Sarah Paulson addresses Aileen Wuornos comparisons

Actress Sarah Paulson has addressed the comparisons drawn between her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the Netflix series ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ and Charlize Theron’s Oscar-winning performance in the 2003 film ‘Monster’.

Speaking on the podcast ‘Shut Up Evan’, Paulson stated she never intended to compete with Theron, describing the latter’s work as ‘the greatest performance in the world’. She explained that her portrayal is a personal interpretation based on her own research and personality, rather than an attempt to replicate previous versions of the character.

Paulson also described the experience of playing the role as ‘hard and scary’, likening the decision to take on such an infamous character to a ‘parachute jump out of a plane’. The series, produced by Ryan Murphy, aims to explore the psychological factors that drive women toward violence.