Biography
Paulson began showcasing her abilities on the small screen and had her breakthrough role on the cult series "American Gothic" (CBS, 1995-98). After entering the feature world, she landed her second major series with the comedic drama "Jack & Jill" (The WB, 1999-2001), while making further strides in movies with "Held Up" (1999) and "What Women Want" (2000). She went on to supporting turns in dramas like "Path to War" (HBO, 2002) and …
Sarah Paulson SlideShow
1 - 4 of 28
Career Milestones
| Acted off-Broadway in "Talking Pictures" | ||
| Grew up in New York and Maine | ||
| Made Broadway debut in "The Sisters Rosenzweig" | ||
| Moved to Manhattan to attend LaGuardia High School | ||
1994 | TV debut, guest spot on the legal cop show "Law & Order" (NBC) | |
1995 | Cast in first regular series role as Merlyn Temple on the CBS drama "American Gothic" | |
1995 | Made TV-movie debut in the CBS drama "Friends at Last" | |
1997 | First leading role in features, "Levitation" | |
1998 | Had supporting role in the off-Broadway production of "Killer Joe" | |
1999 | Returned to series TV as a regular on The WB series "Jack & Jill" | |
2000 | Played Mel Gibson's assistant in the screen comedy "What Women Want" | |
2002 | Cast as the lead on the short-lived NBC sitcom "Leap of Faith" | |
2003 | Had a supporting role in the romantic comedy "Down With Love," starring Renée Zellweger and Ewan McGregor | |
2005 | Cast as Miss Isringhausen on the acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood" | |
2006 | Cast as Harriet Hayes, one of the stars of the show-within-a-show on NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"; earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2007 for Best Supporting Actress | |
2006 | Portrayed photographer Bunny Yeager in the HBO film "The Notorious Bettie Page" | |
2008 | Played Dr. Ellen Dolan, the police commissioner's daughter in Frank Miller's adaptation of "The Spirit" | |
2009 | Cast in Alexander Dinelaris' "Still Life" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre | |
2010 | Co-starred with Linda Lavin in the Broadway production of "Collected Stories" | |
2011 | Cast in the ensemble romantic comedy "New Year's Eve," directed by Garry Marshall | |
2011 | Cast opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the drama thriller "Martha Marcy May Marlene" | |
Awards
2006 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip |
2012 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress In a Miniseries or Movie in Game Change |