On a bus…it’s me!
SheKnows: The first time you saw the artist’s rendering with your face and the ‘keep the mask on’ phrase off your cheek. That must have thrilling.
Sarah Paulson: I remember being excited by it and thinking it’s a really nice picture. It’s intriguing. I was on my way to work in New York and sitting in a transportation van being taken to set and I literally looked over at a bus and thought, ‘what’s that?’ It was my face on the bus. It wasn’t a narcissistic actress moment. I was drawn to the image and I hadn’t been told they were rolling out the pictures yet, I was totally stunned to be drawn to an image of my own face (laughs). It is really wild. There’s a bus and I’m on it! I’ve never had something like that happen.
SheKnows: What was it like on the Frank Miller set?
Sarah Paulson: He was incredibly collaborative. I feel he hired the actors he wanted and let us do what we do. I auditioned against a lot of other very successful actresses. Anytime I had a moment of self-doubt, I thought he could have had so-and-so and he chose me. I’m here because they want me. He’s always said such nice things about me like I was the one actress that Hitchcock didn’t get to work with. He liked me being that Hitchcock blonde. He was inspiring, encouraging and loving and I felt I could try anything.
SheKnows: I get that Hitchcockian feel from the film. Do you think The Spirit has a Hitchcock feel?
Sarah Paulson: I do, there are certain elements. I wouldn’t’ say the movie feels like a Hitchcock movie. It’s a unique, completely unique vision. It’s not like anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s not like Sin City. It doesn’t even look the same.
SheKnows: You’ve had a decorated career on television as well, I especially like your turn on Nip/Tuck. Is there an experience on TV that stands out for your personally?
Sarah Paulson: Playing Harriet Hayes on Studio 60. The writing was so extraordinary. I was so lucky every day to be saying Aaron Sorkin’s words. I couldn’t believe I got an opportunity to do that. If I could work for Aaron Sorkin every day for the rest of my life, I would. Even if he needed me to just get coffee (laughs).
Getting red carpet ready
SheKnows: I’ve got a fashion question for you – on the day of an event, like the Emmy Awards that I know you’ve attended, there’s so much to do, take me inside that day.
Sarah Paulson: I was nominated for a Golden Globe for Studio 60 two years ago. That was probably the most exciting time and the most stressful time. All of the sudden you have 30 things you’ve never thought of before. You need a stylist. You need a make-up artist. You need someone to pick your shoes up. You need someone to get you deodorant – all these things that you would just normally just do yourself. I went to a million fittings and this and that. There are the pre-parties. It’s different when you’re nominated. I’ve been to the Emmys as a guest and I’ve gone to the Golden Globes as a nominee. They’re both nerve wracking. Being a nominee is more nerve wracking and also, more fun. I imagine winning would be the most fun (laughs). It is nervous. You do drink a lot of champagne. You do not sleep much the night before. You do worry as you are getting ready you hope you look as good as you fantasized you would look. You know? You do things that relax you – like take a bath or have good friends around that help you not worry about the non-important things in life like red carpets.
SheKnows: For the Golden Globes, being in the same room with all those film and television…
Sarah Paulson: I was sitting at the same table as Kyra Sedgwick and Julie Louis Dreyfus! It was wild. Especially the Golden Globes that bring together movies and film, to be sitting there across a room with Meryl Streep and Annette Bening, and I’m included in that group of nominees! People smarter than me have said that if you believe the good stuff you have to believe the bad stuff. Anytime something like that happens and it’s positive, I have to remember that it is just as meaningless as when you get a bad review and you know it’s not true. You can’t let those exterior things color your experience.
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