Sarah Catharine Paulson (born December 17, 1974) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades. Paulson began her acting career starring in the television series American Gothic (1995–1996) and Jack & Jill (1999–2001). She played Harriet Hayes in the NBC drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007). Paulson gained fame for her collaborations with showrunner Ryan Murphy, notably starring in ten seasons of his anthology series American Horror Story from 2011 to 2026. She is also known for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in the FX limited series The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016), her roles as Nicolle Wallace in the HBO television film Game Change (2012) and Linda Tripp in the FX miniseries Impeachment: American Crime Story (2021). She has also played a conservative activist in the FX on Hulu limited series Mrs. America (2020) and Nurse Ratched in the Netflix thriller series Ratched (2020). On film, she has had leading roles in Blue Jay (2016), Glass (2019), Run (2020), and Hold Your Breath (2024), as well as supporting roles in What Women Want (2000), Down with Love (2003), Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011), Mud (2012), 12 Years a Slave (2013), Carol (2015), The Post (2017), Ocean's 8 (2018), and Bird Box (2018). On Broadway, she acted in the Tennessee Williams revival The Glass Menagerie (2005), the Donald Margulies play Collected Stories (2010), and the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins play Appropriate (2023).