Despite Sarah Paulson’s recent lack of success on TV, she never stays idle for long.
She’s currently starring in the off-Broadway production of Alexander Dinelaris’ Still Life with Frederick Weller (Marshall on In Plain Sight) and her performance as the unlikable Carrie Ann has garnered praise despite mixed reviews for the play.
Broadway Buzz talked to Paulson about Still Life and what’s going on in her personal life. (Yes, she talked about The Breakup.)
BB: This show is largely about time and life choices. How often do those themes crop up in your personal life?
SP: I am so sorry, but can you ask the question again? My dog is looking at me like she’s going to throw up and I’m not paying attention. [We repeat.] Oh god, I’m glad I paid attention this time, because I think about that stuff all the time. My little sister is due to have a baby in February. That’s my kid sister, having a kid. I myself don’t have a child — I’m not even with someone I could have a child with! It does odd things to have your little sister becomes a mom before you. This show is about examining what we want and the choices we make, and there’s a reason we avoid thinking about those things in real life. Because thinking about them is enough to make you want to put your head down.
BB: You and Cherry Jones recently split.
SP: Yes, yes we did.
BB: She was quoted as saying it was one of the most amicable break-ups ever. How did you pull that off?
SP: Oh god, in truth, I think that particular quote was Cherry’s take on the experience. I just came from her house, by the way — we’re obviously still very close. We’re just in very different places in our lives. I’m 34, so I’m in a, “Holy s--t, now what?” kind of place about [the breakup]. Cherry is 52, so I think she’s feeling more relaxed, more, “Oh, I’ve been with a lot of people” — well, not a lot of people, she’s not a slut! — “and I’ve had a long relationship end and now I will experience that.” I’m emotionally way more freaked out than she is. We couldn’t be better friends, and she’s right — that amicable feeling couldn’t be more there between us. But breakups are always complicated!
You know, I find this whole situation kind of refreshing. Not that I’m happy about it; I hate breakups. But Cherry and Sarah have responded to this honestly and openly, which is a stark contrast to most celebrity breakups. It all seems so normal. And as sad as we are when couples we love go their separate ways, the truth is that being above board about breaking up goes a long way toward legitimizing our relationships.
Do you agree?
Submitted by
on October 29, 2009 - 4:00pm.
First time hearing of her
How lame of you, Galaxyglue!
"She could do so much better" really, how exactly? If two souls are drawn together, age is nothing! Cherry is beautiful and successful, and, from the sounds of Sarahs's interview,very grounded.
How dare you imply ANYONE could do so much better.
Nash
www.brokenbarrel.ca
lame?
i have to agree with you, nash, though i also have to admit that my first reaction to their picture was maybe not that different either. which is rather sad. especially since i often find the theme of age gap between lovers in a movie rather intriguing... so i guess i am shallow too yet not happy about it.
but the expression "could do better" is just wrong.
Yes..
finaly a normal break up :)
To Galaxyglue
Cherry actually sounds super funny and cool
Is it just me or was this the funniest exchange ever:
BB: This show is largely about time and life choices. How often do those themes crop up in your personal life?
SP: I am so sorry, but can you ask the question again? My dog is looking at me like she’s going to throw up and I’m not paying attention.
But it's good to hear two sides, there always are....
I hope Cherry get's throught the thirtysomething freak out period without too much trouble (I'm not through mine yet...)
I think you've confused the two
Yes I meant Sarah Paulson sounds funny and cool.....
it is refreshing
Yes, good point. Sad to see them break up, but the honesty is refreshing and the normalcy of it all is very helpful... as you say.
I can't remember Sarah Paulson talking much (if at all) about relationships/sexuality before Cherry Jones so it's great to have another lesbian voice out there! I do remember her playing a lesbian ages ago in The Other Sister and it was nice when that became reality! :)
It's sad, but at least when two famous lesbians break up it multiplies the visibility when they get new partners!
Clarrifying
awww you didn't have to get chewed out..
Your opinion is spiteful
So, yes, in a public forum like this, I will jump you for it. Otherwise, feel free to keep this type of spiteful opinion to yourself. The rest of us don't need to hear such a base assessment of an actress who is older and who you obviously consider less attractive than her younger ex-girlfriend.
Nash
www.brokenbarrel.ca
Jump??
and here's my opinion...
shallow or what?!@#$%^
I find the comments (and there are many online) on who should be with whom based on surface looks in photos (since none of us know these celebs) deeply depressing. I have never chosen to go out with anyone strictly based on their looks. And I hope no one chooses me on that basis either.
Its personality and chemistry which has to jell.
I'm sorry to see them break
I'm sorry to see them break up, as a theatre geek, Cherry is a goddess, but Sarah is my kind of girl. It is very nice to see not only them publicly talking about their breakup, but that so many people are interested and also sad about it.
Also...
Dear Sarah,
YES PLZ. The hotness=yay.
classy ladies
they have both have handled themselves with such class. bravo. it's inspirational.
hmm
yeah see saying someone can do much better only really works when ya say it to a mate thats trying to get over a breakup, does sound a bit shallow when ya say it about people ya dont know personally. Nevertheless im a but bemused, im kinda curious as to why they broke up, i mean they are both being very dignified but its like well if ya still get on etc why did ya break up, maybe i read too much into stuff but from what sarah said i gathered it was cherry that broke up with her, what with her seeming more upset about it an all. But then the screaming etc has probably gone on behind closed doors, noone breaks up ammicably I think but you can choose to show publicly a little bit of dignity about the whole situation, others could learn from them, *cough* katie price and peter andre. Give it a few months, I bet ya cherry has someone else, just a feeling I get.
