Sarah Paulson refuses to be an actress.
Sarah Catharine Paulson ( born December 17 , 1974 ) is an American actress . After beginning her acting career on stage , she starred in the 1990s television series American Gothic ( 1995 -- 96 ) and Jack & Jill ( 1999 -- 2001 ) . In 2016 , Paulson portrayed real life prosecutor Marcia Clark in the first season of the anthology series American Crime Story , subtitled The People v. O. J. Simpson .