She’s a regular main cast member on FX’s American Horror Story. During the show’s unprecedented (so far) six-year award-winning run, Paulson has been a mainstay in multiple stories. In total, Sarah Paulson has in a total of nine installations of the hit horror series. She’s certainly a mainstay in the cult-favorite, as well as an award-winning actress featured in a variety of films such as Oceans 8; Birdbox; and Run. Sarah Paulson also had a run portraying nurse Ratched in the series Ratched.
But, who out here knows that Sarah Paulson had an early run in a Law & Order episode? She certainly did – and she showcased her trademark acting style to full effect during the appearance.
Law & Order has long been highlighting some impressive guest stars. Some visit the show at the height of fame. While others find their guest-starring role to be an early career move. Finding fame following the Law & Order appearance. These “before they were stars” appearances are fun to catch. And, such is the case with Sarah Paulson in her 1994 appearance on the hit crime-drama series.
In the season five Law & Order episode titled Family Values, Paulson portrays a character named Maggie Conner who learns that her mother is missing. This may have been one of her first-ever on-screen roles.
However, Sarah Paulson gives us the performance we all would recognize today. From her kinesics and mannerisms to her unique cadence, we see the Sarah Paulson who quickly became one of our favorite actresses over the years.
Sarah Paulson Comes Clean to ‘Law & Order’ Detectives
In Paulson’s Law & Order episode, we soon learn that Maggie has been having an affair with her stepfather; a man named Steve. Initially, Sarah Paulson’s character steadfastly insists on her innocence as well as the innocence of her stepfather in her mother’s case.
However, Maggie soon realizes that Steve is only focused on protecting himself. Willing to do anything he can to save himself. So, she confesses everything she knows about the killing. Telling the Law & Order detectives that Steve killed her mother after she found out about the affair. He later forced Maggie to clean up the evidence.
Paulson Returns to the Popular Franchise With a Turn On ‘SVU’
The 1994 appearance may be Sarah Paulson’s only turn on the original Law & Order series. However, this was not the American Horror Story star’s only turn as a guest-star in the popular franchise.
In 2010, Sarah Paulson gave the Law & Order: SVU detectives a run for their money as she appeared in the season 11 installment titled Shadow. In this episode, Sarah Paulson portrays a woman who murders her wealthy parents. It is soon discovered that she committed this horrific crime simply for the inheritance.
