Sarah Paulson acts only in stage productions.
Sarah Paulson . After beginning her acting career on stage , she starred in the 1990s television series American Gothic ( 1995 -- 96 ) and Jack & Jill ( 1999 -- 2001 ) . Paulson later appeared in comedy films such as What Women Want ( 2000 ) and Down with Love ( 2003 ) , and had dramatic roles in films such as Path to War ( 2002 ) and The Notorious Bettie Page ( 2005 ) . From 2006 to 2007 , Paulson played the role of Harriet Hayes in the NBC comedy-drama series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip , for which she received her first Golden Globe Award nomination . She later starred in the independent drama Martha Marcy May Marlene ( 2011 ) , and received Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance as Nicolle Wallace in the HBO film Game Change ( 2012 ) . Paulson starred as Mary Epps in the 2013 historical drama film 12 Years a Slave and as Abby Gerhard in the 2015 drama film Carol .