Sarah Paulson Returns to Film in 'Closing Night' at TIFF — SkimNews
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- Sarah Paulson won every major acting award for portraying Marcia Clark in 'The People v. O.J. Simpson' — the first actor ever to sweep them — but major film roles did not follow, with M. Night Shyamalan's 'Glass' not arriving until nine to ten months later and 'Ocean's 8' only after another actress passed.
- Paulson attributes the gap to being 41, female, and playing a brain-led, non-sexualized character, contrasting her experience with 'O.J.' scene partners Sterling K. Brown and Courtney B. Vance, who each landed big movies (Vance in 'The Mummy') while she did not.
- Cody Fern wrote 'Closing Night' specifically for Paulson after watching her embody three characters on 'American Horror Story: Apocalypse' — where she played a witch and he played the Antichrist — and the film makes its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- In 'Closing Night,' Paulson plays Sandra Vale, a glamorous movie star who collapses at her Broadway opening night and receives a health diagnosis, igniting confrontations with her estranged sister (Naomi Watts), nephew (Toby Wallace), and his girlfriend (Odessa A'zion).
- Dianne Wiest co-stars as the family matriarch; Paulson said working with her was more than she could 'mentally or emotionally handle,' calling Wiest 'one of those sneak-attack actresses where those who know know there is no one better.'
- Paulson traces her career-defining partnership with Ryan Murphy back to a casual backyard casting on 'Nip/Tuck,' which she calls a 'creative marriage' that ultimately let her play Linda Tripp — 'nobody would have let me play Linda Tripp except for Ryan Murphy.'
Why it matters: Paulson's on-the-record account that being a 41-year-old woman playing a brain-led, non-sexualized character killed her film prospects — while male 'O.J.' co-stars landed blockbusters — names a structural bias Hollywood rarely hears voiced this plainly. With 'Closing Night' premiering at TIFF and positioned as an awards-season showcase, the film becomes both her comeback vehicle and a referendum on which leading women the industry rewards.
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