'American Horror Story' Season 4 News: Finn Wittrock On How 'Freak Show' Is Commentary On The 'Entertainment Industry' [VIDEO]
Finn Wittrock, of FX's American Horror Story: Freak Show, recently discussed his character Dandy and revealed how this season is ultimately a commentary on the entertainment industry.
Wittrock plays the devilish Dandy Mott on American Horror Story, a character with great complexity despite his new obsession with murder. The actor recently talked to IndieWire about the overall theme of this season of American Horror Story and how it relates to the way we consume entertainment.
"I think the themes this season are, first of all, the freaks in all of us. And how even the most villainous characters have a humanity underneath," the actor revealed. "Like the Clown, who became a monster but started out as a real man. There's monsters in all of us, but there's also vulnerability. I think there's a lot.
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"[Show co-creator] Ryan Murphy, he basically tries to find something that's a pulse, a pressure point in our culture, and he grabs it and he squeezes it. I think Freak Show has a lot to do with the entertainment industry and the way we entertain ourselves, the objectification of people and the lengths we'll go for our own amusement. It's sort of a warped version of our pop culture."
This objectification has been on full display on Freak Show, particularly with Stanley (Denis O'Hare), who has been looking for "freaks" to kill and put in a museum for monetary gain. Meanwhile, Dandy certainly represents the extent to which people will go to entertain themselves, as the character often proclaimed he was "bored" before he took up his murderous new hobby.
Switching to character motivations, Dandy is clearly one of the biggest villains American Horror Story has ever seen, but Wittrock makes a conscious effort to not think of his character as a villain in his acting.
"I can't think of him as a villain. I have to get under his skin. I always go for the vulnerability first and let the evil actions take care of themselves," he said. "You don't have to act demonic when you're cutting off someone's arm."
American Horror Story: Freak Show airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX.
Watch the promo for the next episode of American Horror Story below:
