Coney Island Sideshow Performer Mat Fraser Stars In “American Horror Story”

A former Coney Island Circus Sideshow performer is making headlines for his breakout role in FX’s hit show “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” which wrapped its season last night.

Mat Fraser, who was born with phocomelia, a condition which left him with shortened arms, a result of his mother being prescribed the dangerous drug thalidomide during pregnancy, plays Paul the Illustrated Seal on the show.

Set in the 1950s, the latest season of “American Horror Story” centers around a group of freak performers in Jupiter, Florida, and evil people – including a psychiatrist and a pair of con artists – who don’t understand them and are bent on destroying them.

The New York Post has published a profile of Fraser, describing how the Coney Island show inspired him to become a performer:

In 2000, British-born Mat Fraser ignored the advice of his friends and bought a plane ticket to New York City. He planned to visit Coney Island’s famous Circus Sideshow to study the cultural heritage of disabled performers.

But seeing those Coney Island freaks in action opened up a whole new world of performing: 15 years later, Fraser is one of the most recognizable freak performers in the world…

Despite his newfound fame, the actor told the news outlet that Coney Island will always hold a special place in his heart.

“There’s something really raw and brutal and honest about performing in a freak show,” he said.

It was at the Coney Island show that Fraser met his wife, burlesque dancer Julie Atlas Muz, in 2005. They now share an apartment on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

“American Horror Story” – which stars actors like Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange – is the first television show to cast with freak actors alongside regular actors playing freaks. Today, Fraser is one of the most recognizable disabled actors in the industry and he has become a strong advocate for disability rights. The actor said he hopes the show will encourage more directors to cast actors with deformities.

“It’s a window of opportunity that’s been opened by (creator) Ryan Murphy casting us,” he told the Post. “That’s what I’d like to see: a bit more bravery from the casting directors and producers.”

Here’s a video of Fraser talking about his deformity and his experience as a disabled actor:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_IsA8NC8k

Here’s a preview of the season finale. It looks terrifying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZkbq4wh_q8