American Horror Story

Sarah Paulson stars in the fifth installment of American Horror Story: Hotel as Sally McKenna and Billie Dean Howard.

Career Highlights

Emmy®, Golden Globe® and SAG® nominated actress, Sarah Paulson has built an impressive list of credits in film, television and on stage.&nbsp;Paulson is in production on the FX miniseries, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. The series takes a look at the O.J. Simpson trial told from the perspective of the lawyers and explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court. Paulson portrays attorney “Marcia Clark” will star opposite Cuba Gooding Jr., John Travolta and David Schwimmer. Golden Globe winners Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski will write the first two episodes and join Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson, Murphy and Falchuk as executive producers.She was most recently seen in American Horror Story: Freak Show where she starred as “Bette and Dot Tattler,” conjoined twins, who are part of a 1950s Freak Show in Jupiter, Florida. For her performance, she was nominated for an Emmy and received a Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series. Prior to that, Paulson’s portrayal of “Cordelia Foxx” in American Horror Story: Coven earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie. She previously starred as “Lana Winters” in the second installment, American Horror Story: Asylum, where she received a Critics Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries, as well as an Emmy nomination for her work.&nbsp;Paulson co-starred in Todd Haynes’ Carol, alongside Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Based on the novel The Price of Salt by author Patricia Highsmith, the film follows the relationship between two very different women in 1950s New York who develop a bond that has very complicated consequences. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and The Weinstein Company is slated to release it December 18, 2015.Previously Paulson was seen in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, which received an Academy Award® for Best Picture. In the film, Paulson appears alongside Michael Fassbender, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o as “Mistress Epps” in the adaptation of Solomon Northrup’s book based on his own life story. For her performance, Paulson earned a SAG Award nomination as part of the film’s ensemble cast.&nbsp;Paulson received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or TV Movie for HBO’s critically acclaimed telefilm Game Change, directed by Jay Roach. Paulson co-stars with Ed Harris, Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson, playing McCain’s (Harris) senior campaign advisor Nicolle Wallace.In 2013, Paulson was seen alongside Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey in Jeff Nichols’ film Mud. The film premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Paulson received the Robert Altman Award alongside her cast at the Film Independent Spirit Awards for her performance as part of the ensemble. She previously starred in the critically-acclaimed Fox Searchlight independent feature, Martha Marcy May Marlene, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. The film, nominated for a Gotham Award™ for Best Ensemble Cast, was written and directed by Sean Durkin and also stars Elizabeth Olsen, John Hawkes and Hugh Dancy.&nbsp;Paulson received her first Golden Globe nomination for her performance in Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, in which she starred opposite Matthew Perry, Amanda Peet, Bradley Whitford and Steven Weber. Her additional major television credits also include the lead role on the dramas Leap of Faith, Deadwood, Path to War opposite Alec Baldwin and Donald Sutherland, Jack and Jill, Cupid opposite Bobby Cannavale and the series American Gothic with Gary Cole.Paulson made her return to the stage in 2013 in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s new production of Lanford Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Talley’s Folly, directed by Michael Wilson. She previously starred on Broadway in the two-hander Collected Stories opposite Linda Lavin, and as Laura Wingfield in the revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, alongside Jessica Lange. On stage she also appeared opposite Alfred Molina and Annette Bening in Cherry Orchard, as well as in Tracy Letts’ critically-acclaimed Killer Joe opposite Scott Glenn and Amanda Plummer.

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Sarah Paulson stars in the fifth installment of American Horror Story: Hotel as Sally McKenna and Billie Dean Howard.

Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna & Billie Dean Howard in FX's AHS: Hotel

Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna & Billie Dean Howard | AHS: Hotel | FX

American Horror Story: Hotel

Sarah Paulson

Career Highlights

Evan Peters
as James Patrick March

Matt Bomer
as Donovan

Denis O'Hare
as Liz Taylor

Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna & Billie Dean Howard | AHS: Hotel | FX

Sarah Paulson

Matt Bomeras Donovan

Denis O'Hareas Liz Taylor

Matt Bomer
as Donovan

Denis O'Hare
as Liz Taylor