Sarah Paulson Shares the Scream Queen Secret She Learned on ‘American Horror Story’

Sarah Paulson, the Emmy Award-winning actress, revealed a significant lesson she learned during her early days on the show "American Horror Story." According to Paulson, her main rookie mistake was overusing her voice for intense screaming scenes, which ultimately left her with a hoarse or lost voice. To combat this issue, she admitted to relying on steroid shots, though she clarified these were administered in her backside, not her throat.

When asked about her technique for acting opposite herself as conjoined twins Bette and Dot in the "Freak Show" season, Paulson shared that she devised the idea of using an earpiece to better synchronize her voice with her own dialogue. She explained that by pre-recording her lines in the morning, she could switch between the twin roles during different takes, effectively doubling as her own puppeteer. At times, a prosthetic head was used, while other scenes required her to physically manipulate a puppet head.

Paulson admitted that juggling two characters could be mentally taxing, often likening the experience to trying to pat her head and rub her stomach simultaneously. Despite the challenge, she appreciated the guidance from the show's creator, Ryan Murphy, who offered her a compassionate perspective and helped her learn to be a bit more forgiving of herself.