If You Miss Sarah Paulson on ‘The People v. O.J. Simpson’, Watch ‘Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip’

We can all agree that if Sarah Paulson doesn’t rack up multiple awards and statues for her work on The People v. O.J. Simpson, we will gather together and riot. She brought a depth to the character of Marcia Clark that we so rarely see, both on TV and when portraying a real life person. But it’s like, of course she did.
Many of us knew it all along, but with the help of O.J., Paulson is starting to be acknowledged for her talent by an even wider audience. With roles in 12 Years a Slave, Carol and several seasons of American Horror Story (including that one where she was conjoined twins, so two Paulsons for the price of one) she’s gone from, “Oh yeah, that lady” to “F*** yeah, Sarah Paulson!”

If you’re missing her work from O.J. and want to see her shine in something else, well, you’re in luck because she’s been working for over two decades. But let’s take a closer look at another spectacular and versatile performance: Harriet Hayes on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.
In 2006, NBC launched two shows about late night sketch comedy shows. One was Studio 60 and one was the sure-to-be-cancelled 30 Rock. Ever heard of it? We all know how history played out, but it wasn’t such a crazy thought at the time. Look at the Studio 60 cast: NBC darling Matthew Perry, Bradley Whitford, Paulson, and Amanda Peet in a show created by Aaron Sorkin. Damnnnn, right?

As Harriet, Paulson played the star (think Kristen Wiig) of the show—the cast member they could always count on to carry a sketch, to make it funny, to make it interesting. She was the standout star on the fictional show and the real one. Paulson got to display her impressions, from Neve Campbell to a dolphin. She nailed those Sorkin walk-and-talks like it was nobody’s business. Plus, she managed to have a more frustrating on/off relationship with Perry than Janice did!
Studio 60 also afforded Paulson the opportunity to show off her ability to act like she was acting. Her character is cast in a big, dramatic movie about the early years of The Rolling Stones, so we see her on set in character as Anita Pallenberg and her acting is so convincing, you’d actually want to see that movie. Granted, the director was in love with her and also kind of a douche and the movie probably wouldn’t turn out good. But Paulson gave a believable performance of a believable performance, and that can certainly be rare.

Honestly, everyone got the chance to shine on this show. The cast included people like Steven Wever, Nate Corddry, Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory), D.L. Hughley, Lucy Davis, Merritt Wever and Columbus Short. All were afforded the opportunity to show off their comedic chops and what it would look like if they were actually on a sketch show or writing for one, as well as a dramatic side, because, well, they actually were on a drama show. They dressed in ridiculous foam costumes and handled deep, emotional moments, all while spitting out that infamous Sorkin dialogue with the best of them.
It was evident that Paulson was really something special from this role, despite the fact that she had a cute haircut in this role. She balanced the comedy with the drama, and seamlessly swung from one on/off relationship to another in the show. Her character was a devout Christian and she fought for things you know the real Paulson despises.
She gave a mesmerizing performance on all 10 episodes of The People v. O.J. Simpson and we love her so much for it. But if you want to see another one of her fantastic performances you may have missed, or if you saw it, one that you may not have paid close enough attention to, Studio 60 is very much worth a watch. After all, she never broke out that dolphin impression on O.J..
[Where to watch Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip]