Sarah Paulson - 10 reasons we love the American Horror Story star | Gallery

By Megan Riedlinger 2:39am PDT, Sep 21, 2016

It's good to be Sarah Paulson! The newly crowned Emmy winner — she took home the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie trophy for her performance on "The People v. O. J. Simpson" on Sept. 18, 2016 — is having a banner year. Aside from her first big win at the Primetime Emmys, she's also been lucky in love with girlfriend Holland Taylor and has starred on multiple FX franchises. As the latest season of "American Horror Story" gets underway, take a look at 10 reasons we adore the quirky actress!

10. She has excellent TV taste, and binge-watches like the rest of us

When asked by The Wrap about whose role on another show she would love to tackle, Sarah Paulson had not one but two great answers! "That's a toss up between Robin Wright on 'House of Cards' and Maisie Williams on 'Game of Thrones,'" Sarah told the outlet. When asked what show she last binge-watched, she had an equally awesome response: "Orange is the New Black." "I watched maybe six of them in one sitting. And then I think I gave myself a four-hour break and maybe grabbed myself a sustaining meal, and then I went back and finished." She also recently tweeted her love for "Stranger Things." A girl after our own TV-loving hearts!

9. She's had a very diverse career

Not only has Sarah Paulson found success on the small screen (before "American Horror Story," she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work on "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"), but she's done well on the big screen as well. Her performance as Mary Epps in the Oscar-winning historical drama "12 Years a Slave" helped earn the cast a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Sarah is no stranger to the stage either. She's landed major roles on Broadway, including in "The Glass Menagerie" in 2005 and "Collected Stories" in 2010.

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8. She has incredible red carpet style

She was named Wonderwall.com's best-dressed star at the 2016 Emmys, but then again, Sarah Paulson can always be counted on to deliver a fashion-forward red carpet moment. From this fabulous Prada look on Emmys night to her 2014 Emmys gown by Armani Prive (which led Vanity Fair to crown her best dressed that year), Sarah's red carpet style is always fun and flawless.

7. She has an adorable relationship with Holland Taylor

Sarah Paulson is not shy about showing her love for girlfriend Holland Taylor. Holland, 73 — AKA Professor Stromwell from "Legally Blonde" — and 41-year-old Sarah were first reported to be dating back in November 2015 and have since been adorably open about their relationship in the press and on social media. It's clear it's the real deal since Holland has kept her personal life private throughout her lengthy career in Hollywood but has chosen to be open about her relationship with Sarah. For Sarah's part, after winning her first Emmy, the star ended her speech with a sweet shout-out, finishing it off by saying, "Holland Taylor, I love you. Thank you."

6. She never gave up

Sarah Paulson's road to fame was a rocky one. After starting her acting career straight out of high school, Sarah toiled for years before getting the recognition she deserved. The actress landed stints on numerous television shows from "Touched By An Angel" to "Nip/Tuck," but it was her gig on "American Horror Story" that made her a household name. And after receiving six Emmy nominations, Sarah finally won her first trophy in 2016 for portraying Marcia Clark on "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story."

5. She's brutally honest about "American Horror Story"

Sarah Paulson's favorite "American Horror Story" season? "American Horror Story: Asylum," and she told AOL that it's that character of Lana Winters that people typically associate her with. At the same event, Sarah was frank about her annoyance at always being asked, "Where's your other head" after she played conjoined twins on "American Horror Story: Freak Show." She also opened up about the challenges of filming "American Horror Story: Hotel" and "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" at the same time — namely that makeup artists had a hard time removing all the track marks and bruises she had for her character Sally on "AHS" in order to transform her into lawyer Marcia Clark.

4. We're obsessed with her Twitter

Sarah Paulson seriously keeps it real on Twitter. From sharing sweet tweets with girlfriend Holland Taylor to musing about the terrible effects of mercury retrograde, her Twitter account provides loads of entertainment. She also proudly puts on display her love of fast food — like a Jack in the Box Oreo Cookie shake — while also reflecting on current events and weighing in on political issues.

3. She has a very close relationship with Marcia Clark

Besides taking Marcia Clark as her date for her big night at the 2016 Emmys, Sarah Paulson made sure to give the former prosecutor the recognition she deserved. When Sarah won her first Emmy ever for her performance as Marcia on "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," the actress dedicated a large chunk of her acceptance speech to the public figure. "The responsibility of playing a real person is an enormous one. The more I learned about the real Marcia Clark, not the two-dimensional cardboard cutout I saw on the news, but the complicated, whip-smart, giant-hearted mother of two who woke up every day, put both feet on the floor and dedicated herself to righting an unconscionable wrong… the more I had to recognize that I, along with the rest of the world, had been superficial and careless in my judgment. I'm proud to be able to stand here today in front of everyone and tell you I'm sorry." So touching!

2. She's a big fan girl

Before Lady Gaga joined the cast of "American Horror Story," Sarah Paulson had lofty goals — to become her best friend. Sarah told Deadline that she was a "super fan" of Gaga, and before filming she was "like a dog in a window panting, waiting to be around [Lady Gaga]." Her other major celebrity obsession? Emma Thompson. "If Emma Thompson goes to the Emmys you're going to find a story somewhere about how I stalked her. It's going to be embarrassing for me, I'm telling you. I heard she's quite nice but I just don't know if she'll be quite nice if I attach myself to her ankle and don't let go," Sarah told Deadline in 2015. Fortunately for Sarah, it looks like she managed to stay out of the headlines — but her fan-girl status? Not so much!

1. She has a great — and down-to-earth — outlook on success

Sarah Paulson recently spoke with GQ magazine about her success and revealed that she's grateful for the struggles she experienced early on in her acting career. "If my career had turned out like the fantasy I had of what it was going to be, it would never have made me happy. But I couldn't have known that until it didn't happen. I found a success that is so much bigger and deeper and better, and it's because it happened later," she told the magazine. She also shared her idea of true success — which is very #relatable: taking naps! The actress shared that to her, success is being able to say, "'It's my day off, and I'm not going to go do that thing. I'm going to take a nap and read a book.'"