{
  "id": 10789607,
  "title": "Sarah Paulson Defends ‘Monster’ Aileen Wuornos Portrayal Amid Charlize Theron Comparisons: ‘I Didn’t Set Out to Blast Hers Off the Screen’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/sarah-paulson-defends-monster-aileen-wuornos-portrayal-amid-charlize",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-29T21:28:10.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TheWrap",
    "slug": "thewrap",
    "url": "https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/tv-shows/sarah-paulson-critics-aileen-wuornos-monster-lizzie-borden/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sarah Paulson has defended her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in the Netflix series \"Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,\" while also reacting to comparisons with Charlize Theron's Oscar-winning performance. During an episode of Netflix's \"Shut Up Evan\" podcast, Paulson expressed frustration towards those who mocked her interpretation of the serial killer, questioning why there couldn't be multiple perspectives on the character after Theron's acclaimed portrayal in the 2003 film. \"I didn’t set out to do something better than Charlize Theron,\" Paulson told host Evan Ross Katz. \"I didn’t set out to blast hers off the screen or something – as if anyone could do that.\" She emphasized that people are free to reinterpret classic works and cited an example of Glenn Close's rendition of a play. Paulson mentioned that her initial thought upon being approached for the role was apprehension about the comparisons to Theron, but ultimately decided to dive into her own research and draw from her own identity to deliver the performance. Despite mixed reviews, \"Monster\" Season 4 has seen a 20% increase in viewership, reaching 14.5 million views and becoming the top-ranked English-language series in 92 countries.",
  "summary": "\"People get to reinterpret great plays all the time,\" the actress adds The post Sarah Paulson Defends ‘Monster’ Aileen Wuornos Portrayal Amid Charlize Theron Comparisons: ‘I Didn’t Set Out to Blast Hers Off the Screen’ appeared first on TheWrap .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}