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Sarah Paulson

Acting 51 years old Tampa, Florida, USA ★ 2.4
Born: December 17, 1974

Biography

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

Acting Credits (112)

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

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