Sarah Paulson

Paulson began her professional acting career in 1994 after high school. That year, she made her Broadway debut as an understudy in The Sisters Rosensweig (1994) and also appeared on television in Law & Order (1994). She performed in the stage production Talking Pictures (1994) and later appeared in the television film Friends at Last (1995). In 1995, she also starred in the television series American Gothic (1995). Her feature film debut came with Levitation (1997), and she appeared in the television miniseries Cracker (1997). She returned to the stage in Killer Joe (1998).

In 1999, Paulson appeared in the television series Jack & Jill (1999) and the films The Other Sister (1999) and Held Up (1999). She followed with a supporting role in What Women Want (2000). She appeared in the television film Path to War (2002) and starred in the NBC series Leap of Faith (2002). In 2003, she had a supporting role in Down with Love (2003), and in 2004 she appeared in Nip/Tuck (2004) and the series The D.A. (2004).
Paulson returned to stage work in The Glass Menagerie (2005) and Colder Than Here (2005), and also appeared in the film Serenity (2005). She starred in the television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007) and appeared in The Spirit (2008). She later starred in the series Cupid (2009) and appeared in Grey’s Anatomy (2010). In 2010, she also performed in Collected Stories on Broadway.
In 2012, she appeared in the television film Game Change (2012) and the film Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011, released widely in 2012), as well as Mud (2012). She joined the anthology series American Horror Story beginning in 2011, continuing through multiple seasons including Asylum (2012), Coven (2013), Freak Show (2014), Hotel (2015), Roanoke (2016), Cult (2017), and Apocalypse (2018), where she also directed an episode.
In 2013, she appeared in Talley’s Folly (2013), 12 Years a Slave (2013), and continued American Horror Story: Coven (2013). She returned in Freak Show (2014) and Hotel (2015), and appeared in Carol (2015). She starred in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016) and the film Blue Jay (2016). She also appeared in Roanoke (2016), Cult (2017), and Feud (2017).
Paulson appeared in Ocean’s 8 (2018) and Bird Box (2018), and continued American Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018). In 2019, she appeared in Glass (2019), The Goldfinch (2019), and Abominable (2019). She starred in Mrs. America (2020), Coastal Elites (2020), Ratched (2020), and Run (2020). In 2021, she appeared in American Crime Story: Impeachment (2021) and returned to American Horror Story (2021).
More recently, she appeared in The Bear (2023) and returned to Broadway in Appropriate (2023). In 2024, she appeared in Mr. and Mrs. Smith as well as Hold Your Breath, and in 2025, she appeared in All's Fair. She will appear in the 13th season of American Horror Story in 2026.