator John Ridley
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"Silicon Valley" stars Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani
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The London Hotel in West Hollywood
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"Empire" star Kaitlin Doubleday
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"American Horror Story" star Finn Wittrock
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Justin Baldoni and Jaime Camil
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"Modern Family" executive producer Christopher Lloyd
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TheWrap's cover star "American Crime's" Richard Cabral and guest with Elvis Nolasco
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"Chasing Life" star Richard Brancatisano
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"Dark Matter" star Marc Bendavid
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"Jane the Virgin" stars Jaime Camil, Yael Groblas, and Justin Baldoni
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"Scandal" star Joe Morton
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"Power" creator and executive producer Courtney Kemp Agboh
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"Justified" star Joelle Carter and Danielle Panabaker
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"The Flash" star Danielle Panabaker
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"The Flash" star Rick Cosnett
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"Rectify" star Abigail Spencer
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"The Flash" Danielle Panabaker and "The Originals" Leah Pipes
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"Modern Family" creator Christopher Lloyd and son Eli
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"The Slap" star Michael Nouri and "Bosch" star Titus Welliver
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"The Night Shift" star Robert Bailey Jr. and Christina Smith
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"American Crime" star Elvis Nolasco
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"You're the Worst" stars Kether Donohue and Desmin Borges
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"American Crime" creator John Ridley and "Being Mary Jane" star Stephen Bishop
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TheWrap Editor in Chief Sharon Waxman, "Empire" star Kaitlin Doubleday, and Executive Editor Joseph Kaspch
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MySpace Founder and present CEO of SGN Chris DeWolfe
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"Survivor's Remorse" Erica Ash and "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll" star Elaine Hendrix
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Wrap's Editor in Chief Sharon Waxman and executive editor Joseph Kapsch flanked by "Jane the Virgin" stars Yael Grobglas, Justin Baldoni and Jaime Camil
"Complications" star Lauren Stamile and Beth Riesgraf
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"American Crime" star Richard Cabral
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"UnREAL" star Breeda Wool
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"Jane the Virgin" star Yael Grobglas
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"Bosch" star Jason Gedrick
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"Wet Hot American Summer" creator David Wain
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"Power" star Lela Loren
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"Jane the Virgin" stars Justin Baldoni, Anthony Mendez, and Jaime Camil
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Disney Channel "Teen Beach Movie 2" John DeLuca
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"The Expanse" Cas Anvar and "Homeland" and "Blood and Oil" star Shaun Toub
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"Being Mary Jane" star Stephen Bishop
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"Silicon Valley" star Suzanne Cryer
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"Jane the Virgin" Yael Grobglas
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"Ballers" star Donovan Carter
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"Empire's" Kaitlin Doubleday and "Episodes" Mircea Monroe
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"Jane the Virgin" stars Justin Baldoni and Jaime Camil smooch TheWrap Editor in Chief Sharon Waxman
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"Sex&Drugs&RocknRoll's'" Elaine Hendrix, "Better Call Saul's" Patrick Fabian, "Dark Matter's" Marc Bendavid, "Chasing Life's" Richard Brancatisano and "Complications" actresses Beth Riesgraf and Lauren Stamile gather for a group shot
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"The Last Ship" star Travis Van Winkle
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"black-ish" star Jeff Meacham
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"Homeland" star Shaun Toub
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"The Expanse" star Cas Anvar
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"The Fosters" star Keean Johnson
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"Better Call Saul" star Patrick Fabian
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"Ray Donovan" star Kerris Dorsey
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"Survivor's Remorse" star Erica Ash
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DJ Resin Eight
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"The Comeback" star Robert Michael Morris
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"How to Get Away With Murder" composer Rupert Parkes and guest
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Elaine Hendrix and Patrick Fabian
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"Survivor's Remorse" Erica Ash and "Ray Donovan's" Pooch Hall
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TV industry players celebrate the best in television on the rooftop of London Hotel in West Hollywood at 2nd annual event