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Nip/Tuck (2004)
Paulson starred in an episode of Murphy's FX plastic surgery series as Agatha Ripp. In the episode, titled "Agatha Ripp," Paulson's character claims to have stigmata. They didn't work together again until 2011.
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American Horror Story: Murder House (2011)
Paulson appeared in three episodes of the first season of American Horror Story as Billie Dean Howard, a psychic. She would later reprise the role in the fifth season of American Horror Story.
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American Horror Story: Asylum (2012)
In the second season, Paulson was a full-blown series regular and the hero of the season. Asylum featured Paulson playing journalist Lana Winters, a lesbian who looks into the abuses at Briarcliff. She would later get trapped there, escape, kill her serial killer son and live to tell the tale. The character also appeared in the sixth season of American Horror Story.
"The show really felt...really focused on Lana's story and her journey. I felt very connected to it. Because this show is a miniseries and has a beginning, a middle and an end to it, when it was time to say goodbye, it was really saying goodbye. I knew even though I was going to do the show next year, I knew I wasn't going to be playing that character and I would never play her again and it was over forever and ever," she told us during AHS: Coven. "I think there's something about the nature and the way that we do this—there are 13 episodes and the story starts and there's an end to the story and you put it away forever—that kind of lends itself to feeling very connected to the characters your playing...For me it was Lana. Lana's a character that I felt most connected to and part I most loved playing."
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American Horror Story: Coven (2013)
Paulson got witchy as Cordelia Foxx, the daughter of Jessica Lange's Supreme character. She was blinded, got her sight back and eventually became the Supreme witch herself and went public with their magical school in New Orleans.
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American Horror Story: Freak Show (2014)
Double the Paulson! In this season, Paulson played conjoined twins, Bette and Dot Tattler. Two heads are better than one.
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American Horror Story: Hotel (2015)
From conjoined twins to Sally McKenna, a junkie ghost. Paulson also played Billie Dean Howard in this season.
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The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016)
Paulson took home her first Emmy (Yes, can you believe that?! Only her first!) for playing prosecutor Marcia Clark in the first installment of Murphy's American Crime Story franchise. She bonded with the real Marcia Clark and even takes her to events. The power of tequila!
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American Horror Story: Roanoke (2016)
The season that was shrouded in secrecy turned everything on its head when it took on reality TV. Paulson played an actress, Audrey, playing Shelby, in reenactments. And then Lana Winters came back! Confused? It's OK.
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Feud: Bette and Joan (2017)
Paulson reunited with Jessica Lange…sort of. In one episode of the Emmy-nominated series, Paulson played Oscar-winning actress Geraldine Page.
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American Horror Story: Cult (2017)
The current season of AHS has Paulson playing Ally Mayfair-Richards, a woman who is not only afraid of clowns, but having serious issues coming to terms with the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Katrina: American Crime Story
After months of speculation and casting announcements that included Annette Bening, Dennis Quaid and Matthew Broderick, everything changed for what was originally going to be the second season of American Crime Story. The series will now be based on Sheri Fink's Five Days at Memorial and feature Paulson as Dr. Anna Pou, a physician who led the hospital staff in euthanizing terminally ill patients after her hospital lost power following Hurricane Katrina.
Nurse Ratched
Prequel alert! Netflix handed out a two-season order to the project from Murphy and Michael Douglas that will explore the origins of Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Louise Fletcher played the character in the film.