Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

Paulson at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con

American film, television, and stage actress and director Sarah Paulson began her acting career in New York City stage productions before starring in the short-lived television series American Gothic (1995–1996) and Jack & Jill (1999–2001). She also acted with Jack Lemmon (1998) in The Long Way Home. Her other television work includes Deadwood (2005), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007), and Cupid (2009). In 2011, Paulson began starring in the FX anthology series American Horror Story, playing various characters over many of the show's 12 seasons. For her performances in the series, she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Critics' Choice Television Awards. In 2016, she portrayed real life prosecutor Marcia Clark in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, for which she earned a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 2020, Paulson appeared in the FX miniseries Mrs. America, and began starring as Nurse Mildred Ratched in the Netflix psychological thriller series Ratched. In 2021, she returned to American Crime Story to portray Linda Tripp in the third season of the series, subtitled Impeachment.

Paulson's film roles include the romantic comedies What Women Want (2000) and Down with Love (2003), and the dramas Path to War (2002) and The Notorious Bettie Page (2005). In 2008, she starred as Ellen Dolan in the superhero noir film The Spirit. She starred as Lucy in the independent drama film Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), Nicolle Wallace in the political drama film Game Change (2012), Mary Epps in the historical drama film 12 Years a Slave (2013), Abby Gerhard in the romantic drama film Carol (2015), Toni Bradlee in the political drama film The Post (2017), Tammy in the heist comedy film Ocean's 8 (2018), Jessica Hayes in the post-apocalyptic thriller film Bird Box (2018), Ellie Staple in the superhero film Glass (2019), and Diane Sherman in the psychological thriller film Run (2020).

Film

Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

Paulson at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

Paulson in February 2015

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1997</td><td>Levitation</td><td>Acey Rawlin</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1999</td><td>The Other Sister</td><td>Heather Tate</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Held Up</td><td>Mary</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2000</td><td>What Women Want</td><td>Annie</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2002</td><td>Bug</td><td>Eilleen</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2003</td><td>Down with Love</td><td>Vikki Hiller</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>Swimmers</td><td>Merrill</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Serenity</td><td>Dr. Caron</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Notorious Bettie Page</td><td>Bunny Yeager</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2006</td><td>Diggers</td><td>Julie</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Griffin and Phoenix</td><td>Peri</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>The Spirit</td><td>Ellen Dolan</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>Martha Marcy May Marlene</td><td>Lucy</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>New Year's Eve</td><td>Grace Schwab</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>Mud</td><td>Mary Lee</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Fairhaven</td><td>Kate</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Time Being</td><td>Sarah</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Stars in Shorts</td><td>Woman</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>12 Years a Slave</td><td>Mary Epps</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>Carol</td><td>Abby Gerhard</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Runner</td><td>Kate Haber</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>Blue Jay</td><td>Amanda</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>Rebel in the Rye</td><td>Dorothy Olding</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Post</td><td>Tony Bradlee</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>Ocean's 8</td><td>Tammy</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bird Box</td><td>Jessica Hayes</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>Glass</td><td>Ellie Staple</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Goldfinch</td><td>Xandra Terrell</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Abominable</td><td>Dr. Zara (voice)</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>Run</td><td>Diane Sherman</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Hold Your Breath</td><td>Margaret Bellum</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Television

Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1994</td><td>Law & Order</td><td>Maggie Conner</td><td>Episode: "Family Values"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1995</td><td>Friends at Last</td><td>Diana</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1995–1996</td><td>American Gothic</td><td>Merlyn Temple</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1996</td><td>Shaughnessy</td><td>—N/a</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1997</td><td>Cracker</td><td>Janice</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1998</td><td>The Long Way Home</td><td>Leanne Bossert</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1999–2001</td><td>Jack & Jill</td><td>Elisa Cronkite</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2001</td><td>Touched by an Angel</td><td>Zoe</td><td>Episode: "Manhunt"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2002</td><td>Leap of Faith</td><td>Faith Wardwell</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Path to War</td><td>Luci Baines Johnson</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2004</td><td>The D.A.</td><td>Lisa Patterson</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nip/Tuck</td><td>Agatha Ripp</td><td>Episode: "Agatha Ripp"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>Deadwood</td><td>Miss Alice Isringhausen</td><td>Recurring role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2006</td><td>A Christmas Wedding</td><td>Emily</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2006–2007</td><td>Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip</td><td>Harriet Hayes</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2007, 2011</td><td>Desperate Housewives</td><td>Lydia Lindquist</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>Cupid</td><td>Claire McCrae</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</td><td>Anne Gillette</td><td>Episode: "Shadow"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Grey's Anatomy</td><td>Young Ellis Grey</td><td>Episode: "The Time Warp"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>November Christmas</td><td>Beth Marks</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>American Horror Story: Murder House</td><td>Billie Dean Howard</td><td>3 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>Game Change</td><td>Nicolle Wallace</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Blue</td><td>Lavinia</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2012–2013</td><td>American Horror Story: Asylum</td><td>Lana Winters</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2013–2014</td><td>American Horror Story: Coven</td><td>Cordelia Goode</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014–2015</td><td>American Horror Story: Freak Show</td><td>Bette and Dot Tattler</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2015–2016</td><td>American Horror Story: Hotel</td><td>Sally McKenna</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Billie Dean Howard</td><td>Episode: "Be Our Guest"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story</td><td>Marcia Clark</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>American Horror Story: Roanoke</td><td>Shelby Miller / Audrey Tindall</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Lana Winters</td><td>Episode: "Chapter 10"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>Feud</td><td>Geraldine Page</td><td>Episode: "And the Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>American Horror Story: Cult</td><td>Ally Mayfair-Richards</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Susan Atkins</td><td>Episode: "Charles (Manson) in Charge"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>American Horror Story: Apocalypse</td><td>Wilhemina Venable / Cordelia Goode</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Billie Dean Howard</td><td>Episode: "Return to Murder House"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2019</td><td>Family Guy</td><td>Herself / Marcia Clark</td><td>Voice; Episode: "You Can't Handle the Booth"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2020</td><td>Mrs. America</td><td>Alice Macray</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Coastal Elites</td><td>Clarissa Montgomery</td><td>Television film</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ratched</td><td>Mildred Ratched</td><td>Main role; also executive producer</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2021</td><td>American Horror Story: Double Feature</td><td>Tuberculosis Karen</td><td>Also executive producer</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mamie Eisenhower</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Impeachment: American Crime Story</td><td>Linda Tripp</td><td>Main role; also executive producer</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023</td><td>Saturday Night Live</td><td>Ms. Jenny</td><td>Episode: "Pedro Pascal / Coldplay"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023–2025</td><td>The Bear</td><td>Michelle Berzatto</td><td>2 episodes</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2024</td><td>Mr. & Mrs. Smith</td><td>Therapist</td><td>Episode: "Couples Therapy (Naked & Afraid)"</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2025</td><td>All's Fair</td><td>Carrington Lane</td><td>Main role; also executive producer</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2026</td><td>American Horror Story: Season 13</td><td>Unknown yet</td><td>Main role</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Monster</td><td>Aileen Wuornos</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Theater

Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Role</th><th>Venue</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1994</td><td>The Sisters Rosensweig</td><td>Tess Goode (understudy)</td><td>Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Talking Pictures</td><td>Vesta Jackson</td><td>Signature Theatre, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>1998–1999</td><td>Killer Joe</td><td>Dottie Smith</td><td>SoHo Playhouse, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2005</td><td>Colder Than Here</td><td>Harriet Bradley</td><td>Music Box Theatre, Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>The Glass Menagerie</td><td>Laura Wingfield</td><td>Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2006</td><td>The Cherry Orchard</td><td>Varya</td><td>Mark Taper Forum, regional</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td>Crimes of the Heart</td><td>Meg Magrath</td><td>Williamstown Theatre Festival, regional</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>Laura Pels Theatre, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>The Gingerbread House</td><td>Stacey</td><td>Rattlestick Playwrights Theater, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Still Life</td><td>Carrie Ann</td><td>Lucille Lortel Theatre, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td>Collected Stories</td><td>Lisa Morrison</td><td>Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>Talley's Folly</td><td>Sally Talley</td><td>Laura Pels Theatre, Off-Broadway</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>Conviction</td><td>Leigh</td><td>Bay Street Theater, regional</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2023–2024</td><td>Appropriate</td><td>Toni Lafayette</td><td>Hayes Theater, Broadway & Belasco Theatre, Broadway</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Director

Sarah Paulson on screen and stage

<table><thead><tr><th>Year</th><th>Title</th><th>Notes</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>2018</td><td>American Horror Story: Apocalypse</td><td>Episode: "Return to Murder House"</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>