Ginger-rights advocates, be on full alert.
"American Horror Story," the genuinely scary new drama from "Glee" creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, features a slew of unnerving redheads.
It starts with two redheaded twins meeting a grisly end, and later introduces a redhead maid who brings trouble to a family living in a very creepy house. She's played by two separate actresses and inhabits two different ages: Frances Conroy does her as an oddball matron, and Alexandra Breckenridge (above) as a sexed-out seductress.
No, the preponderance of redheads isn't an accident. Murphy talked to TheWrap about their importance to the show at the Television Critics Association Summer press tour Saturday — which happened to be the 100th anniversary of Lucille Ball's birth.
"That's a plot point," Murphy revealed. "I'm glad you noticed that."
The redheads have something to do with Dylan McDermott's character, a man who moves his family into the haunted Los Angeles manse after he cheats on his wife (Connie Britton).
"It's something that happened to Dylan's character as a child that involves redheads," Murphy said. "I just think that it's a beautiful childhood thing for him that will be explained."
Redheads used to get plenty of abuse in the U.K., but Murphy isn't worried about a backlash overseas.
"We love gingers," he assures them.
Breckenridge said she and Conroy died her hair for the role.
"Frances and I both went to the salon and had our hair done," she said, adding that Murphy hasn't told her yet why it had to be red: "I wish I knew."
