Evan Peters’ Best Performances, Ranked

Evan Peters skyrocketed to fame after his portrayal of Tate in the first season of American Horror Story, dubbed Murder 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 as Kick-Ass and quickly canceled TV series like Phil of the Future and Invasion. 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 of AHS, and was cast as Quicksilver in the recent X-Men franchise. 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 in Mare 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.

8/8 Kick-Ass

Before his big break in American Horror Story, Peters had a role in director Matthew Vaughn’s black comedy superhero movie Kick-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.

7/8 Adult World

Scott Coffey’s Adult World featured Emma Roberts and Evan Peters, who would later co-star together on American Horror Story, as well as the 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.

6/8 Elvis & Nixon

Elvis & Nixon is a comedy-drama directed by Liza Johnson with a cast including Michael Shannon as 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.

5/8 Pose

Ryan Murphy’s Pose has 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 to win a Golden Globe, and the show broke a lot of equity barriers. For his part in Pose, 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.

4/8 X-Men: Days of Future Past

After his appearance in American Horror Story, Peters secured the role of Quciksilver in the X-Men franchise, which would familiarize him with the world of blockbusters. Quicksilver is a mutant who has the ability of super speed. Peters starred in X-Men: Days of Future Past, X-Men: Apocalypse, and X-Men: Dark Phoenix, receiving strong reviews and securing himself a place in the franchise’s history.

3/8 Mare of Easttown

Mare of Easttown follows 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 plays Mare 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 how great 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 Easttown is brilliant, one of the best TV series of 2021, and a great deal of that is thanks to Peters and Winslet’s performances.

2/8 Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Nearly unrecognizable, Peters goes through an amazing transformation to become the infamous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the controversial smash hit Monster: 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 a glorification 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 for Monster, and whether you hate the show or love it, his performance simply can’t be ignored.

1/8 American Horror Story

American Horror Story has entered its 11th season, and Peters has had a main role in nine of them. The horror anthology series presents 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 In American 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, dubbed Asylum, where he ironically played a genuinely good man who was assumed to be a psychopathic murderer. Peters has remarked on 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 why American Horror Story is so great.

Peters’ next big role will be in the film Snow Ponies alongside 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 Ponies will likely be released near the end of 2023 or early 2024, and with Peters in the lead, we can’t wait.