Chloë Sevigny

Chloë Sevigny
Asylum	Shelley
Hotel	Alex Lowe

Chloë Stevens Sevigny (born November 18, 1974) is an American actress.

Biography

Originally hailing from Darien, Connecticut, Sevigny attributes weekend trips into nearby New York City in her teens as an important early saving grace from her super rich and stuffy hometown. It was on one such trip at the age of eighteen, that Sevigny was spotted on the street by a fashion editor for Sassy magazine. Impressed by her flair for street fashion, the editors of the progressive teen mag asked Sevigny to intern in their offices which led to a few modeling jobs with both Sassy and X-Girl, the urban clothing line created by Sonic Youth front-woman Kim Gordon.

At this time Sevigny also spent a lot of her time watching the skateboarders who convened in New York's Tompkins square park. It was here that she met young aspiring director Harmony Korine, and a friendship ensued, resulting in her being cast as the lead in Korine and Larry Clark's collaboration Kids (1995). At around the same time Sevigny snagged the cover of Interview magazine, and even inspired writer Jay McInerney to write a piece about her for The New Yorker in which he hailed her as the new "it girl."

The late nineties saw Sevigny continuing her acting career with a string of independent films, among them Trees Lounge (1996), Palmetto (1998), and Whit Stillman's homage to early 80s yuppiedom The Last Days of Disco (1998). In 1997 Sevigny and Korine teamed up again to make Gummo (1997), in which Sevigny was both star and costume designer. In 2000 that Sevigny's career made a turn towards more mainstream recognition when her portrayal of Lana Tisdel in Boys Don't Cry (1999) garnered her an Oscar nod at the age of twenty-five.

From 2006-11 she played sister-wife Nicolette Grant on the hit HBO drama "Big Love" which garnered her a Golden Globe win in 2010. She joined the cast of American Horror Story in 2012. The same year she starred as pre-op transgender contract killer Mia in the British TV drama "Hit & Miss". In 2014, she took another starring TV role in the short-lived A&E crime drama Those Who Kill as troubled homicide cop Catherine Jensen. She has also had recurring roles on the TV comedies The Mindy Project and Portlandia as well as one-time appearances on Will & Grace, Law & Order: SVU, and Louie. Before returning in AHS: Hotel, she wrapped a recurring role in the 2015 series Bloodline.

Work on American Horror Story

Chloë Sevigny portrayed Briarcliff Manor's nymphomaniac inmate Shelley in the second season of American Horror Story, subtitled Asylum and afflicted doctor Alex Lowe in the fifth season, Hotel.

Chloë Sevigny on working in Asylum

Chloë Sevigny takes on controversial roles both in film and on TV. In what's possibly her most disturbing role yet, Sevigny currently appears on Ryan Murphy's American Horror Story: Asylum as a nymphomaniac named Shelley. After a scene that involved a potential rape and an intense fight with the psychotic Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell) on this week's episode, Sevigny took the time to talk to HuffPost via phone to discuss "Asylum," her character's future and more.

Shelley is a very complicated character. How are you able to get to the level that you do?

"Well, for last night's scene, I was inspired by James. I had to match his intensity. I would just kind of blend into the background if I didn't go head to head with him, so I had to ramp it up for that. But I watched "The Corridor." There's a maniac that inspired the Shelley character, and one of my lines in the first episode is pulled from that movie. So I watched that scene a few times."

Which aspect of the show has been scariest to you? There are so many different storylines going on.

"What happens to Sarah Paulson's character [later on] is what's scariest to me. Just being in a situation you can't get out of. Not only in the asylum, but she ends up somewhere else. But I guess what happens to my character is far worse. God, I don't know if I should have said that. I'm gonna get in trouble!"

What about the religious aspect of it? Do you feel like any religious group will push back on this?

"I think we're going to offend every religious sect."

I'm surprised there hasn't been an outcry yet. The exorcisms, the nuns, the prostitution ...

"Maybe it's just outrageous enough that they can't say anything. Maybe they think not saying anything is more powerful. But I'm surprised too, I thought there would be more outrage."

Notes

• While portraying Shelley after her encounter with Dr. Arthur Arden, she had to be wheeled around in a wheelchair between scenes because her prosthetic pieces made it hard for her to straighten her legs.
• Sevigny and Lady Gaga are the only two cast members to appear in all episodes of Hotel. 

Appearances

Episode appearances for Chloë Sevigny

Story or Series	Character	Episodes
Asylum	Shelley	Welcome to Briarcliff Tricks and Treats Nor'easter I Am Anne Frank: Part 1 I Am Anne Frank: Part 2 The Origins of Monstrosity
Hotel	Dr. Alex Lowe	Checking In Chutes and Ladders Mommy Devil's Night Room Service Room 33 Flicker The Ten Commandments Killer She Wants Revenge She Gets Revenge Battle Royale Be Our Guest

Gallery

Chloë Sevigny as Shelley

Chloë Sevigny as Dr. Alex Lowe