Where You've Seen Evan Peters Before

Where You Know Evan Peters From

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re discussing Where You Know Evan Peters From.

For this video, we’ll be looking at the life and career of the seasoned actor, from his early days up to his chilling role in Netflix’s “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

Who’s your favorite Evan Peters character? Let us know in the comments.

Midwest to West Coast

Evan Thomas Peters was born January 20, 1987, in St. Louis, Missouri, the third and youngest child in his family. In 2001, they relocated to Michigan, where a teenage Evan started modeling and studied acting at Flint Youth Theatre. Realizing he was serious about becoming an actor, his parents decided to see how successful he’d be within a year. He had already acquired an agent, and when Evan was 15, he moved out to Hollywood with his mother Julie and began living his dream.

Though he briefly attended Burbank High School, the budding actor ultimately transitioned to homeschooling, which worked better with his busy schedule.

Breaking Into Film & Television

In 2004, Evan Peters made his feature film debut starring as Adam Sheppard, a teen grappling with a family tragedy while experiencing growing pains, in “Clipping Adam.” He reportedly landed the role after just two auditions. Clearly that was the right call, since he won the Phoenix Film Festival’s award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

That year, he also played a very different character in “Sleepover.” Peters got to show off his comedic skills as Russell Hayes, or “Spongebob,” the lovable loser chasing the female protagonists around with his skateboarding buddies.

Like many actors, Evan Peters started out doing commercials. He starred in some for Progressive Insurance, Kellogg’s, and other well-known brands. Peters actually thinks he earned his Screen Actors Guild (aka SAG) card after doing a Playstation commercial.

Evan Peters made his way into television by landing a role in ABC’s drama “The Days” as young aspiring writer Cooper Day. He was also seen in the Disney Channel’s beloved show “Phil of the Future,” where he played the nerdy Seth Wosmer. The actor had continued success on the small screen with a big role in the sci-fi series “Invasion.”

By the end of 2009, Peters had appeared in a string of popular shows like “Without a Trace,” “Monk,” “House,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Ghost Whisperer.” In 2010, he starred as victim Charlie Hillridge in “Mosley Lane,” one of “Criminal Minds” most heartbreaking episodes. But Peters once again proved he has a knack for making us laugh when he made a lasting impression in season 7 of “The Office” as Michael Scott’s troublemaker nephew Luke Cooper.

Peters has appeared in everything from “The Mentalist” to “Parenthood.” But he also took on supporting parts in more low-key dramas like 2007’s “An American Crime” and 2008’s “Gardens of the Night.” Also, in 2008, he appeared in “Never Back Down” as Max Cooperman, the trusty sidekick armed with a video camera and some supportive words. He later came back for the 2011 sequel.

In 2010, Peters starred alongside Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the superhero hit “Kick-Ass.” He played Todd Haynes, one-third of the film’s comic book nerd group. The character made another appearance in the 2013 sequel. However, Peters was unable to reprise his role, probably because he was busy with a little show called “American Horror Story.”

“American Horror Story” (2011-)

By 2011, Evan Peters had already built an impressive filmography. But it was Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy’s anthology series “American Horror Story” that really put him on the map. In the first season, later titled “Murder House,” he plays the teenage Tate Langdon. His doomed relationship with Violet Harmon, his new therapist’s angsty daughter, quickly attracted a dedicated fan base. At the time, Peters probably didn’t know that “AHS” would be a long-running anthology series, or that it would change his life.

The following season, “Asylum,” saw him as Kit Walker, a man in the 1960s who is suspected of harming his wife and is subsequently committed to Briarcliff Manor. In “Coven,” he was frat boy Kyle Spencer, who dies in an accident and then is literally put back together Frankenstein-style by witches.

Season 4’s “Freak Show” casts Peters as carnival worker Jimmy Darling, aka “Lobster Boy.” In the show’s fifth season, “Hotel,” he played a more adult character in James Patrick March, the murderous owner of the Hotel Cortez, bringing a 1920s accent to his performance. And though six isn’t everyone’s favorite season, “Roanoke” gave Peters the chance to play two characters — Edward Philippe Mott in the past, and Rory Monahan in the present.

Season 7, titled “Cult,” was truly Evan Peters’ time to shine. His main role was manipulative cult leader Kai Anderson. But he also stepped into the shoes of some famous - and in many cases infamous - men, including Andy Warhol, Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Charles Manson, and Jesus. And the role, or roles, earned him a nomination for Critics’ Choice Television Award.

In season 8’s “Apocalypse,” Peters again played multiple roles, including Mr. Gallant and Jeff Pfister, and revisited his characters James Patrick March and Tate Langdon.

Peters opted not to participate in the show’s 9th season, which makes sense considering the mental and physical challenges that come with taking on so many intense characters. However, he did return for season 10, “Double Feature,” as playwright Austin Sommers.

Peters also appeared as the yuppie Stan Bowes in the first season of FX’s “Pose,” a drama co-created by none other than Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk alongside Steven Canals.

“X-Men” franchise (2014-19) & “WandaVision” (2021)

As his star rose during his time on “AHS,” Evan Peters joined another franchise, this time taking his talents to the big screen. The actor was cast in 2014’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” as Peter Maximoff, aka Quicksilver, a mutant with super speed. Quicksilver appeared in “X-Men: Apocalypse” in 2016 and “Dark Phoenix” in 2019. He and other cast members also had cameos in 2018’s “Deadpool 2.”

Peters surprised fans by appearing in “WandaVision” as an alternate version of Quicksilver, a role once played by his “Kick-Ass” costar Taylor-Johnson. In the Disney+ series, he’s meant to be Pietro Maximoff, Wanda’s twin brother who bit the dust back in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” But, spoiler alert, it turns out it was Agatha all along! Yes, the guy posing as Wanda’s bro was actually a regular person named Ralph Bohner.

“Mare of Easttown” (2021)

Shedding the trademark horror and superhero characters, 2021 saw Peters play someone “normal” for a change. In HBO’s crime drama “Mare of Easttown,” he’s Detective Colin Zabel, who comes to the small Pennsylvania town to help out Kate Winslet’s Mare Sheehan. The actor received heaps of well-deserved praise from audiences and critics alike, especially for one particular scene where he was said to have given a “masterclass in drunk acting.” He received both a Hollywood Critics Association TV Award and the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (2022)

Throughout his decades-long career, Evan Peters has become known mostly for his dark characters, particularly thanks to “AHS.” In 2022, the actor takes on one of his most disturbing characters yet, real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Peters, now a frequent collaborator of Ryan Murphy, teamed up with the co-creator again for “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

Evan Peters is incredible in the role, and we’re sure he’ll be just as amazing in whatever comes next.