Sarah Paulson Is Already Confirmed For ‘AHS’ Season 8, So Start Theorizing
What would American Horror Story be without Sarah Paulson? Exactly... nothing. Having been a staple on the sinister series since since its inaugural season in 2011, the Emmy-winning actress' name is now synonymous with the show. Currently in it's seventh season, AHS has seen Paulson take on a range of dynamic characters and somehow — without fail — the actress has delivered career-high performances each time. Though we are only just getting into the meat of AHS: Cult, we can already get excited for what Ryan Murphy has planned next because Sarah Paulson is confirmed for AHS Season 8.
That's right, according to AdWeek, the reigning scream queen is set to take on whatever ideas Ryan Murphy has in store for his hit FX series next year. As busy as the actress is — she has upcoming big screen roles in Ocean’s Eight, The Post, and Glass, as well as a starring role in the upcoming Netflix series Ratched — she confirms she will be back through the already greenlit eighth season of American Horror Story.
On working with Ryan Murphy, Paulson tells AdWeek,
I have found a home in the sense that I work for a person who sees me completely, knows my strengths and weaknesses, knows how to push me and keeps throwing me the ball. Why would you leave something that works? This idea of jumping off one thing just to be available in case something great comes by, that’s like leaving your wonderful mate because you think maybe someone more interesting is out there.
Paulson's role in AHS: Season 8 is certainly a selling point for the series (which debuted in September to an audience of 6.9 million viewers, and holds the year’s No. 3 most-watched scripted cable series spot behind Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead), especially since Ryan Murphy confirmed Seasons 7 and 8 will start to tie the show's seemingly disconnected previous seasons together. Hopefully she can convince her former fellow AHS stars Jessica Lange and Kathy Bates to return for Season 8, too.
Aside from taking on whatever challenges Murphy cooks up for her there, though, the actress is collaborating with the director on several other projects, as well.
Indeed, the Golden Globe-winner will follow up her award-winning performance as Marcia Clark on The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story with a role on the series' third installment, Katrina: American Crime Story, which begins production in 2018. This time around, Paulson will play Anna Pou, a doctor at New Orleans’ Memorial Medical Center who was charged with euthanizing patients during Hurricane Katrina.
She's also producing and starring in Netflix's upcoming collaboration with Ryan Murphy, Ratched, which focuses on the sadistic Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
As for what Sarah plans to do in the future, she tells AdWeek she's "desperate" to try her hand at directing. Of course, Murphy is “totally game” to have Paulson behind the camera on one of his shows; he even offered her the opportunity to direct an episode of his Emmy-nominated series Feud: Bette and Joan, but she wasn't able to because of scheduling conflicts. Hopefully it'll happen in the near future, though... maybe she'll even pull double duty and direct an episode of AHS: 8.
Judging by her work and varied experience in front of the camera, I'm sure whenever Sarah does hit the director's chair it will be just as award-worthy.
While we wait for that, though, we can enjoy Sarah's nuanced acting every Tuesday night on FX on American Horror Story: Cult and look forward to seeing her next year in Ocean's Eight alongside Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, and Anne Hathaway.
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