Evan Petersskyrocketed to fame after his portrayal of Tate in the firstseason ofAmerican Horror Story, dubbedMurder House. He played the sadistic character with a lovable edge and became a sensation, becoming the face of the franchise and gracing Tumblr feeds worldwide. Before this point, he had only featured in small roles in movies such asKick-Assand quickly canceled TV series likePhil of the FutureandInvasion.Still, his acting talents were obvious, and his career would soon flourish.
Updated October 24th, 2022: If you’ve been a long-time fan of Evan Peters or are just discovering his talents in the new Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer, you’ll be happy to know that we’ve updated this article about his best performances with additional content and even higher quality.
Peters continued his success in multiple more seasons ofAHS, and wascast as Quicksilverin the recentX-Menfranchise. This took his career to new levels, moving his success from the small screen to the big screen. His career has only blossomed since then, winning an Emmy for his role alongside Kate Winslet inMare of Easttown, and shows no sign of slowing down, especially since his chilling portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer in a new Netflix series has taken the world by storm. Here’s a look at the best Evan Peters performances, ranked.
Before his big break inAmerican Horror Story, Peters had a role indirector Matthew Vaughn’s black comedy superhero movieKick-Ass. His co-stars included Aaron Johnson and Chloë Grace Moretz, and the story follows Dave Lizewski (Johnson) as he sets out to become a real-life superhero known as ‘Kick-Ass.’ Peters plays Dave’s friend Todd Haynes (weirdly named after the great film director), who later becomes a superhero as well. It’s enjoyable to watch Peters in a role just before he became a household name.
7Adult World
Scott Coffey’sAdult Worldfeatured Emma Roberts and Evan Peters, who would later co-star together onAmerican Horror Story,as well asthe great John Cusack. The story followed Amy (played by Emma Roberts) an aspiring poet who is aiming to be like Cusack’s character Rat Billings. Peters plays Alex who is a co-worker of Amy’s, later turned love interest. The film had a limited release as a low-budget indie, and it’s one that would slip under many people’s radars. That’s a shame, since it’s an enjoyable watch, one that feels free flowing yet carefully constructed at the same time.
6Elvis & Nixon
Elvis & Nixonis a comedy-drama directed by Liza Johnson with acast including Michael Shannonas Elvis, Kevin Spacey as Nixon, Alex Pettyfer, Johnny Knoxville, and Colin Hanks. The film depicts the White House meeting between President Nixon and Elvis, and offers an insight into two men who are iconic American figures who no longer feel that they understand the culture. Peters plays Dwight Chapin, and delivers a strong performance even as a secondary character.
Ryan Murphy’sPosehas been hugely successful, and one of the most monumental shows of recent years. The series focuses on New York City’s ballroom scene in the 80s and 90s, and features a large ensemble cast including MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Billy Porter, and Indya Moore.
Related:Every Ryan Murphy TV Series, Ranked
Posemade history with Rodriquez being the first transgender woman towin a Golden Globe, and the show broke a lot of equity barriers. For his part inPose, Peters played Stan Bowes, an employee of Trump Tower who was a lover of Angel (Moore). The relationship is heartbreaking and unfair, highlighting the inequalities which the community often faces.
4X-Men: Days of Future Past
After his appearance inAmerican Horror Story, Peterssecured the role of Quciksilverin theX-Menfranchise, which would familiarize him with the world of blockbusters. Quicksilver is a mutant who has the ability of super speed. Peters starred inX-Men: Days of Future Past,X-Men: Apocalypse, andX-Men: Dark Phoenix, receiving strong reviews and securing himself a place in the franchise’s history.
3Mare of Easttown
Mare of Easttownfollows detective Mare Sheehan as she explores a murder in a small town. The series was acclaimed by critics and garnered 16 Emmy nominations.Kate Winslet playsMare Sheehan, and an Emmy-winning Peters plays Detective Colin Zabel, who assists Mare on her investigation.
Peters and Winslet have great chemistry together, and Peters even remarked on howgreat an opportunity it was to work with Winslet. He seems more grown-up and mature here than in most of his other roles, with a melancholic seriousness that he’s slowly mastered over the years.Mare of Easttownis brilliant, one of the best TV series of 2021, and a great deal of that is thanks to Peters and Winslet’s performances.
2Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Nearly unrecognizable, Peters goes through an amazing transformation to become the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the controversial smash hitMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The Netflix series has been binged and discussed endlessly, becoming critically divisive in the process. Some say that the series' succumbs to aglorification of true crime, rather than an exploration of it, with many friends and family of Dahmer’s victims stating that it has traumatized and offended them to no end.
Related:Why Jeffrey Dahmer Is One of Evan Peters’ Best Performances
Still, it’s become a massively popular cultural touchstone in 2022, with people even dressing up as Jeffrey Dahmer for Halloween. Regardless of what one thinks of the show ethically, it’s almost universally agreed upon that Peter is absolutely phenomenal. Working with Ryan Murphy yet again, Peters sinks into a very dark, disturbing place forMonster, and whether you hate the show or love it, his performance simply can’t be ignored.
1American Horror Story
American Horror Storyhas entered its 11th season, and Peters has had a main role in nine of them. Thehorror anthology seriespresents a new story with a new set of characters every season (with occasional connections), making it a fun challenge for the cast to constantly adopt new roles; however, Peters does so very easily and successfully, and is almost always a stand-out member of the cast, contested only by the endlessly brilliant Sarah Paulson and Jessica Lange.
After his first portrayal of Tate InAmerican Horror Story: Murder House, Peters has succeeded in a variety of roles over his time on the show. Perhaps his best work was in season two, dubbedAsylum, where he ironically played a genuinely good man who was assumed to be a psychopathic murderer.Peters has remarkedon how playing dark characters has taken a toll on his mental health, which is partly why he has taken a break, though he intends to return at some point, depending on how long the show goes on. Hopefully it’s soon, because his performances have been excellent and an essential component of whyAmerican Horror Storyis so great.
Peters' next big role will be in the filmSnow Poniesalongside Jon Bernthal, Josh Gad, and Charlie Plummer. The mysterious film, the debut directorial feature from famed stunt coordinator Darrin Prescott, follows a group of men tasked with delivering a package across a treacherous landscape brimming with obstacles and foes.Snow Ponieswill likely be released near the end of 2023 or early 2024, and with Peters in the lead, we can’t wait.
