Kathy Bates grows beard for American Horror Story: Freak Show

Here's Kathy Bates as you've never seen her before - as a bearded lady in the new series of American Horror Story: Freak Show. Her co-stars include a strong man, a lady with two heads and another with three breasts, in a series set in a carnival of the bizarre in 1952. The show debuts October 5.

But what's life like in a real life freak show? Read a full chapter on the Circus of Horrors and the history of freaks in Circus Mania - The Ultimate Book For Anyone Who Dreamed of Running Away With The Circus! Click here to buy from Amazon.