'American Horror Story: Freak Show' Star Naomi Grossman Recalls Audition For The Role Of Pepper, Praises Co-Star Kathy Bates

ByChristian Saclao

Oct 25, 2014 01:59 AM EDT

Naomi Grossman is currently playing Pepper on "American Horror Story: Freak Show," and as fans of the FX horror anthology series know, the actress first portrayed the microcephalic character in the second season of the show subtitled "Asylum." But do you know how she exactly landed the role?

In a recent interview with Salon, the actress was asked about the initial auditioning process that she had gone through before she was finally cast.

"It was an audition like any other," she told the news web site. "Agent called. Sent some sides to prepare. Of course it wasn't the real script, since that's under lock and key, but rather scenes from the first season ["Murder House"]- just so they could see me act."

She revealed that she was clueless about the role she was auditioning for until she got the part.

"I had no idea what the character was, not until I was cast," she recalled. "And they were fitting me for prosthetics and asking me to shave my head, did I have any real sense. Because 'developmental actors' (like me, at the time) are typically reduced to itty-bitty costar parts, like second nurse to the left. We say things like, 'Scalpel, Doctor.' And that's it."

"So it never occurred to me that this might be my big break," Grossman continued. "Hollywood so rarely entrusts the little guys with these types of opportunities. Again, it's not our job to forecast the future, and decide this is how I'm going to become famous! You do the work, and it happens. Or maybe it doesn't. But the end result is really out of our control."

In the same interview, the actress was also asked what it was like working with Kathy Bates, who plays Ethel Darling, also known as the bearded lady, on the current season.

"She's sensational. So down-to-earth. Wonderful to watch, and work with," Grossman said of the 66-year-old actress, who won an Emmy award this year for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for her role as Madame Delphine LaLaurie on the anthology series' third installment subtitled "Coven."

"She is so humble. I just adore her," added Grossman of the Oscar-winning actress.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Albuquerque Journal last week, Grossman said that she is very much grateful for the opportunity to play Pepper once again. "Pepper is a gift that keeps on giving," Grossman said. "At the end of last season ["Asylum"], it was all downhill from there. Then I got pulled back for the show and it's just been amazing."

As to what viewers can expect from the upcoming episodes, Grossman recently told Popsugar that more deaths are on the horizon. "I've heard basically from this point on, we go two by two," she said. "There's pretty much two deaths an episode or so, that's the rumor. But we're always wondering who's next?"