Angela Bassett To Play Voodoo Witch In Television Show Horror Series

Reported By: Britt L

In a spooky Season 3 of FX’s horror drama, American Horror Story: Coven, award winning actresses Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates are to play witches and voodoo priestesses from the slithering swamps of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The successful show was brought to the small screen in October 2011 with American Horror Story: Murder House and continued with American Horror Story: Asylum. Now the series is back to air in October 2013 with Coven.

At a Television Critics Association Summer press tour Friday, Bassett and Bates sat on an FX panel with fellow American Horror Story co-stars Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and executive producer Tim Minear. Shooting for the haunting show began last week, so the cast couldn’t reveal too much about their characters.

However, the stars did enclose enough information for American Horror Story fans to get excited about the new series.

Bates will play Madame Delphine LaLaurie, a notorious 19th-century socialite. LaLaurie was said to have tortured and murdered black slaves in Louisiana.

Bassett is set to take on the role as Marie Laveau, 19th-century voodoo priestess from New Orleans as well.

Both Bassett and Bates’ characters names are slightly changed, but the characters Madame LaLaurie and Marie Laveau’s lives are deeply embedded in the history and culture of New Orleans.

Madame LaLaurie and Laveau were a part of a coven of witches that relocated from Salem, Massachusetts to New Orleans after The Salem Witch Trials.

Bassett, who is a devout Christian, admitted to being a bit hesitant about the creepy nature of the character she is to play in the show. “There were some voodooins in who have offered to show me a few things, but I don’t know if I need all that right now,” Bassett said jokingly.

“Coven” will have themes of race and themes of oppression… a very strong theme of family and, specifically, mothers and daughters… along with laughs, scares, and a few tears,” explains the shows executive producer, Tim Minear.

Angela would be adding a bit of color to the show, seeing that she is the first African American to ever be prominently featured on the series.  Good luck to her in her new role.