Naomi Grossman quickly became the breakout star of 2014 with her captivating performance as Pepper, a microcephalic sufferer with a very interesting past, on FX's "American Horror Story." Pepper the Pinhead was first introduced in 2012's "Asylum" and returned for "Freak Show."
This crossover made Grossman the first "AHS" star to reprise a role on two different seasons, something the shows legendary creator, Ryan Murphy, swore he would never do. While the actress has become known as the character that just wants someone to "play with me," Grossman actually began her career going at it alone in one-woman shows ("Girl in Argentine Landscape" and "Carnival Knowledge") that earned her award nominations and rave reviews.
HNGN caught up with the slim, 5-foot tall actress to talk about her role as Pepper, her views on "beauty" and what's ahead for her in 2015.
HNGN: Congratulations on the IMDb Starmeter Award. You were named one of the Top 10 Breakout Stars of 2014. What's it like to receive such an honor?
Grossman: I definitely owe the fans for this IMDb award. That was all them. And maybe that transparent dress I wore on the red carpet [to the "Freak Show" premiere]! It's kind of surreal, because it wasn't that long ago when I was like 93,000 [on that list] or something. I was right in the thick of it, with "Freak Show," when they announced that, so I didn't really have the time to wrap my head around what a big deal it was.
