Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974) is an American actress. She 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 later appeared in comedy films such as What Women Want (2000) and Down with Love (2003), and drama films such as Path to War (2002) and The Notorious Bettie Page (2005). From 2006 to 2007, she starred as Harriet Hayes in the NBC comedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, for which she received her first Golden Globe Award nomination. In 2008, she starred as Ellen Dolan in the superhero noir film The Spirit.
Paulson has appeared on Broadway in the plays The Glass Menagerie in 2005 and Collected Stories in 2010. She also starred in a number of independent films and had a leading role in the ABC comedy series Cupid (2009). She later starred in the independent drama film Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) and received Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her portrayal of Nicolle Wallace in the HBO film Game Change (2012). She was featured as Mary Epps in the 2013 historical drama film 12 Years a Slave, as Abby Gerhard in the 2015 romantic drama film Carol, and as Toni Bradlee in the 2017 political drama film The Post, all of which were nominated for multiple Academy Awards. Her other films include Serenity (2005), New Year's Eve (2011), Mud (2012), Blue Jay (2016), Ocean's 8 (2018), Bird Box (2018), Glass (2019), and Run (2020).
In 2011, Paulson began starring in the FX anthology series American Horror Story, playing different characters in many of the show's 10 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 first season of the anthology series American Crime Story, subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson, for which she garnered critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including the Primetime Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award. In 2020, Paulson appeared in the FX limited series 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 show, subtitled Impeachment.
Garden State - The 20th Anniversary Concert
Self - Presenter
2025
Hold Your Breath
Margaret Bellum
2024
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
2022
Madame X Presents: Madame Xtra Q&A
Self
2021
Adele One Night Only
Self
2021
Run
Mother / Diane
2020
Coastal Elites
Clarissa Montgomery
2020
Abominable
Dr. Zara (voice)
2019
The Goldfinch
Xandra
2019
Glass
Dr. Ellie Staple
2019
Bird Box
Jessica
2018
Reimagining The Met Gala
Self
2018
Ocean's Team 3.0
Self
2018
Ocean's Eight
Tammy
2018
The Post
Tony Bradlee
2017
Rebel in the Rye
Dorothy Olding
2017
Blue Jay
Amanda
2016
Carol
Abby Gerhard
2015
The Runner
Kate Haber
2015
#twitterkills
Sarah Pendersen
2014
12 Years a Slave
Mary Epps
2013
Mud
Mary Lee
2013
Fairhaven
Kate
2013
Stars In Shorts
Woman
2012
The Time Being
Sarah
2012
Game Change
Nicolle Wallace
2012
New Year's Eve
Grace Schwab
2011
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Lucy
2011
After-School Special
Woman
2011
November Christmas
Beth Marks
2011
Whose Dog Is It Anyway?
Emma
2009
The Spirit
Ellen Dolan
2008
A Christmas Wedding
Emily
2006
Griffin & Phoenix
Peri
2006
Diggers
Julie
2006
Serenity
Dr. Caron
2005
The Notorious Bettie Page
Bunny Yeager
2005
Swimmers
Merrill
2005
Path to War
Luci Baines Johnson
2003
Down with Love
Vikki Hiller
2003
Bug
Eilleen
2002
What Women Want
Annie
2000
Held Up
Mary
1999
The Other Sister
Heather Tate
1999
The Long Way Home
Leanne Bossert
1998
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal
1996
I Am Sybil
Connie Wilbur
Clybourne Park
Levitation
Acey
1997
Talley's Folly
Sally Talley
Ethel
Friends at Last
Diana - Age 21
1995
Mother Courage
Sandra Bloom
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Therapist · (1 episode)
2024
The Bear
Cousin Michelle · (1 episode)
2022
Ratched
Mildred Ratched · (8 episodes)
2020
Mrs. America
Alice · (9 episodes)
2020
The Kelly Clarkson Show
(1 episode)
2019
Lie Detector
Self · (1 episode)
2018
FEUD
Geraldine Page · (1 episode)
2017
Chelsea
Self · (1 episode)
2016
American Crime Story
Marcia Clark · (10 episodes)
2016
American Crime Story
Linda Tripp · (10 episodes)
2016
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self · (2 episodes)
2015
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self · (5 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self · (2 episodes)
2014
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
(1 episode)
2014
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self · (1 episode)
2014
Blue
Lavinia · (2 episodes)
2012
American Horror Story
Lana Winters · (13 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Cordelia Goode / Wilhemina Venable / Billie Dean Howard · (23 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Billie Dean Howard · (4 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Bette Tattler / Dot Tattler · (13 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Sally McKenna / Billie Dean Howard · (12 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Audrey Tindall / Lana Winters · (10 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Ally Mayfair-Richards / Susan Atkins · (11 episodes)
2011
American Horror Story
Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower · (10 episodes)
2011
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (10 episodes)
2009
Cupid
Dr. Claire McCrae · (7 episodes)
2009
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2007
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Harriet Hayes · (22 episodes)
2006
Grey's Anatomy
Young Ellis Grey · (1 episode)
2005
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Desperate Housewives
Lydia Lindquist · (1 episode)
2004
Deadwood
Alice Isringhausen · (12 episodes)
2004
The D.A.
Lisa Patterson · (4 episodes)
2004
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2003
Nip/Tuck
Agatha Ripp · (1 episode)
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · (1 episode)
2003
Leap of Faith
Faith Wardwell · (6 episodes)
2002
Jack & Jill
Elisa Cronkite · (32 episodes)
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Anne Gillette · (1 episode)
1999
Family Guy
Sarah Paulson / Marcia Clark / Costumed Woman (voice) · (1 episode)
1999
American Gothic
Merlyn Temple · (18 episodes)
1995
Touched by an Angel
Zoe · (1 episode)
1994
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
(1 episode)
1988
Pretty/Handsome
Corky Fromme · (1 episode)
Law & Order
Maggie Conner · (1 episode)
1990
Entertainment Tonight
Self · (2 episodes)
1981
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited) · (1 episode)
1975
All's Fair
Carrington Lane · (1 episode)