Sarah Paulson didn’t enjoy doing American Horror Story: Roanoke

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Sarah Paulson is returning for season ten of American Horror Story, which is sporting a Double Feature theme this season, and, having appeared in several seasons of the anthology series, the actress is revealing the season that she did not enjoy doing.

During a chat with The Hollywood Reporter's Award Chatter Podcast, Paulson opened up about her experience coming off of playing Marcia Clark on The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and heading into American Horror Story: Roanoke. Judging from her blunt response about that time period, it doesn't seem like she enjoyed doing that particular season at all.

"I just don't care about this season at all. I know people will get mad at me for saying it, but for me, this was post having played Marcia and it was what I went to do right after finishing Marcia. I was so underwhelmed by the whole experience because I felt like I had entered into a new place inside of myself in terms of what I thought possible, in terms of what I might be willing to see if I can do. I felt really kind of trapped by my responsibility and my contractual obligation to do American Horror Story. As much as it's my home, and I've loved it always, it was the first time I felt like I wish I could have gone to Ryan and said, 'Please let me sit this one out.'"

Roanoke is the sixth season of American Horror Story and Paulson played Audrey Tindall, an actress in the cast for the documentary My Roanoke Nightmare that dramatized paranormal experiences has by the Miller Family. The actress also reprised her role of Lana Winters from the Asylum season that year. In all honesty, it also sounded like Paulson was burnt out from doing the show a bit. The only season that the actress has sat out on is season 9's 1984. Despite the experience of doing season 6, Paulson returned for Cult during season 7 and the Coven crossover, Apocalypse, for season 8. The actress said of coming back for Cult that she "wanted to be there because of what we all went through as a country. I liked that the idea was mirroring what we were experiencing. Enough time had gone by." Cult was the season of the series that was heavily influenced by the political climate when Donald Trump was in office as President of the United States.

As for Roanoke, that season starts off strong and, like most recent seasons of American Horror Story, ends on a very mediocre note. If Paulson is going to pick a season to be underwhelmed by, that's not a bad one to write off. The actress has been a mainstay on the horror anthology series since season one and she is well within her rights to get burnt out by some of the material.

What are YOUR thoughts on American Horror Story: Roanoke? The tenth season, American Horror Story: Double Feature, is set to premiere on August 25, 2021, and will be split into two separate stories, "one by the sea, and one by the sand."