Last week, millions of viewers checked into the sinister Hotel Cortez on "American Horror Story: Hotel," making it one of the most watched premieres in the FX network's history.
At the end of episode one, the Cortez received its latest guest when Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley) moved in with the intent of getting to know the Art Deco digs more intimately from the inside and get a handle on the spate of gruesome murders linked to it.
While more guests will be checking in this season, don't expect them all to pay the bill when checking out.
To Wittrock, having Lady Gaga, whom he is a huge fan of, join the cast was a great decision, one that filled the void left by "AHS" Grande Dame Jessica Lange after she decided to sit this season out.
"I think that's why the show is very big this year... they are making bold casting choices," he explained exclusively. "There is an energy drop with her not being there [as] our Grande Dame."
For more of HNGN's exclusive conversation with the dandy Wittrock, read on.
What can you reveal about this season?
You know, I wish there were better ground rules with the show. I don't know that much beyond the first few episodes. Basically, there's a haunted hotel with Lady Gaga inside. That's about it. [Laughs]
That's all you can tell?
We do know that the creator of the hotel was also something of a psychopath. It's not me, but we'll find out who that is. So the hotel has a lot of secrets and ghosts and weird things living in the basement.
Do you know if there are any outlandishly crazy scenes for you this season like last time?
I can't say. But there is lots of blood. Matt Bomer, Gaga and I... there is a bit of a triangle. And it's not like a threesome — it's a real triangle. I just can't wait for people to see it.
How did you prepare yourself to work with Lady Gaga?
We texted a lot to get to know each other. I can say we have a lot to do together — and it's rather intense.
On a personal level, are you excited to work with her?
I am, and I'm a fan. She is such an icon that it's cool to get to know the person. I think she's a real artist, and Ryan [Murphy] definitely wrote the part with her in mind. It's going to be something really cool, like two minds meeting each other, and be something creative, interesting, dark, sexy and cool.
This really opens the doors to a whole new bunch of "Little Monsters."
Yeah, that's true. That's good for the show in general as it does open it up to a whole new demographic, especially with Jessica Lange not here.
You didn't have many scenes with Lange last season though.
I only had about two, but I got to know her enough. In a lot of ways, I think she is the rock of the show and she really drove it in lots of ways. Ryan has a lot of things to do and can't always be there, so she was often the person that was the head honcho in a way.
What's she like?
She's like an old-school, classy dame of the movies. She is a true movie star. She treats everything with grace and intelligence, and that's a very contagious thing.
How was it becoming a part of the repertory group that is the "American Horror Story" cast?
It was awesome! At first, the worry is that it's going to be clicky, like a boys' club with a lot of girls in it. But it actually wasn't. Everyone welcomed me with very open arms and was supportive of what I was doing. To be honest, after the first day or two, the word goes around that you don't suck and that does have an effect on people. Then it's like, what you're doing is interesting and cool and it is not what I expected the part to be. It does give you a certain street credit. And it's not a hard group to fit into, I will say that.
You did some pretty crazy stuff last season. When you got those scripts — 'I'm a clown! I'm naked!' — what went through your head?
Oh, and then I'm bathing in blood! [Laughs] There's always that initial knee-jerk shock moment of like, "How the hell am I going to pull this off?" Then, you have to go back to Acting 101 and "What would Dandy do?" How do you get into the soul of this guy that I've actually weirdly come to love?
You actually loved Dandy?
I have to, that's my job. No one else has to, but I do. So I just found the inner crazy and the inner Dandy — I might make that into a bumper sticker or T-shirt!
How did playing someone as out there as him affect your everyday life?
It was funny, in New Orleans where we shot, at least once a day, someone would notice and take a picture. Often you might get a drink bought for you, which is nice, but in Los Angeles people are a lot more circumspect. You'll see them look at you, but there's a lot less gushing because people are way too cool for that in Los Angeles. And the same with New York. So where I live, I keep pretty quiet. Now and then you have to attend things and you realize there are a lot of fans.
And you got married during the run of the show, how was that for your wife?
My wife actually helped me put on the cock sock — that's the professional term for it! — in certain scenes. [Laughs]
So she was pretty receptive to what you had to do on-screen?
She thought it was funny actually. We're both from the theater. She comes from a dance background and we met at Juilliard where people are naked all the time. We went through a lot of crazy shit. So we've been through the madness. She's not too phased by it all, but there's always that moment of just telling who you're making out with and what body parts will be showing. Then she's over it. She's pretty awesome.
And she's there to help you with sock placement.
Exactly! If you've got to have a fluffer....
"American Horror Story: Hotel" airs Wednesdays, at 10 p.m. EDT, on FX.
