Sarah Paulson

Shepherd · February 8, 2014

Born December 17, 1975, Sarah Paulson grew up in Maine and New York before settling down and attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the High School for Performing Arts. Since then, Sarah has cobbled together a nice career starting on Broadway and moving to big and small screen.

Sarah Paulson became known as a series regular on the cult TV series American Gothic, as well as on the WB show Jack & Jill as the character Elisa Cronkite. She later received a minor role on HBO’s Deadwood, and has also played an important role on an episode of Nip/Tuck. Paulson began her career in the 1990s, appearing on series like Law & Order, Cracker and Real Life. During that time, she got cast in several TV productions, including Friends at Last, Shaughnessy, Levitation, and The Long Way Home. The late 1990s also brought more success for her, as she landed roles in films like The Other Sister and Held Up. In 2000, she starred alongside Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, and Marisa Tomei on the romantic comedy What Women Want. After her stint on Jack & Jill, she got a role in Touched by an Angel and on several episodes of NBC’s Leap of Faith. This was followed by work on another romantic comedy, Down with Love, where she played the character Vikki Hiller. In 2004, Paulson was cast as Ann Chester in Picadilly Jim, before she was seen on episodes of The D.A. The following year, she landed the part of Dr. Caron in the Joss Whedon film Serenity. Other credits of hers include The Notorious Bettie Page, Diggers, and Griffin & Phoenix. In 2006, Paulson garnered even more attention for her portrayal of the character Harriet Hayes on the series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Afterwards, she became a guest star on an episode of Desperate Housewives and played the character Ellen Dolan on the film The Spirit. She has also joined the cast of the ABC series Cupid, where she portrays Claire Allen.