11 of Sarah Paulson's Best Performances (So Far)

The Best of Sarah Paulson

Out actor and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate Sarah Paulson excels in everything she does. Whether starring in a film, a TV series, or on a Broadway stage, she knows how to lose herself in a role. And the world has taken note: in 2017, she was named one of the 100 most influential people across the globe by Time magazine.

Paulson already had an Emmy to her credit — for playing prosecutor Marcia Clark in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story — when she won a Tony Award in 2024 on her first nomination, for Appropriate.

Paulson wasn’t new to Broadway. The out actor has been in The Sisters Rosensweig (1993), The Glass Menagerie (2005), and Collected Stories (2010). In 2013, she appeared in the Off-Broadway revival of Talley’s Folly.

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the writer of Appropriate, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist who is known for his plays An Octoroon and The Comeuppance. He’s also written, executive produced, and served as showrunner for the 2022 Hulu/FX drama Kindred. Appropriate was directed by Lila Neugebauer.

“It’s summer, the cicadas are singing, and the Lafayette family has returned to their late patriarch’s Arkansas home to deal with the remains of his estate. Toni (Paulson), the eldest daughter, hopes they’ll spend the weekend remembering and reconnecting over their beloved father. Bo, her brother, wants to recoup some of the funds he spent caring for Dad at the end of his life. But things take a turn when their estranged brother, Franz, appears late one night, and mysterious objects are discovered among the clutter. Suddenly, long-hidden secrets and buried resentments can’t be contained, and the family is forced to face the ghosts of their past,” the synopsis of the play reads, according to Deadline.

The activist and actor has had an incredible career so far. To showcase her incredible range and talent, we've brought together 10 of her greatest performances across nearly 30 years in show business. What are your favorite roles by the acclaimed actor?

Ocean's 8

Who doesn't want to see Sarah Paulson in a feminist heist movie alongside Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and more? Unsurprisingly, Paulson's Tammy — a suburban mom who fences stolen goods — is one of the film's standout characters.

Mrs. America

In one of Paulson's many successful collaborations with FX, Mrs. Americahas the star playing a conservative housewife opposed to the Equal Rights Amendment. IndieWire praised Paulson's small but critical role as one of the best in the miniseries. You'll want to check out episode eight, "Houston," as it's where her character really comes into her own.

Impeachment: American Crime Story

As if her award-winning performance in The People v. O. J. Simpson wasn't enough, Paulson returned to make her mark on the third season of FX's American Crime Story anthology. This time, she took on the leading role of Linda Tripp, a woman central to the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal of 1998. Paulson, who is nearly unrecognizable as Tripp, was required to wear extensive prosthetics and heavy makeup for the part.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay is a spirited romantic drama starring Paulson and Mark Duplass (Creep, The League). The movie was shot on a tight budget in just seven days, and its heart lies in its characters and the actors who bring them to life. Paulson dazzles in black-and-white, and her performance is the highlight of the film.

Run

Run is Sarah Paulson's movie, through and through. If you loved Toni Colette's performance in Hereditary, this is the film for you. With nine seasons of American Horror Story under her belt, Paulson is no stranger to the psychological horror genre. But it's refreshing to see her in such a tightly paced film. She is delightfully deranged as Diane Sherman, a mother who is not who she appears to be.

Carol

Though Paulson told Variety that she was concerned about being the "weak link" in the cast of Carol, it's wonderful to watch her on-screen opposite Cate Blanchett. As usual, the Florida-born star holds her own, bringing queer representation to the Oscar-nominated drama. And let's not forget that she learned how to drive a 1949 Packard in stick shift for the role.

12 Years a Slave

In what must have been one of the most challenging roles in her career, 12 Years a Slave sees Paulson playing the monstrous wife of an equally monstrous slaveowner. Speaking of the part with IndieWire, she said, "I feel like I’m an actress who did my job. If it comes out in a mean or negative way, I think I can take it, because that just means I did a good job. I told the story that my character was there to tell."

American Horror Story: Asylum

Paulson has appeared in a whopping nine seasons of FX's horror anthology series American Horror Story. While a list of the star's greatest performances could be made up entirely of her roles in AHS, her part in season 2 (Asylum) is her very best. She gives a stirring performance as Lana Winters, an investigative journalist who is forcibly committed to an "insane asylum" when she begins to uncover its secrets.

Ratched

In Ryan Murphy's Ratched, Paulson holds the title role of Nurse Mildred Ratched. This psychological thriller series from Netflix serves as a prequel to the acclaimed 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, in which Ratched is the primary antagonist. In the series, we get a fuller picture of the troubled nurse and her descent into monstrousness, portrayed by Paulson in one of her highest achievements as an actor.

The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Widely considered Paulson's greatest accomplishment as an actor, her appearance as Marcia Clark in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story won her both a Primetime Emmy and a Golden Globe Award. Clark served as lead prosecutor in the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial, and Paulson gave a career-best performance in portraying her.

Appropriate

Paulson won a Tony Award in 2024 on her first nomination, for Appropriate. Her performance as Toni Lafayette brought her the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play. In her acceptance speech, she thanked playwright Jacobs-Jenkins for the role, she said, “I will never be able to convey my gratitude to you for trusting me, for letting me hold the hand of Toni Lafayette, a woman you have written who makes no apology, who isn’t begging to be liked or approved of but does hope to be seen.” Paulson kissed her partner, actress Holland Taylor, before heading to the stage.