Screen Supporting Actress Extraordinaire Sarah Paulson
Friday, November 17, 2017 at 3:08PM by Murtada
We’ve just seen her in the trailer for Steven Spielberg's The Post, delivering one of the clip's memorable moments. "Well, I think that's brave". She’s going to be one of the Ocean’s Eight. And she'll appear in the M Night Shyamalan Unbreakable/Split sequel Glass. She is also signed to co-star in Bird Box. She’ll be acting with Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Samuel L Jackson, Tom Hanks, Rihanna, Bruce Willis and Meryl Streep. Yes, Sarah Paulson will be dominating film screens, from the vantage point of the supporting player.
Paulson is booking movies left and right. Obviously casting directors noticed the range she shown in her many Ryan Murphy TV projects. The latest project announced is John Crowley’s adaptation of Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer-winning The Goldfinch...
The book is about a young man named Theodore Decker who survives a terrorist bombing at an art museum, an attack that kills his mother. From there, he tumbles through a series of adventures that finds him living in Las Vegas with his deadbeat father and, later, involved in art forgeries. Paulson will play Xandra, the girlfriend of Theo’s father. Ansel Elgort stars as Theodore. Other cast members announced have been Aneurin Barnard as Theo's friend Boris and Ralph Fiennes as his mentor Hobie. This marks Crowley second straight book adaptation after Brooklyn (2015). The screenplay was adapted by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Snowman).
Do you wish Paulson got leading roles in film as she does on TV? She certainly proved she can carry a narrative with her award-winning portrayal of Marcia Clark in American Crime Story. The question might not matter if any of these films turn out as brilliant as 12 Years A Slave (2013) or Carol (2015). Have you read The Goldfinch?
Reader Comments (21)
The Goldfinch is GREAT! Can't wait to see how it develops
Not everyone has seen Split yet. I think there is a spoiler here.
I hope she can steal a nomination for The Post!
She's the lead of Amazon Studio's upcoming movie Lost Girls. So at least she's getting one starring role.
I love her so much, and she's deserved at least two supporting actress nominations IMO (12 Years a Slave and Carol).
a n excellent, versatile actress. I always enjoy her performances.
Sarah Paulson as Xandra!!! Such inspired, against-type casting, and I can't wait to see what she does with the role. So much more interested in this now.
She's also fantastic in Blue Jay, in the most naturalistic performance style I've ever seen from her. It's like 80 minutes, on Netflix, is doing that Frances Ha "not sure why we're in black and white but cool beans" thing with its cinematography, about a high school couple getting reconnected as adults and it's just. So amazing. She and Mark Duplass are so lovely, making the screenplay feel like they're improvising it on the spot like fucking pros, but her work especially is just magnificent. Definitely one of my favorite actress perfs from last year. Seek it out!
Great casting for Sarah but too bad about Ansel - he is a terrible actor
Whenever I read anything about Paulson hardly anyone mentions Martha Marcy May Marlene her fantastic shoulda been her 1st Oscar nominated work,I think that was were I first saw her and she immediately become an actress to look out for.
Get all these damn roles, Miss Paulson!!!! :-D
She deserves It. ALL of it
Yes, I have read "The Goldfinch". I would never have thought of Sarah Paulson for Xandra but it is a great part (based solely on the book). There is so much in the novel and so much will have to be cut out. While reading it the only actor I could picture in any part was Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Barbour. Boris (Aneurin Barnard) is also a great part (novel-wise).
Also great supporting actressing in Game Change!
I'm still mad she wasn't nominated for 12 Years a Slave.
oh my god - xandra is such a brilliantly constructed character. mrs barbour is too - but i can't imagine who could play such a role. my idea of who that character is is just so specific.
I’ll second two great performances of hers others have mentioned: Martha Marcy May Marlene (this should’ve been her first Oscar nom) and Blue Jay (such a refreshing, naturalistic performance and film).
Her talent transitions really well from one media to the other and she adapts no matter the size of the role. She's a great proof that you can kill it in both TV and movies. The most reliable American working actress under 50? If not, definitely up there.
I love Sarah Paulson. She not only makes everything she's in better but she can go from doing a lead role to supporting role with ease and never phones it in.
cal - I couldn't possibly spoil Split because I haven't seen it yet. That the new movie is a sequel to both previous movies is something that was mentioned when the project was announced, and is widely shared in all news articles about it.
The Goldfinch is a great read and very cinematic, hope Crowley does it justice. And I'm glad that Ryan Murphy didn't get his mitts on this!
Wow, I thought I was the only one who had even seen Blue Jay. I thought Sarah was fantastic in it, and I really just liked the whole idea of hanging out with two actors who are both so good, but Sarah definitely brings it. Maybe people will eventually come around to seeing it?
I love The Goldfinch but read it years ago and can't really remember Xandra except I thought it was a younger role, i.e. 20something. Is Ansel Elgort any good? I guess Timothee Chalamet can't be in everything (just like Sarah Paulson!).