‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ Character Spoilers: Who Is Edward Mordrake?
American Horror Story: Freak Show is going to introduce a character based on a real person, but of course he’s going to get a terrifying twist.
Denis O’Hare inadvertently gave away a huge character spoiler when he shared a photo of a gift basket sitting beside a copy of an American Horror Story: Freak Show script. According to Spoiler TV, the episode title reads, “Edward Mordrake Pt. 1.”
It was previously revealed that Wes Bentley will be playing a mysterious man named Eddie. He’s described as a “dark tormentor” who is connected to Kathy Bates’ character. It’s very likely that Eddie and Edward Mordrake are one and the same.
According to Enstars, there’s a possibility that Edward Mordrake was a real person with a real affliction that would have made him a famous freak show attraction. This wouldn’t be the first time American Horror Story featured a character based on someone who actually existed. Last season there were three characters based on real people: Kathy Bates’ sadistic slave murderer Delphine LaLaurie, Angela Bassett’s voodoo queen Marie Laveau, and Danny Huston’s jazz-loving Axeman serial killer.
Edward Mordrake differs from that trio of characters in that his existence is disputed. According to The Human Marvels, the story of the Man with Two Faces has been twisted over the years, and there’s really no way to verify that it’s even true.
Mordrake allegedly lived during the 19th century. The Englishman suffered from Diprosopus, a rare congenital disorder that causes facial features to form on other areas of the head. The photo below is just a wax representation of Mordrake.
Edward Mordrake was a good-looking guy from the front, but the back of his head featured a second face that was sometimes described as being twisted and evil. Here’s what The Human Marvels wrote about the different accounts of Edward’s affliction:
“In some versions of the story, the second face of Edward Mordrake is a beautiful girl.This is an impossibility as all parasitic twins are of the same sex. Often it was said that it possessed its own intelligence and was quite malignant in its intentions.It has been said that the eyes would follow spectators and its lips would ‘gibber’ relentlessly and silently. According to legend it would smile and sneer as Edward Mordrake wept over his condition.While no voice was ever audible, Edward Mordrake swore that often he would be kept awake by the hateful whispers of his ‘evil twin’.”
Edward Mordrake allegedly committed suicide at age 23. Whether his story is true or not, it’s definitely a tale of terror worthy of being told on American Horror Story: Freak Show. Perhaps Tom Waits could make a cameo to sing his song about Mordrake titled “Poor Edward.”
Jessica and our newest cast member Jyoti Amge…the world’s smallest woman. pic.twitter.com/SIPhd4V0pQ
— Ryan Murphy (@MrRPMurphy) August 13, 2014
It was recently confirmed that the world’s smallest woman, Jyoti Amge, will be joining the American Horror Story: Freak Show cast, and it looks like the show will also feature Amazon Eve/Erika Ervin, the world’s tallest professional model. As The Inquisitr previously reported, a leaked call sheet listed various Season 4 characters and the actors who would be playing them. The authenticity of the call sheet was never confirmed, but Amazon Eve did tweet a photo of herself with Ben Woolf. Woolf played the Infantata in American Horror Story: Murder House, and he was also listed on the call sheet as a character named Meep.
Out with my buddy Ben. pic.twitter.com/6dW8yzudTd
— Amazon Eve (@AmazonEve) July 25, 2014
Does the addition of the Edward Mordrake character make you even more excited for American Horror Story: Freak Show?
[Image credit: The Human Marvels]
