Sarah Paulson has had to do some pretty icky things on “American Horror Story,” but the most challenging for her was when she was called to have a sensual scene with a snake. On “Late Night,” Paulson recalled that co-star Jessica Lange didn’t help matters much by warning her before the shoot that all snakes, even tame ones, can still bite.
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Still, when the scene started to unfurl, Paulson said she just went for it, embracing the madness of the moment and corralling that snake as the director was barking orders. Considering there was also fire involved in the scene, this proved more challenging than it might otherwise have been.
As difficult as the snake scene was for her, there have been other moments even more difficult for her father. Paulson said that her mother doesn’t tune in as faithfully as Paulson thinks she should, but her dad is an avid fan.
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That said, she sometimes gets strange, trailing voicemails after certain segments. Fans of the Ryan Murphy horror anthology series know that there have been some absolutely crazy visuals on that show, as well as sex scenes as graphic as basic cable will allow.
The one that stood out for Paulson was when she had to breastfeed her adult co-star, Zachary Quinto. Her dad left her one of those awkward trailing voicemails after that one as well.
She’s probably hoping for a more straightforward congratulatory call from her family after the Emmy Awards. Paulson is nominated for Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, though she’ll have to beat Lange to take home the prize.
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The newest season of FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show” will feature Paulson in a double roll as a two-headed “freak.” It’s set to debut on the network in October.