Chloë Sevigny played Shelley, a woman with nymphomania, in season 2 of American Horror Story, and she has taken on several of her most riveting roles since. Shelley is treated poorly during her 1960s stay at Briarcliff Manor and Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell) experiments on her, which is one of the more disturbing aspects of Asylum. The actor returned to the series in season 5 as Dr. Alex Lowe. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s series has been praised for telling a different tale each season, but some are more popular than others, and it’s compelling to see actors such as Sevigny portray different people each time.

Next, Sevigny will play C.Z. Guest in season 2 of the miniseries Feud in 2023, along with starring in Rian Johnson’s TV series Poker Face. Like Shelley in American Horror Story Asylum, Sevigny’s most memorable characters don’t hide in the background. Although the actor does stick to supporting parts, the roles aren’t clichéd like weak love interests or the stereotypical best friend who doesn’t have a crucial part to play in the main story. Whether playing a mother going through an emotional experience or a sibling caught up in darkness, Sevigny has taken on roles that are impactful and unforgettable.

Chloë Sevigny Played Chelsea O’Bannon In Bloodline

Sevigny appeared in all three seasons of the dark Netflix family drama Bloodline from 2015 to 2017 and played Chelsea O’Bannon, a nurse who is Eric’s sibling (Jamie McShane). Chelsea gets caught up in the danger of the Rayburn clan as Eric is friends with Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), whom she begins dating. She is part of the drama as she sleeps with the other Rayburn brother Kevin (Norbert Leo Butz). The shocking series finale of Bloodline answers all the questions left hanging, including that John (Kyle Chandler) murdered Danny and is stunned that he would end his own brother’s life.

The role is meatier than it might appear at first. Chelsea seems wise and perceptive and can tell that this is a family that has many problems and secrets. When she realizes that Danny has an anger problem and knows that this isn’t a healthy relationship, Sevigny shows her talent at portraying characters who are more important than they might seem to be at first. The series focuses on the Rayburn family’s pain and isolation but supporting players, like Alec Moros (Steven Pasquale), Meg Rayburn’s (Linda Cardellini) secret love interest, and Chelsea, show that the relatives are dysfunctional and each is hiding something.

Sevigny Played Mel In The Act

Hulu’s The Act tells the story of Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), who asks her boyfriend Nick Godejohn (Calum Worthy) to kill her mother Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette) after Dee Dee tells Gypsy that she has cancer when she doesn’t. The series explores a heartbreaking mother/daughter relationship changed by Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Sevigny’s character, Mel, is the mother of Lacey (AnnaSophia Robb), who becomes Gypsy’s friend. Mel and Dee Dee both appear cold in their scenes though Mel supports Dee Dee at first and doesn’t notice that anything is wrong. Through Mel, the series shares an important message about the secretive nature of this situation.

Mel doesn’t appear to enjoy parenthood but shows a softer side when she talks to Gypsy who is in prison at the end of the story. Similar to other dramatic miniseries about motherhood, The Act examines the aftermath of having a parent who doesn’t show affection or support. In this scene, Sevigny’s character lets Gypsy know “I can’t be your mom” which cements the show’s theme of how a parent can fail a child and fail to love or protect them and how that changes someone moving forward. Every time the actor has played a mother, the characters are dark and coping with challenges.

Sevigny Played Lenora Vulvokov In Russian Doll

Sevigny took on another mother role and portrayed Nadia’s (Natasha Lyonne) parent Lenora Vulvokov in Russian Doll. Nadia is confused and frightened in the show as she lives her 36th birthday again and again. In season 2 of Russian Doll, before she turns 40, she wakes up inside Lenora’s body at the time of Lenora’s pregnancy. This is a brilliant storyline allowing Nadia to understand her mother before and try to forgive her for the lack of love she has provided. While Mel is the opposite of a kind and compassionate parent, Lenora struggles with schizophrenia, which affects her ability to be a warm mother to her daughter.

Lenora has a profound effect on Nadia, who is too young to understand the depth of what is going on and who comes to terms with her mother’s mental health struggles as she gets older. Whether playing Shelley in American Horror Story or mothers who experience personal tragedies, Sevigny’s bold performances are perfectly intense. This character adds layers to Nadia’s backstories in Russian Doll season 2 and her experiences are treated in a careful and respectful way. While the show focuses on Lyonne’s tough, brash, and smart character, Lenora is an integral part of the story as she explains why Nadia feels that she must always appear strong.

Sevigny Played Janelle Yearly In Bones And All

Most recently, Sevigny played Janelle Yearly, Maren’s (Taylor Russell) mother, in the striking horror film Bones And All. She has been staying at a hospital in Minnesota, doesn’t speak, and has the same cannibalistic tendencies as her daughter. While Maren and Lee (Timothée Chalamet) fall in love and are glad to have found companionship in one another, Janelle has isolated herself. Sevigny’s character adds context to the true meaning of Bones and All as she is a portrait of what could happen to Maren if she doesn’t find connection along her path. While Maren has come to terms with her desires, her mother has been hiding because of them.

Similar to Shelley in American Horror Story, Janelle suffers from a condition that others don’t understand and judge her for. Sevigny delivers one of her strongest and boldest performances here. At first, it feels tough to feel compassion for a cannibal, but she plays Janelle as someone who has accepted her heart-wrenching fate and who lives with the pain of her situation every day of her life. It’s clear that Maren has always wished that she could know her mother better and that she has an important decision to make when she discovers how Janelle has coped with being a cannibal.