LDN. ‘Monster’ Season 4: Sarah Paulson in Final Talks to Play Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos (EXCLUSIVE). LDN
Sarah Paulson is reuniting with Ryan Murphy, this time in “Monster.”
Variety has learned from sources that Paulson is nearing a deal to appear in the upcoming fourth season of Murphy and Ian Brennan’s Netflix anthology series, in which she would play notorious serial killer Aileen Wuornos. As previously reported, Season 4 will focus on Lizzie Borden and the axe murder of her father and stepmother. Production is now underway in Los Angeles.
Related Stories
Ariana Grande Missing ‘Wicked: For Good’ World Premiere in Brazil Due to Flight Issues: ‘I’m So Heartbroken’
Given that Wuornos is not the focus of the season, it stands to reason that Season 4 will examine Borden’s impact on the perception of and connection to other female killers, much like how Season 3 explored the impact of Ed Gein’s crimes on popular culture.
Reps for Netflix declined to comment.
Ella Beatty will star as Lizzie, while Charlie Hunnam — who just played Gein in “Monster” Season 3 — will play her father, Andrew Jackson Borden. In addition, Rebecca Hall will star as Lizzie’s stepmother, Abby, with Billie Lourd as Lizzie’s sister, Emma Borden. Jessica Barden will play the actress Nance O’Neill, who was Lizzie’s friend, and Vicky Krieps will star the Borden family’s maid, Bridget Sullivan.
Wuornos was convicted of the murder of seven men in Florida, where she was ultimately executed in 2002. She has been the subject of numerous documentaries and books since then, with Charlize Theron winning the Academy Award for best actress for playing Wuornos in the 2003 film “Monster.” Other actresses who have portrayed Wuornos onscreen include Peyton List, Jean Smart, and Lily Rabe. Rabe played Wuornos in the fifth season of “American Horror Story,” another Murphy production.
This marks the latest collaboration between Paulson and Murphy. Paulson has famously appeared in nearly every season of “American Horror Story,” for which she has received five Emmy nominations. It was announced just last week that Paulson will return to the franchise for its upcoming 13th season.
She also starred in both “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” and “Impeachment: American Crime Story,” on which Murphy is an executive producer and director. Paulson won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series for “People v. OJ.” Additional collaborations include the Netflix series “Ratched,” the first season of “Feud,” and the Hulu legal drama “All’s Fair.”
Outside of the Murphy-verse, Paulson is known for roles in shows like “Mrs. America” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip” as well as films like “12 Years a Slave,” “Glass,” and “Ocean’s 8.” She is also an accomplished stage actress, with Paulson winning the Tony and Drama Desk Award for best actress in a play for “Appropriate.”
She is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, Hansen Jacobson, and Birch Public Relations.
