Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974 in Tampa, Florida) is an American actress. An intelligent and versatile performer in theater, films, and television, she is perhaps best known for her collaborations with Ryan Murphy.
Paulson was initially cast in comedic roles with films such as What Women Want and Down with Love, although on television she took on more dramatic flair with the short-lived and much-missed American Gothic. She has also had many leading roles in television and independent film, with one of her earliest ones being on Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006-07), which netted her a Golden Globe nomination. She has continued to work steadily and gain acclaim in a number of independent productions, including further nominations from the Golden Globes as well as the Emmys.
In 2011, Paulson began starring in Ryan Murphy's FX anthology series American Horror Story. For her performance in the second season, subtitled Asylum, she received the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2013. Also in 2013, Paulson starred as Mary Epps in the Oscar-winning historical drama 12 Years a Slave. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for the third season of American Horror Story in 2014.
Selected filmography:
- What Women Want (2000) as Annie
- Down with Love (2003) as Vikki Hiller
- The Notorious Bettie Page (2005) as Bunny Yeager
- Serenity (2005) as Dr. Caron
- The Spirit (2008) as Ellen Dolan
- Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) as Lucy
- New Year's Eve (2011) as Grace Schwab
- Mud (2013) as Mary Lee
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) as Mistress Mary Epps
- Carol (2015) as Abby Gerhard
- The Post (2017) as Antoinette "Tony" Pinchot Bradlee
- Ocean's 8 (2018) as Tammy
- Bird Box (2018) as Jessica
- Glass (2019) as Dr. Ellie Staple
- Abominable (2019) as Dr. Zara (voice)
- The Goldfinch (2019) as Xandra
- Run (2020) as Diane Sherman
- Law & Order (1 episode, 1994) as Maggie Conner
- American Gothic (18 episodes, 1995–98) as Merlyn Temple
- Jack and Jill (33 episodes, 1999–2001) as Elisa Cronkite
- Touched by an Angel (1 episode, 2001) as Zoe
- Path to War (TV movie, 2002) as Luci Baines Johnson
- Nip/Tuck (1 episode, 2004) as Agatha Ripp
- Deadwood (9 episodes, 2005) as Miss Isringhausen
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (22 episodes, 2006–07) as Harriet Hayes
- Desperate Housewives (2 episodes, 2007–11) as Lydia Lindquist
- Cupid (7 episodes, 2009) as Claire McCrae
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1 episode, 2010) as Anne Gillette
- Grey's Anatomy (1 episode, 2011) as Dr. Ellis Gray
- American Horror Story (95 episodes, 2011–2021) in various roles:
- American Horror Story: Murder House (2011) as Billie Dean Howard
- American Horror Story: Asylum (2012–13) as Lana Winters
- American Horror Story: Coven (2013–14) as Cordelia Goode
- American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014–15) as Bette & Dot Tattler
- American Horror Story: Hotel (2015–16) as "Hypodermic" Sally McKenna & Billie Dean Howard
- American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016) as Audrey Tindall & Lana Winters
- American Horror Story: Cult (2017) as Ally Mayfair-Richards
- American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018) as Wilhelmina Venable, Cordelia Goode & Billie Dean Howard
- American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)
- Red Tide (2021) as TB Karen
- Death Valley (2021) as Mamie Eisenhower
- Game Change (TV movie, 2012) as Nicolle Wallace
- American Crime Story (20 episodes, 2016–21) in various roles:
- The People v. O. J. Simpson (2016) as Marcia Clark
- Impeachment (2021) as Linda Tripp
- Katrina (TBD) as Dr. Anna Pou
- Feud: Bette and Joan (2017) as Geraldine Page
- Family Guy (1 episode, 2019) as Costumed Woman/Marcia Clark/Sarah Paulson (voice)
- Mrs. America (9 episodes, 2020) as Alice Macray
- Ratched (8 episodes, 2020) as Nurse Mildred Ratched
- Saturday Night Live (1 episode, 2023) as Ms. Jenny (uncredited)
- The Bear (1 episode, 2023) as Cousin Michelle
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1 episode, 2024) as Therapist
