<P> The fifth season of American Horror Story focuses on the Downtown Los Angeles Hotel Cortez which has been recently purchased by a New York fashion designer, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson). The 90 - year - old hotel is haunted by demons and mysterious ghosts including the founder, James Patrick March (Evan Peters); heroin junkie Sally (Sarah Paulson); and the strap - on - wielding Addiction Demon . Staff and residents of the hotel include the 111 - year - old "vampire", Elizabeth / The Countess (Lady Gaga), and her longtime paramour, the former drug - addict Donovan (Matt Bomer), as well as Donovan's mother, the manager and front desk clerk Iris (Kathy Bates); the eccentric transgender bartender Liz Taylor (Denis O'Hare); and the Countess' vengeance - obsessed ex-lover, Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett). </P> <P> As the season unfolds, the information and backstory of each character is revealed . Elizabeth was married to James Patrick March, the founder of the Hotel Cortez, and had an illegal abortion at the Murder House (of AHS Season One) back in 1926 . Ramona was a Hollywood actress who had a romantic past with Elizabeth, before the latter killed Ramona's new boyfriend in a jealous rage . Liz was formerly known as Nick Pryor and lived in Topeka, Kansas up until 1984 when she was given a makeover and christened as Liz Taylor by Elizabeth . Sally, after supplying Donovan heroin, was shoved out a window by an angered Iris . Finally, James tortured and murdered many visitors to his hotel, which he built with a series of secret chutes and hallways used primarily for covertly disposing the bodies of his victims . </P> <P> The present and past stories of the Hotel are interwoven with the present tale of Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley), who is first drawn to the hotel by a series of murders committed by a serial killer the victims of whom each exemplify a sin in violation of one of the Ten Commandments, and his wife, Dr. Alex Lowe (Chloe Sevigny). As the season unfolds, it is revealed that certain past events--including the earlier disappearance of the Lowes' young son Holden--are also entangled in the stories of the Countess and the Hotel Cortez . </P> <Ul> <Li> Kathy Bates as Iris </Li> <Li> Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna and Billie Dean Howard </Li> <Li> Evan Peters as James Patrick March </Li> <Li> Wes Bentley as Det . John Lowe </Li> <Li> Matt Bomer as Donovan </Li> <Li> Chloë Sevigny as Dr. Alex Lowe </Li> <Li> Denis O'Hare as Liz Taylor </Li> <Li> Cheyenne Jackson as Will Drake </Li> <Li> Angela Bassett as Ramona Royale </Li> <Li> Lady Gaga as Elizabeth Johnson / The Countess </Li> </Ul>

Who plays john in american horror story hotel