Billy Eichner’s ‘AHS: Cult’ Character Has A Sinister Hobby

Aside from all of the killer clowns, fans have the host of Billy On The Street to look forward to seeing on American Horror Story: Cult. He's playing Harrison Wilton, but, is Billy Eichner's AHS: Cult character a real person? After all, if there are two things that fans have come to expect from AHS, it is brilliant portrayals of real historical figures and the uncanny ability to get audiences on the edge of their seats right from the jump. So much so, that this season already has fans suddenly terrified of going to the grocery store at night for fear that aggressive clowns may get busy by their favorite produce item. So will Eichner's character be adding to these fears?

So far, there's no indication from FX, creator Ryan Murphy, or Eichner that officially says that Harrison Wilton is based on anyone who currently exists or once existed. With the lack of evidence suggesting otherwise, it appears that Harrison is likely not a direct riff on any real person. In fact, not a lot has been revealed about this character at all. Eichner himself has only revealed little tidbits here and there, like telling PopSugar at the 2017 VMAs that Harrison is a beekeeper.

When Deadline released the casting details for Eichner, not much else was made explicit about Harrison, though anonymous sources claimed he'd be a close "confidante" of Sarah Paulson's character Ally and would be wearing "mysterious tank tops". That's an amazing character description, but it doesn't give fans a lot of insight into who Harrison could possibly be.

At first glance, it may seem rather innocuous that Harrison is a beekeeper, but fans may remember that the promotions for American Horror Story: Cult have featured bees prominently. Entertainment Weekly reported that when asked about this seemingly strange choice during a Q&A at a special screening for the first three episodes of the season held by FX, Ryan Murphy responded, "Bees are the original cult."

When you actually consider that thought process, Eichner's mysterious character suddenly becomes a lot more interesting. After all, bees have the original "hive mind," which tends to be a prerequisite for a cult leader to truly get followers to dedicate everything they are to a cause. This makes Eichner's character slightly scarier because, as a beekeeper, he is the man in charge of what Murphy calls "the original cult."

According to the Washington Post, not only will Harrison be taking care of bees, but he also has a love for firearms. Eichner's character loving guns may very well play into the political atmosphere that seems to be the center of the American Horror Story: Cult season. The actor also described Harrison to Entertainment Tonight as being "dramatic and violent and sexual," adding that "people may not be prepared to see that side of me." So it's safe to assume that, though he's not a historical figure, Harrison will be an unforgettable turn for the usually comic actor.

Will Harrison turn out to be legitimate cult leader or is he merely a suburbanite who gets caught up in the horror of this season? It's definitely possible that he is going to end up betraying Ally, as so many signs point to him being or becoming a follower of Kai (Evan Peters), who seemed to have started a campaign of terror in his neighborhood in the season premiere, prompted by the election of Donald Trump as President.

American Horror Story likes to keep its secrets as long as possible, but these vague and intriguing tidbits hint that Billy Eichner's character Harrison — though fictional — will come with some very real surprises.