American Horror Story’s Naomi Grossman On The Many Challenges She Faced Playing Pepper – Looper

Luckily for any curious parties, Naomi Grossman has always been vocal about her experience on the set of “AHS.” Asked what “the most difficult part of playing Pepper” was In a 2013 Reddit AMA, Grossman didn’t hold back.

“Being blinded in one eye was uncomfortable,” she started. “Speaking normally with those teeth was a challenge (…) And of course, not getting full scripts — making certain acting decisions based on limited info was tricky. Especially when the character changed so dramatically. I didn’t see that coming either, and didn’t have a lot of time to wrap my head around that.” Why she didn’t just assume that Pepper would be abducted by aliens, turned hyper-intelligent, and assigned a role as quiet protector of the vulnerable before dying of pulmonary fibrosis is beyond us. Seems like pretty boilerplate storytelling.

But that’s not all. In a 2012 piece written for EW, Grossman brought up difficulties that might otherwise have gone unconsidered — namely, latex-induced boredom. “(…) all my on-set time-wasters are gone,” she explained. “I can’t take phone calls because my ears are buried in silicone. I can’t text because the iPhone doesn’t recognize my silicone fingers. I can’t graze at the craft services table, because that would require taking out my teeth. I’m not complaining,” she concluded. “It’s just part of the unusual circumstances of being Pepper.”