Sarah Paulson
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Anne Gillette
1999
Series
Grey's Anatomy
Young Ellis Grey
2005
Series
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest
2009
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self
2014
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Family Guy
Sarah Paulson / Marcia Clark / Costumed Woman (voice)
1999
Series
Law & Order
Maggie Conner
1990
Series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Self - Guest
2015
Series
Late Night with Seth Meyers
Self - Guest
2014
Series
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest
1993
Series
Desperate Housewives
Lydia Lindquist
2004
Series
American Horror Story
Lana Winters
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Cordelia Goode / Wilhemina Venable / Billie Dean Howard
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Billie Dean Howard
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Bette Tattler / Dot Tattler
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Sally McKenna / Billie Dean Howard
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Audrey Tindall / Lana Winters
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Ally Mayfair-Richards / Susan Atkins
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower
2011
Series
American Horror Story
Cordelia Goode
2011
Series
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self
2019
Series
Conan
Self - Guest
2010
Series
The Graham Norton Show
Self
2007
Series
Saturday Night Live
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
Series
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Self
2005
Series
The Bear
Cousin Michelle
2022
Series
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self - Guest
2003
Series
Nip/Tuck
Agatha Ripp
2003
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988
Series
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest
1988
Series
Golden Globe Awards
Self - Presenter
1944
Series
Touched by an Angel
Zoe
1994
Series
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self
2003
Series
American Crime Story
Marcia Clark
2016
Series
American Crime Story
Linda Tripp
2016
Series
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Self
2014
Series
WIRED's Autocomplete Interviews
Self - Guest
2016
Series
All's Fair
Carrington Lane
2025
Series
Chelsea
Self
2016
Series
Off Camera with Sam Jones
Self
2014
Series
Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter
Self
2015
Film
12 Years a Slave
Mary Epps
2013
Film
Ocean's Eight
Tammy
2018
Series
Ratched
Mildred Ratched
2020
Film
What Women Want
Annie
2000
Series
The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA
Self
1995
Series
FEUD
Geraldine Page
2017
Series
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Therapist
2024
Film
Bird Box
Jessica
2018
Film
Glass
Dr. Ellie Staple
2019
Film
Carol
Abby Gerhard
2015
Series
Mrs. America
Alice
2020
Series
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
Harriet Hayes
2006
Film
Abominable
Dr. Zara (voice)
2019
Film
The Goldfinch
Xandra
2019
Film
New Year's Eve
Grace Schwab
2011
Film
The Post
Tony Bradlee
2017
Film
Serenity
Dr. Caron
2005
Series
Jack & Jill
Elisa Cronkite
1999
Film
Run
Mother / Diane
2020
Series
Entertainment Tonight
Self
1981
Film
Down with Love
Vikki Hiller
2003
Series
Blue
Lavinia
2012
Film
Hold Your Breath
Margaret Bellum
2024
Film
Mud
Mary Lee
2013
Series
American Gothic
Merlyn Temple
1995
Film
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Lucy
2011
Film
The Spirit
Ellen Dolan
2008
Film
Rebel in the Rye
Dorothy Olding
2017
Series
The Emmy Awards
Self
1949
Film
Griffin & Phoenix
Peri
2006
Series
Cupid
Dr. Claire McCrae
2009
Closing Night
Sandra Vale
2026
Film
Held Up
Mary
1999
Series
Insider
Sig selv
2025
Film
Path to War
Luci Baines Johnson
2003
Film
The Other Sister
Heather Tate
1999
Series
Pretty/Handsome
Corky Fromme
Film
Game Change
Nicolle Wallace
2012
Series
Leap of Faith
Faith Wardwell
2002
Film
Diggers
Julie
2007
Film
The Notorious Bettie Page
Bunny Yeager
2006
Series
The D.A.
Lisa Patterson
2004
Film
The Runner
Kate Haber
2015
Film
Blue Jay
Amanda
2016
Film
Escape Room
2025
Film
Fairhaven
Kate
2013
Film
Swimmers
Merrill
2005
Film
Coastal Elites
Clarissa Montgomery
2020
Clybourne Park
Film
Madame X Presents: Madame Xtra Q&A
Self
2021
Film
November Christmas
Beth Marks
2011
Film
Garden State - The 20th Anniversary Concert
Self - Presenter
2025
Film
Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration
2022
Film
Ocean's Team 3.0
Self
2018
Film
Stars in Shorts
Woman
2012
Film
#twitterkills
Sarah Pendersen
2014
Film
Shaughnessy: The Iron Marshal
1996
Film
The Long Way Home
Leanne Bossert
1998
Reimagining The Met Gala
Self
2018
Film
Friends at Last
Diana - Age 21
1995
Film
The Time Being
Sarah
2012
Film
A Christmas Wedding
Emily
2006
Film
Bug
Eileen
2002
Film
Levitation
Acey
1997
Film
After-School Special
Woman
2011
Film
I Am Sybil
Connie Wilbur
Ethel
Whose Dog Is It Anyway?
Emma
2009
Film
Talley's Folly
Sally Talley