cover of episode Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson

2024/10/28
logo of podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Key Insights

Why did Sarah Paulson decide to become an actress?

She always wanted to be an actress from a young age, imitating commercials and insisting on putting on plays for her family.

How did Sarah Paulson's relationship with Ryan Murphy start?

It started organically through Jessica Lange, who suggested Sarah for a role on American Horror Story.

What was the most challenging role for Sarah Paulson in terms of acting?

Playing Linda Tripp in 'Impeachment: American Crime Story' was the greatest acting challenge of her life.

How did Sarah Paulson feel about playing a racist character in '12 Years a Slave'?

It was horrible and hard, especially because she had become friends with Lupita Nyong'o.

What is the Dust Bowl, and why is it significant in 'Hold Your Breath'?

The Dust Bowl was a man-made environmental disaster in the 1930s caused by poor farming practices, leading to severe dust storms and agricultural collapse in Oklahoma.

Why did Sarah Paulson choose not to have children?

She fears her anxiety would make it impossible to raise children without destroying her life and is not equipped to handle the constant worry about their well-being.

What does Sarah Paulson consider the most valuable aspect of relationships?

The ability to communicate openly about deep, dark thoughts and feelings, which helps maintain sanity and emotional health.

Chapters

Sarah Paulson discusses her early aspirations to become an actress, her experiences growing up, and her relationship with her family.
  • Sarah knew she wanted to be an actress from a very young age.
  • She grew up in a family that was not particularly strict, but she felt a need to create stories and perform for attention.
  • Sarah's sister, Elizabeth, is 17 months younger, and they have a close relationship despite their different approaches to life.

Shownotes Transcript

Sarah Paulson (Hold Your Breath, American Horror Story, 12 Years A Slave) is an award-winning actor and producer. Sarah joins the Armchair Expert to discuss when she knew she wanted to become an actress, her time spent in Florida with her dad in the summer, and her desire to do things outside her own experience and existence. Sarah and Dax talk about how important it is to be able to laugh at yourself, how hard it can be to deal with rejection, and who her lookalikes are. Sarah explains how impactful her relationship with Ryan Murphy has been on her career, her experience doing dramatizations of true crime stories, and why she feels like her anxiety defines certain aspects of her life. 

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