With the news that Sarah Paulson would be skipping a season of American Horror Story for the very first time, with the upcoming American Horror Story: 1984, we got to thinking about all of the characters she's played in Ryan Murphy's terrifying FX series to-date. Given a whole host of different personalities to tackle, and the ultimate opportunity to switch things up with each season that she stars in, she's showcased her acting chops in a way that plenty of stars would kill for.
Here are all of the characters Paulson has portrayed in American Horror Story to-date...
9. Billie Dean Howard (Murder House, Hotel, Apocalypse)
The very first AHS character that Paulson brought to life, is the one she's now played the most amount of times.
Billie Dean Howard is a psychic medium hired by other characters in the show, who attempts to help Tate Langdon move on to the next world. We don't know much about her, especially during her first appearance, but it is revealed that she eventually becomes a medium to the stars, becoming a celebrity in her own right thanks to a reality show on Lifetime.
8. Lana Winters (Asylum, Roanoke)
Sniffing around Briarcliff Manor - a home for those who suffer with mental illness - turns out to be a life-changing move for journalist, Lana Winters. Committed to the facility under false pretenses by a villainous nun, Winters realises her clumsy nature could very much see her life brought to an end. Upon making her escape, she lives a celebrity lifestyle, enjoying the high life and failing to resist the urge of one more taste of the spotlight.
7. Cordelia Foxx/Goode (Coven, Apocalypse)
A fan-favourite for many, Cordelia Foxx, now Cordelia Goode, is the daughter of a former Supreme witch, Fiona Goode, and the Headmistress of Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies. Now serving as the Supreme to her coven, she does her very best to maintain order in a chaotic world, fighting against the forces of evil to ensure a victory for good.
6. Bette and Dot Tattler (Freak Show)
With completely different personalities, Bette and Dot Tattler had to be one of the most challenging characters that Paulson had ever tackled. Signed up to a freak show by ringmaster Elsa Mars, the twins constantly battle against one another's judgement. When they put their heads together, they're a force to be reckoned with, but their popularity in the freak show pushes Mars to try and sell them on; she wants the spotlight for herself.
5. Sally McKenna (Hotel)
Permanently residing at the Hotel Cortez, ever since she was murdered in 1994, Sally McKenna is a ghost who still battles against her drug addiction. Following the chaos of the Hotel season, she becomes a successful blogger, and songwriter, and defeats her loneliness for good.
4. Audrey Tindall (Roanoke)
Paulson really got the opportunity to shine when she was given the character of Audrey Tindall. The British TV and movie star, who used to be a stage actress, signs up to film My Roanoke Nightmare, and falls in love with fellow actor, Rory Monahan. When she returns for a second season, the real nightmares of the past come forth, making her life a living nightmare, before she is killed by police officers.
3. Ally Mayfair-Richards (Cult)
With a whole series of different phobias, Ally Mayfair-Richards is a woman who finds it hard to navigate her life. Married to Ivy, and with a son called Oz, she begins to worry about her home life when Donald Trump becomes President of the United States.
2. Susan Atkins (Cult)
A short and not-so-sweet role for Paulson, comes in Cult, when she has the opportunity to play Charles Manson follower, Susan Atkins. Taking part in the campaign to kill all who resided in the house of Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate, she was one of the two who stabbed Tate 16 times, also writing 'Pig' on the door of the house after breaking in.
1. Wilhemina Venable (Apocalypse)
Ruling Outpost 3 following the apocalypse, Wilhemina Venable commands with an iron fist, and will punish anybody who does not follow her standards to the letter without hesitation. Formerly working as a secretary at Kineros Robotics, her treatment there looks to have solidified a nature that would shock anybody into submission.
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