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Who Is the MVP of 'American Horror Story'?

Gabourey Sidibe

Lizzie Brochere

Patti LuPone

Joseph Fiennes

Kate Mara

Naomi Grossman

Emma Roberts

Kathy Bates

James Cromwell

Taissa Farmiga

Dylan McDermott

Angela Bassett

Jamie Brewer

Frances Conroy

Zachary Quinto

Denis O'Hare

Lily Rabe

Connie Britton

Evan Peters

Sarah Paulson

Jessica Lange

As we tightly clench our admission tickets in anticipation for tonight's Freak Show, we can't help but be excited about seeing our favorite American Horror Story players reincarnated as their scariest characters yet. One aspect of AHS that we can count on to not be scary is the acting, which is always, hands-down, some of the most unmatched on network television.

Show veterans like Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson will bring their talents to the tent, as well as AHS: Coven's stars Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates. While the show's newest additions have certainly been crucial, we would love to see season 1 actors like Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, and Zachary Quinto make appearances at Jupiter, Florida's Freak Show this season — they were that good. With the show's shifting plots and story arcs, actors can play entirely different characters from season to season. And while a star like Britton has only played one role on the series, her performance has been one of the memorable yet.

But who's been the most important player throughout the entire show? We've ranked every actor from American Horror Story's three seasons — Murder House, Asylum, and Coven to determine who has been most valuable to Ryan Murphy's sinister creation. Check it out above, and leave your picks in the comments below.

[Photo Credit: FX/Robyn Richardson for VH1]