American Horror Story: Apocalypse: Adina Porter Explains Dinah and Andre's Secret Connection

American Horror Story: Apocalypse is still taking its sweet time to fulfill the Coven portion of the Murder House-Coven crossover, as fans eagerly await the witches' arrival. However, it's not like we've been starved for interesting characters.

Among those new roles is Dinah Stevens (Adina Porter), a former talk show host who is now one of the upper-class residents of Outpost 3. Of all those who were chosen (or bought) their way into The Cooperative's shelter, we know the least about Dinah, who maintains an unflappable calm and eerily practical demeanor whether she's facing down cannibalism or even the possibility of her own imminent death.

In order to get to know more about the mysterious Dinah, TV Guide spoke to Porter about why her Apocalypse character is so secretive, her hidden connection to Andre (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman) and her thoughts on that bizarre Kathy Bates-robot twist.

We still don't know a lot about Dinah, and even Venable admitted she doesn't know much about her either. Is Dinah deliberately being enigmatic?
Adina Porter: I think so, because American Horror Story, it's all about reveals and leading you down one path and then you go another way. So as an actor, we don't get all of the scripts beforehand so that we can't create an arc. You have to go with what's on the page and then trust that it will all work out. And I have to tell you that there's a lot of editing that went on [in Wednesday's episode], so even what I shot and then what was the final product are really two different things. So I'm surprised they're keeping Dinah even more of a secret. There were more things that were revealed that were not included, so who knows what's gonna happen!

Dinah is always so calm and even-keeled, which makes me suspect there's a real darkness bubbling under that pleasant demeanor. Is that a fair assessment?
Porter: Well... hmm. I can just tell you that -- it might just be me -- but personally, when I'm the only black in the room or one of the few blacks in the room, I'm aware of it and I'm aware of trying to come across in a way which is non-threatening. And that might be something that I need to work on with my therapist, but that's just the way I think I was raised. And it's a world where you obviously have people who in one way are kind of like your captors, even though we paid to be there. Mead and Venable, if they don't like you, you're going to be in trouble. So I chose to play Dinah that she wants to be liked or considered by as many people as she can. Dinah doesn't have the same kind of confidence that Coco has, where, you know, she grew up where she could snap her fingers and people jump. So I don't know if that's what the writers intended, but that was my take on her so I guess that's what we're going with.

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Once we learn more about who Dinah is and what makes her tick, what do you think the fan reaction will be -- Surprised? Excited? Scared?
Porter: I hope they're going to be excited. Will they be scared? I hope so, because this is American Horror Story. I think they'll be surprised... And like I said before, what I shot -- and this happens every season -- what you shoot and what gets included in the mix, it's surprising to me, too. And it's really interesting how it can change the story, what's included, what's not included. So I'm waiting to find out who I am too.

I've read that Dinah is Andre's mother. Is that true?
Porter: Yes!

Why do you think the show has not made a point to clarify their relationship in these first two episodes?
Porter: That I'm not too sure because it was clearer when we were shooting it. ... When Jeffrey and I were talking about the characters and figuring things out ourselves, he had one idea of our relationship and I had another and because they weren't spelled out completely, both of us could be right. It was however it feeds the actor. So I think it's because if you keep things more open-ended, things can be interpreted different ways. That's my take on why that is not spelled out as much as it was when it was shot.

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What can you say about Dinah and Andre's relationship, and how it's been affected by surviving an apocalypse?
Porter: Well, I'm a mom ... and I'm learning this being a parent, sometimes your child can be such a reflection of who you are. And I have to figure out when it is my ego that dictates how I parent and when it is what I think is best for my child. And I think that comes into play with Andre. How much of it is ego and how much of it is what is best for her son? And I think the writers and creators are kind of figuring that out.

We haven't really gotten to see Dinah's interactions with Langdon (Cody Fern) yet. What can you tease about their dynamic, and how susceptible to Langdon's manipulations will Dinah be?
Porter: Does he hold the key? I think everyone and their brother are going to have to figure out ways to please him. And I just think it's incredibly interesting and Venable talks abut it, cleaning up the mess that men have created and yet here we are back in a world where we have to kiss a white man's ass to go forward. The more things change, the more thy stay the same.

You were in Murder House in a small role. When you heard this was going to be a Murder House and Coven crossover, did you ask Ryan Murphy if you'd be playing Sally Freeman again?
Porter: [Laughs] I didn't ask. And you know, we're still shooting so we shall see what happens. I'm not one of those actresses that asks what's going to happen. I've never been. I just take the scripts and I see what's given to me and I go with it that way. And then I ask whether I'm on point or if there's anything that needs to change or can I try this or can I try that. But I've never been comfortable asking for anything.

I know this has nothing to do with Dinah, at least not yet, but that cliffhanger at the end of the episode blew my mind. Is Kathy Bates a robot? What can you say about that crazy twist?
Porter: It sure is a crazy twist! I don't know what she is, but she doesn't bleed like a human. That's what I saw. I don't know what she is, but she does not bleed like a human.

There's a theory going around right now that Emily (Ash Santos) is actually the missing daughter of Lee Harris, your character in Roanoke. What do you think of that theory?
Porter: Well that could be an interesting twist as well. It's a possibility. It's a possibility.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.