Acclaimed actress Sarah Paulson was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this Tuesday, surrounded by a host of famous friends and her long-term partner, Holland Taylor.
A Heartfelt and Honest Tribute
The most effusive speech of the ceremony came from Paulson's partner of nearly a decade, actress Holland Taylor, 82. Taylor delivered a candid and poetic tribute, praising Paulson's profound commitment to truth in her acting, which she described as "as honest as a vow of faith and as complicated as chemistry."
She characterised Paulson's on-screen presence as "warm-blooded, instinctive, mysterious" and "alert with her nose to the breeze." In a colourful analogy, Taylor noted her girlfriend was "dangerous", but clarified: "Not dangerous like a snake, more like a mongoose."
Celebrating a Complex and Loving Nature
Taylor was openly affectionate about Paulson's passionate temperament, remarking to the audience via Maximo TV that "you can't always know what might delight Sarah or make her mad." She acknowledged that Paulson's oldest friends "all know the warning signs" of an impending upset. However, she was quick to balance this with praise for Paulson's deeply loving nature, calling her "safety itself" and a person who invests immense time, energy, and thought into her relationships.
"Truth to tell, it's these relationships where Sarah is most complex, dedicated and giving. Sometimes it's hard to believe she's an actress," Taylor said, suggesting Paulson could have been a brilliant psychoanalyst and will one day become a great director.
A Star-Studded Guest List
The ceremony drew a notable crowd from Paulson's professional and personal life. Attendees included:
- Her best friend and former Jack & Jill co-star, Amanda Peet.
- Frequent collaborator and producer Ryan Murphy, creator of shows like her new series All's Fair.
- All's Fair co-star Niecy Nash and her wife Jessica Betts, who both wore custom t-shirts featuring an old Paulson headshot.
- Modern Family actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, also sporting the Paulson tribute t-shirt.
Concluding her speech, Taylor declared: "Hollywood does well to honour her, and just in case she doesn't know it, she has a permanent shining star on my street. I love you, darling."
The couple's relationship became public knowledge in 2015. Taylor has stated it was her first openly acknowledged relationship with a woman, while Paulson first publicly discussed their romance in a 2016 New York Times interview, recalling she thought Taylor was "probably the most exquisitely beautiful woman I’d ever seen." Paulson later famously declared her love for Taylor during a 2016 Emmy acceptance speech for her role as Marcia Clark.
