Sarah Paulson’s career is on fire. The actress is a freshly minted Emmy recipient for her role as Marcia Clark in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” and stars alongside Mark Duplass in the drama “Blue Jay,” now in theaters and on demand. She’s also a fixture on “American Horror Story.”
amNewYork chatted with Paulson, 41, recently about all this excitement and more.
How did ‘Blue Jay’ come about?
Mark just sent me an email in the middle of the night one night saying, ‘I’ve got this idea, do you want to come play? I think we can shoot it in seven days.’ … [He] wrote a nine or 10 page outline about this story and where it all would go. [The pair plays reunited one-time lovers]. … We improvised a lot of it.
What do you like to do when you’re in NYC?
I like to walk as many places as I possibly can. There’s that song, ‘Nobody walks in L.A.,’ and it’s really true. The same distance you would walk in Manhattan if you thought to walk it in L.A. you would just never dream of it. … The minute I get here, I put on my sneakers and I walk. I take the subway as much as possible. I like to walk in Central Park, everywhere.
Where do you like to go out to eat?
The Polo Bar, I love that. They have the most incredible popovers. They’re so delicious. … It’s like a weird magic. I love being in that room, it’s a beautiful room and you really feel like you’re in Manhattan when you’re there.
You’ve got a very interesting project coming up soon, the miniseries ‘Feud.’
It’s with Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. … I’m going to play Geraldine Page. … [It’s] got some incredible actors, including Judy Davis — she’s one of the greatest actresses of all time, truly.
Which has been your favorite role to play in ‘American Horror Story’?
Gosh, Lana Winters [season two] was probably my favorite character. … I love the twins too [season four] and I loved playing Sally [season five], I loved playing Cordelia [season three], I loved them all. It’s like asking me to pick a favorite child, really.
