At first glance, you may not recognise the name Sarah Paulson, but you will definitely feel like you’ve seen her somewhere. And that’s because when it comes to Hollywood, Sarah Paulson has been just about everywhere. The 46-year-old actress has been working since the 90s and, for the past ten years, has been a fixture in the FX anthology series American Horror Story playing various characters over the course of the show’s nine seasons. She’s also starred in several movies like Ocean’s 8 and the Netflix film Birdbox, earning her a solid place in the industry as one of the more polished actresses of her time. With all of her hard work and success, it’s only right that she should have someone in her corner to help her wind down after a gruelling day on the set. So who is Sarah Paulson’s special someone?
Born December 17, 1974, Paulson started her career on the short-lived series American Gothic, which ran from 1995 to 1996. She would later appear in movies like Mel Gibson’s What Women Want (2000), The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), and The Spirit (2008). She then began what would be her long tenure in American Horror Story in 2011, as she continued to appear in the films 12 Years A Slave (2013), Ocean’s 8 (2018), Bird Box (2018), Glass (2019), and Run (2020).
During her career, Sarah Paulson’s personal life was one of transformation. In the beginning, Paulson only dated men, which even led her to get engaged at one point. However, Paulson began to become more open about her fluid sexuality and, in 2004, struck up a relationship with fellow actress Cherry Jones, which ended in 2009.
“If my life choices had to be predicated based on what was expected of me from a community on either side, that’s going to make me feel really straitjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that,” Paulson had once said in an interview with Broadway.com.
Though it’s quite possible that Paulson dated other people after Cherry Jones, it wouldn’t be until 2015 that Paulson would step out into the public with her new beau and current girlfriend; 78-year-old actress Holland Taylor.
The name may not sound familiar, but you’ll be surprised to know that you already know who Holland Taylor is. The actress has been around in Hollywood just as long as Paulson, if not longer. Taylor started her career with bit parts in the 60s and 70s. Her career really took off on shows like That Powers That Be (1992-1994) and The Naked Truth (1995-98). However, her most well-known role would come when she was cast as Charlie Harper’s mother, Evelyn, in the top-rated CBS comedy, Two and a Half Men. She also had roles in Amy Poehler’s Baby Mama (2008) and Bill &Ted Face The Music (2020).
Paulson and Taylor first started following each other on Twitter after working together on a PSA for Martha Plimpton’s women’s rights organization in 2015. According to Insider, the two have been inseparable since Entertainment Tonight first announced the couple’s relationship at the end of 2015.
Though many may find their 32 year age gap unusual, the two women seem to be very much in love and refuse to let the difference impede the dynamic of their relationship.
“I’m with a much older person, and people find that totally fascinating and odd, and, to me, it’s the least interesting thing about me,” Paulson said in an interview with The Edit. “I am a woman of a certain age who chose not to have children and who has made my career my priority. I am the captain of my own ship, and I’ve never looked to anyone else to validate that or tell me it’s OK.”
Taylor also addressed the age gap in a 2020 interview with US Weekly.
“I’m surprised by Sarah. I mean, that we love each other and respond to each other this way is not the surprise, but that she would make a commitment like this and that she would share her life with me is a constant surprise every day really,” the veteran actress said, “A big age span is a challenge to any relationship. And she’s just very brave. She’s very brave and she is very truthful and she’s going to live her truth. And so I basically am following her lead and I’m blessed.”