Sarah Catherine Paulson was born December 17, 1974 in Tampa, Florida. Ever since graduating high school, she has been busy finding work as an actress in television, film, and theatre.
Sarah is without a doubt most well-known for her television work, most notably appearing in nine out of ten seasons of American Horror Story. She was also celebrated for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in the first season of American Crime Story: The People v O. J. Simpson, a role that won her both an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
Despite her long history on television, Sarah has also appeared in many films, including The Other Sister (1999), Down with Love (2003), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and Ocean’s Eight (2018), among many others. She has also been active in the theatre, performing off-Broadway in Killer Joe (1998), Colder Than Here (2005), and Talley’s Folly (2013), as well as on Broadway in The Glass Menagerie (2005) with Jessica Lange, and Collected Stories (2010).
In 2017, Sarah Paulson was included in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, as part of the artists category. In a written introduction, Cate Blanchett said of Sarah: “In remaining true to her distinct voice, she has been at the forefront of a generation of women who are changing the landscape of the film and television industry.” Sarah considers herself a character actor, giving her the freedom to take on many different types of roles. This is reflected in her resume – she is beloved for her range as well as her skill at portraying complex, and often dark, characters.
Paulson has been in a relationship with actress Holland Taylor since 2015. Her previous relationship with Cherry Jones was revealed spontaneously at the 2005 Tony Awards when Jones won Best Actress in a Play and Paulson gave her a kiss before she went onstage. A fairly private person, Paulson has said that she prefers not to discuss her personal life in order to keep herself separate from the characters she plays, adding “I’m not looking to define myself.”[1]
Despite her desire for privacy regarding her love life, she understands the fascination with her relationship with Taylor (who is 32 years her senior), saying “If it allows for more freedom, in terms of the way people think about what’s possible for them, then I’m all for the fandom of it and the excitement around it and the interest in it…”[2]
Sarah has also not shied away from activism. After the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, she was one of 49 celebrities who took part in a video, led by the Human Rights Campaign and directed by Ryan Murphy, honoring the lives of each of the 49 victims.
[1] https://pridesource.com/article/74091-2/
[2] https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/27/if-im-terrified-i-feel-compelled-to-do-it-american-horror-story-ratched-sarah-paulson
