Advertisement

‘American Horror Story’s’ Sarah Paulson on snake Frenching, ‘Freak Show’

Share

On “American Horror Story: Coven,” Sarah Paulson was slapped, gouged and slathered with voodoo-semen-goat blood. But perhaps the most invigorating moment of filming the third installment of FX’s anthology series was being Frenched by a snake.

Paulson played Cordelia Foxx last season, a headmistress of an academy for young witches. Aside from the troubles of being the daughter of supreme witch Fiona, played by Jessica Lange, Cordelia is infertile.

Cordelia and her not-who-we-think-he-is husband attempt some magical tricks to help spur conception. Those magical tricks include, in few words, sex in the accompaniment of snakes. And one, an albino snake named Butter, more than slithered up for his close-up, Paulson revealed when she stopped by the Los Angeles Times on Friday to discuss her character.

Advertisement

“He was wrapped all around my business and [at one point], I had Frenched Butter. His tongue went right in my mouth, right up my nose. And you know, call me crazy, but in the moment, I was like, ‘Yeah, Butter. Butter, get it.’”

It’s quite the bar to set for the fourth season, which begins production next month. The season will set its sights on a ‘50s era freak show -- hence the title, “American Horror Story: Freak Show.” Paulson kept a tight lip on the details of who she’d be playing, but she hinted that she had some say in her latest persona.

“I did make a request about this character,” Paulson said. “And [Ryan] did give it to me.”

But the conversation didn’t stop there. To get a glimpse of Paulson’s impersonations of Lange and Frances Conroy or to learn what made her feel like David Bowie, check out the video above.

Sign up for the Envelope Newsletter

Advertisement