The Richest American Horror Story Cast Member Might Surprise You

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the "American Horror Story" writers' room. What was the conversation that led to the horrific "Murder House" scene where Violet (played by Taissa Farmiga) discovers her own corpse? How did a single group of presumably well-adjusted human beings conceive literally anything that happened in "Hotel" — not least The Addiction Demon and his drill bit?

After 10 seasons of pure insanity, the series has graced creator Ryan Murphy with a reputation for conjuring the most twisted storylines possible, the kind that warrant Common Sense Media warnings and polarizing op-eds (see: Vanity Fair calling Season 5 "garbage" even though it kickstarted Lady Gaga's acting career). It's also made him a heck of a lot of money. 

In 2018, Murphy reportedly signed a $300 million producing deal with Netflix, the biggest in TV history. This was in no small part due to his track record with series-turned-cultural phenomena like "AHS," "Glee," and "American Crime Story." For a time, it seemed like whatever Murphy touched turned to gold, and he parlayed that into an astounding $150 million estimated net worth — but he's not the only one raking it in. The stars of "American Horror Story" aren't doing half bad either. 

A decade in, longtime members of the ensemble cast have established themselves outside of the show. Even the newest members, who've just begun to show their chops in "Double Feature," have become full-fledged TV stars. The richest might just surprise you.

Unlike some of her castmates, Angelica Ross didn't have many credits when she was cast in "Double Feature" — but she did have critical acclaim. The transgender actor began her Hollywood career in 2016 on the Emmy-nominated YouTube series "Her Story." By 2018, she was rubbing elbows with Billy Porter on the set of Ryan Murphy's Emmy-winning drama "Pose." It was a whirlwind of success but a whirlwind that was a long time coming.

Like most stars, Ross worked a few normal jobs — a less-than-glamorous gig at Applebee's, a brief stint in the navy, and two different jobs at shopping mall makeup counters. During this time, her family struggled with her trans identity. In a Cosmopolitan essay, she revealed that they kicked her out of the house when she decided to transition at the age of 19. That's when she moved to Hollywood — Hollywood, Florida.

In Florida, Ross worked as an escort and model, making around $1,000 per photoshoot while teaching herself the tech skills that helped her launch her own business. Eventually, she founded the nonprofit, TransTech Social Enterprises. "Learning computer skills helped me pull myself out of a difficult situation," she said. "I knew that members of my community could be their own saviors."

As her nonprofit grew, she started acting in her roommate's web series. Nobody could've predicted it'd land an Emmy nomination and kickstart her acting career. Today, Ross is worth between $1 million and $5 million.

Despite her work on "The Newsroom" and "Ray Donovan," Adina Porter has become somewhat of a science fiction icon — whether she's dealing with vampires, voodoo, or a post-apocalyptic Earth. Fans might not remember, but her journey with "American Horror Story" started way back in Season 1, years before she became a regular cast member. At the time, she was best known as Lettie Mae Thornton in HBO's "True Blood."

Porter became a fulltime "AHS" cast member in 2016 but not before she hit it big with "The 100," a young adult sci-fi drama that aired for seven seasons on The CW. By the time the series wrapped, it had secured cult status (and successfully confused fans who followed the convoluted plot through more than a handful of apocalypses). This was Porter's largest role to date, but it was also the role she thought she'd never land.

"I had my take on the role and I remember getting an adjustment but can't recall what the adjustment was," she told Direct Submit. "Perhaps it was to go deeper. The offense hurts even more ... Of the three auditions I had that day, I thought my 'The 100' audition was the weakest."

It just goes to show you that we're all our own worst critics. Porter has since amassed an estimated net worth of $2 million.

Frances Conroy may just be one of the most revered actors in all of "American Horror Story: Double Feature" — and we're not even talking about her Tony-nominated theatre career. Between "AHS" and her breakout role on HBO's "Six Feet Under," she's racked up six Emmy nominations, SAG awards, and a Golden Globe. That's no small feat.

Conroy's darkest roles tend to be her most celebrated. When Joaquin Phoenix won an Academy Award for 2019's "Joker," it was not without the support of her heartbreaking Penny Fleck. The audience felt the same kind of pain in her inaugural "AHS" character, Moira O'Hara. The actor can effortlessly face her demons — or even be the demon herself — but in reality, she's not quite as fearless.

"I never watch horror movies ... they scare me," she told Daily Dead in 2013. "... It's interesting that I've been involved in these kinds of projects. They are compelling, but this kind of world scares me."

Nonetheless, Conroy's knack for horror has helped her amass an estimated $4 million net worth.

Finn Wittrock appeared in more episodes of "All My Children" than most actors can book in their entire careers — and shaking the stigma of daytime soaps isn't easy. His debut as Dandy Mott in "American Horror Story: Freak Show" helped shatter his past image, pairing the face of a soap star with the sociopathic tendencies of Patrick Bateman. Cue: his first Emmy nomination.

Since then, Wittrock has nabbed roles in major blockbuster pictures, appearing opposite Ryan Gosling in both "The Big Short" and "La La Land." He's also become a favorite of Ryan Murphy, who tapped him for "American Crime Story" (cue: second Emmy nomination) and "Ratched." It's not surprising that Wittrock considers himself lucky, but his career isn't all down to luck.

"I've taken the stairs, not the elevator," he told BuzzFeed in 2014. "Some people jump to the top and I feel like I've had to work up, step by step ... I'm still fighting for every job I get. In general, the only reason I want any fame or notoriety is so I can work with the best people. It just opens the door to rooms you want to be in, rooms filled with the people you want to meet."

At the time of this writing, Wittrock is worth an estimated $5 million.

Macaulay Culkin is just about the last person fans would expect to see on "American Horror Story." In some ways, his role in "Double Feature" — which is his most significant in years — must've even surprised him. Back in 2016, the former child star still considered himself "effectively retired" as he toured around in a Pizza-themed Velvet Underground tribute band called the Pizza Underground (as retired people do). So what happened?

There was a point where Culkin was the highest paid child actor in history. According to ABC News, he made $8 million a film at the height of his career but stepped away to have a normal life before he started high school. "I decided to tell my mother, my representatives ... 'I don't wanna do this anymore, I wanna go to school, I wanna make friends ... so don't even bring up movies, don't even bring up acting,'" he told Barbara Walters in a "20/20" interview (via ABC News). "... I never wanted to do it again."

Today, he's still worth an estimated $18 million and has only dabbled in a few select acting projects (like voicing a character in "Robot Chicken," which allowed him to remain completely off-screen). It's unclear what was different about "American Horror Story," but his performance has been widely praised. If anything, it's fuel for the long-running conspiracy theory that Kevin McCallister is a psychopath. He's probably right at home with Dandy Mott and Tate Langdon.