Prolific writer and producer Ryan Murphy’s latest show, Grotesquerie, is a mix of the old and the new for the creator. It marks a return to the horror genre, which Murphy is quite familiar with—his previous works have included Scream Queens and American Horror Story—but emphasizes religion, crime procedural elements, and family conflicts. When asked how working on Grotesquerie compared to his other works, particularly American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy stated that it was different because he worked in a smaller writer’s room and could tailor roles specifically to the actors he had in mind.
Grotesquerie, which premiered on FX on September 25, 2024, and will run for ten episodes, stars Niecy Nash-Betts as Detective Lois Tryon, who is charged with investigating a series of bizarre, brutal crimes in her hometown. Other cast members include Micaela Diamond as nun and journalist Sister Megan, Lesley Manville as the mysterious Nurse Redd, Courtney B. Vance as Lois’s husband Marshall, Raven Goodwin as the pair’s daughter Merritt, and Travis Kelce in an unrevealed role. Game Rant recently attended a press conference with Murphy and the cast, where the producer discussed the creation and casting process behind Grotesquerie and how it was unlike his former projects.
Grotesquerie Featured A Small Writer’s Room And Major Actor Involvement
Murphy immediately highlighted the writing process when asked how making Grotesquerie differed from his work with American Horror Story and Scream Queens. The project had a small writer’s room. He worked closely with Jon Robin Baitz and Joe Baken, as well as with Nash-Betts and Vance, who served as executive producers as well as starring as members of the Tryon family.
“There were three of us, and I was writing something very personal to me about what I thought was happening in the world, so that was different,” said Murphy. Across the many seasons of American Horror Story, Murphy visited many periods, ranging from the era of the Lost Colony of Roanoke to 1980s New York City. Grotesquerie, on the other hand, takes place in the modern day and focuses on a number of relevant issues, particularly the roles of religion and family in daily life.
Ryan Murphy Could Tailor Roles Specifically To The Actors He Wanted
Another difference Murphy highlighted is that he was able to tailor roles more specifically to the actors playing them and worked closely with the actors to develop their characters on a deeper level. He highlighted Lesley Manville, Micaela Diamond, and Niecy Nash-Betts as actors he had been looking forward to working with for a long time. Manville, in particular, was someone he was excited to create the role of Nurse Redd for.
“I would do two, three drafts of all of the scripts to really pinpoint not just the actors I was working with, what their talents were, but what I wanted as a fan to see them do. That was very different…I rewrote all of those parts for these specific actors with their input and advice and what they liked and what they didn’t.”
Murphy added that he felt he had more freedom when developing Grotesquerie because he was more established as a writer and a producer. Murphy now has many successful shows to his name; besides his horror offerings, he’s also worked on Nip/Tuck, Glee, 9-1-1, and several others. This allowed him to be experimental in his writing and directing style when it came to his newest production. “At this point in my career…I’m interested in the process,” Murphy enthused, grinning widely as he indicated the cast members seated beside him, before adding,
“I came at
Grotesquerie
from a fanboy approach. It was very rewarding. I loved doing it.”
