Sarah Paulson: do you remember the series and films she starred in?

From Netflix to HBO
Sarah Paulson: a great career
The intense look of Nurse Ratched
A big star of the 21st century
Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor
How did it all start?
Working with Jack Lemmon
Jack & Jill (2001)
A sitcom, 'Friends' style
Down with Love (2003)
The D.A. (2004)
The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)
A short-lived Aaron Sorkin project (2006)
American Horror Story (2011)
Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters
American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)
12 Years a Slave (2013)
The Runner (2015)
American Crime Story (2016)
Another season: the Monica Lewinsky scandal (2021)
Blue Jay (2016)
The Post (2017)
Bird Box (2018)
Ocean's 8 (2018)
Ratched (2020)
An intense thriller
The first appearance of Nurse Ratched
Run (2020)
Mrs. America (2020)
Sarah Paulson was written into 'Mrs. America'
What's next for Sarah Paulson?
Dust (2023)
From Netflix to HBO

Sarah Paulson is synonymous with a shining star. She is one of the great television divas of the 21st century, and she keeps getting confirmed for one film and series role after another. Among her projects is an adaptation of the documentary series 'The Way Down', produced by HBO, in which the actress will give life to the main character of Shamblin.

Sarah Paulson: a great career

'American Horror Story,' 'Mrs. America,' 'Ocean's 8'... Just a few of the projects Sarah Paulson worked on in the past years.

The intense look of Nurse Ratched

Sarah Paulson has the quality of capturing the viewer with her eyes and making them part of the horror, euphoria, or despair that her character feels right there and then. One of her creations is nurse Mildred Ratched, the protagonist of a psychological thriller in eight parts.

A big star of the 21st century

Sarah Paulson is one of the great TV and film stars of the 21st century. Her Emmy (plus six other nominations) and Golden Globe (with four other nominations) are just the top of a list of many awards.

Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor

Her love life has drawn attention because Sarah Paulson shares it with 'Two and a Half Men' actress Holland Taylor. The two Hollywood stars, almost 32 years apart, have been together since 2015.

How did it all start?

Although we call her a major 21st-century actress, Sarah Paulson's beginnings date back to 1995. With only 21 years old, she was a regular in the series 'American Gothic' where mystery and infernal powers were the daily concern of the small town of Trinity.

Working with Jack Lemmon

Becoming the best friend of a legend like Jack Lemmon, even if it is in fiction, is a luxury that few have had. Sarah Paulson is one of them, thanks to 'The Long Way Home' from 1998.

Jack & Jill (2001)

Between 1999 and 2001, the actress gave life to Elisa Cronkite in the drama 'Jack & Jill'. For three seasons and 33 episodes, she shared the screen with Amanda Peet and Jaime Pressly. Peet continued to be a close friend of hers.

A sitcom, 'Friends' style

In 2002, Paulson was part of the umpteenth television attempt to make a new version of 'Friends.' Even though its six episodes, 'Leap of Faith' drew 16.5 million viewers, however, NBC canceled the show.

 

Down with Love (2003)

'Down With Love' was Paulson's debut with a 60s hairstyle. She accompanied Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor in this delicious comedy.

The D.A. (2004)

People still clamor for a return of this judicial drama, which was only four episodes long. Sarah Paulson appeared in two out of four episodes.

The Notorious Bettie Page (2005)

Paulson revisited the mid-twentieth century in 'The Notorious Bettie Page,'  a movie about the pin-up investigated in the 1950s for her racy photos. Jared Harris, Gretchen Mol and David Strathairn accompanied Sarah Paulson in this estimable film.

A short-lived Aaron Sorkin project (2006)

'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' is a hidden gem in TV history, written by Aaron Sorkin and with Sarah Paulson in one of the main roles. It follows the makers of a weekly live comedy show (like Saturday Night Live) and gives a dramatic critique of the TV industry in the typical Sorkin style. It could have been the rebound of 'Friends' star Matthew Perry, but the series lasted only one season.

American Horror Story (2011)

Things went a lot better for Ryan Murphy's project, 'American Horror Story.' It helped Sarah Paulson reach a place among Hollywood's greatest stars. Over the course of the series, she played different roles, from psychic Billie Dean Howard to the Siamese twins Bette and Dot, and the tormented ghost Sally.

Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters

One of the critics' favorites was Lana Winters, a journalist trying to expose an asylum's dark secret and getting committed instead. As a lesbian woman, she was subjected to conversion therapy. The role was an important way to raise awareness of the history of the LGBTQ community in America.

American Horror Story: Double Feature (2021)

Sarah Paulson returned as 'Tuberculosis Karen' in a special episode of 'American Horror Story' in 2021, and the critics loved it.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

This gripping, eye-opening film got nine Oscar nominations and three wins, including Best Picture. Sarah Paulson gives life to Mary Epps, the wife of the cruel slave master Edwin Epps (a role by the formidable Michael Fassbender).

The Runner (2015)

In 2015, Sarah Paulson was lucky enough to shoot with Nicolas Cage (or vice versa) in this political drama about the aftermath of the BP oil spill.

American Crime Story (2016)

It was the series 'American Crime Story' (produced by Ryan Murphy) in which Sarah Paulson touched the sky. 'The People vs O.J. Simpson' showed Paulson's memorable performance of the case's prosecutor Marcia Clark.

Another season: the Monica Lewinsky scandal (2021)

In 2021, she appeared once again in the 'American Crime Story' franchise. This time, she played the role of Linda Tripp in the story about Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. When Paulson showed this picture of her new character on Twitter, fans went crazy!

Blue Jay (2016)

The Duplass Brothers' first film for Netflix was a romance in which Mark Duplass and Sara Paulson played two adults who reunited in their hometown after a relationship at school. The connection between the actress and actor is amazing, especially if you consider that the film was shot in only 7 days.

The Post (2017)

This political drama recounts the high-level U.S. scandal of the Pentagon Papers' revelation in 19971. Alongside Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, Paulson shows once again that she stands out in movies that critically assess the past.

Bird Box (2018)

Paulson had been with 'American Horror Story' for many seasons when Netflix called her to play in one of its celebrated horror productions. In 'Bird Box', the actress shows that she moves like a fish in water in this genre, even when she's blindfolded.

Ocean's 8 (2018)

The female counterpart to 'Ocean's Eleven,' with Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett, and other star actresses, was a success. Sarah Paulson plays the secretly criminal housewife, a role that suits her well.

Ratched (2020)

'Ratched' was created by Ryan Murphy, the writer, and producer who's also behind 'American Horror Story' and 'American Crime Story' - both with Sarah Paulson in a leading role. The actress is a muse to Murphy.

An intense thriller

Critics say that 'Ratched' (on Netflix) is a mixture of 'American Horror Story' and a Hitchcock movie. It's set in the late 1940s and unravels the story of a mysterious nurse, Mildred Ratched, who appears out of nowhere and offers her services to a psychiatric hospital.

The first appearance of Nurse Ratched

Perhaps you remember another screen character named Nurse Ratched: it's the notorious head nurse from 'One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Sarah Paulson's alter ego was based on this character.

 

Run (2020)

In 2020, a pandemic year, Paulson had an especially wide audience on the streaming platforms. Beside 'Ratched' there was the movie 'Run,' premiering on Hulu in November. The first weekend of this thriller, about a creepy mom homeschooling her disabled child, was Hulu's best opening weekend of a new movie ever.

Mrs. America (2020)

And then there was the acclaimed historical drama 'Mrs. America'. This Hulu series recreated two opposing women's movements in the debate about the Equal Rights Act in the 1970s. Cate Blanchett played the leading role of Phyllis Schlafly.

Sarah Paulson was written into 'Mrs. America'

Sarah Paulson's character Alice Macray was created especially for her to be in this series. That's just an indication of how far Sarah Paulson has come.

What's next for Sarah Paulson?

The series 'Ratched' was contracted on Netflix for two seasons, so we should see the actress back again in that creepiest of roles at least one more time.

Dust (2023)

Also, for fans of the genre, the actress will return to horror with the film 'Dust', with a release date set for 2023. Paulson will play a mother haunted by her past who sets out to protect her family from a terrifying presence.