~sarah
my speculation
"im kinda curious as to why they broke up"
I think they've both hinted at it, and its something I understand. When there is an age gap, at some point it can become clear that you're both at different phases of your lives. And when your priorities are different, it can be hard. Even if you still love each other.
I think it's awesome
Sarah, I love you!
Don't worry too much. The best is yet to come. There's always another gal around the corner. In your case, maybe two or three...
As long as they're not bitter about it...
As for not knowing who they are... I guess it's normal since they are both mainly stage actresses. Sarah did play in Studio 60 last year and Cupid this past season and Cherry won a Tony for Doubt (yeah the Meryl Streep role only she created it on stage) and an Emmy just a month ago for playing the President in 24...
lol... so... maybe you guys should watch more tv? ;) there are shows outside the L Word :p
For every lie I unlearn I learn something new - Ani Difranco
Katie and Peter could really
Katie and Peter could really learn a lesson from these two.
I love that they are still
I love that they are still friends! As the poster above states it is "inspirational"!
What's normal?
Sarah's in pain
It sounds like Sarah is really hurting and my guess is that her continued friendship with Cherry is merely prolonging her pain. They need to make a clean break and then, maybe, become friends in a few years. Of course, it's not like I've met either of them so what do I know?
Someone mentioned Sarah as a lesbian. Isn't she bisexual? I think I read that somewhere here on AE.
I Take My Hat Off To This Couple
Mainly because, despite breaking up and both having celebrity status, it's not been drawn out as some all-out war, are they, aren't they? It's been how any emotional break-up ought to be - PRIVATE.
It is never easy to part ways from someone you loved for what ever the reason or reasons may be, but if you can do it with dignity and still have a friendship in tact, you're doing something right.
As for anyone who thinks Cherry Jones isn't all that, get ahold of 'What Makes A Family' and watch her performance. Raw, gritty, emotional. One of the best. And of course, there's her comical side, which we saw somewhat in Ocean's Twelve.
Again, I applaud them both for having what many young lesbians who are also celebrities need - dignity.
As another 52 year old in a relationship
Cherry Jones
I did not know they split, that is sad they seemed happy! I love Cherry Jones, she's great on 24. I wish the best for them both.
- Peace, love, vegan! -
Cherry Jones, Gay Icon and Hero
Attention AfterEllen Readers: Cherry Jones has been 'out' all of her professional career, and in that she is probably one-of-a-kind. (Remember, there was a time when even Ellen Degeneres was not 'openly gay.') Now after 30 years of very hard work on the stage and in film, Cherry Jones is at the top - as a Tony Award winning actress for B'way and now an Emmy Award winner for playing 'The President' on TV's 24.
Ever wonder why actors/actresses are not 'openly gay' - because it keeps them from getting WORK - that is why so many are either completely in the closet, or hedge with the 'my private life is private,' or 'bi-sexual' or 'in the past I've experimented with.." etc.
As for the break-up, Cherry as usual handled it with dignity and class
Cherry Jones, aka "Officer Paski" in the 2002 movie Signs
Ignore the above post, as it was completely devoid of what really matters: hot gossip.
Some of you are probably in the Sarah Paulson age-group...about to hit the big 3 5, and well, ol' Cherry Jones is about to hit the big 5 3.....
So you could see where the age diff might freak out Sarah a bit, especially when as the interview says, her younger sister is going to have a bebe in Feb and Sarah 'isn't even with someone she could get pregnant with." (??!!)
Duh, honey. (This whole matter is discussed in one of Cherry Jones' movies, "It Takes a Family," also starring a very hot-looking Brooke Shields.)
Cherry Jones once was quoted as saying she 'didn't have a maternal bone in her body," and Sarah Paulson must have known that from the get-go. However, now approaching age 3 5 ...SP has two thing to worry about: her own 'timeclock' and her career as well.
Cherry is at the top of her game and her options, career-wise, are limitless. Professional rivalry must always (this is from my own 'non-showbiz' perspective) factor into romantic relationships among the Hollywood/B'way set. How could it not - that must have added stress to the relationship.
Finally -- if you go check out Sarah Paulson's page at the IMDb.com (Internet Movie Database) you will see about 95,000 pictures of Sarah Paulson with AMANDA PEET and none (or perhaps 1) with Sarah and Cherry Jones.
Don't you think that must have pizzed Cherry Jones off? I mean, WTF?
Sarah did not appreciate Cherry for the wonderful, sexy person she is. So Cherry Jones said "eff this" and left. IT WAS ABOUT TIME!!
Sarah and Amanda have been
Sarah and Amanda have been BFFs since they did the sitcom "Jack and Jill" in 1999. I have no idea what stress their friendship put on Cherry and Sarah's relationship, I'm just saying. :-)
Talented
Sarah and Cherry
Still on the topic of Cherry Jones, Sarah Paulson, & Amanda Peet
Note to Nikki above:
Finally. Thank you for some refreshing gossip on this topic, which is XXXtreemly hard to come by. My gaydar went spinning when I saw Amanda's gorgeous blue eyes and dark lashes in the 2005 movie, "A Lot Like Love," with Ashton Kutcher.
Thought she played it a little on the butch side. I am a big fan of Cherry Jones, so of course I wondered what kind of gal Cherry would be involved with. When I saw Sarah Paulson in "The Notorious Bettie Page,"....I saw why: Sarah is young, slender, gorgeous, and one of the very few dames out there who is convincing in a real way as either a blonde, brunette, redhead. (That is a hard trick to pull, but Sarah does it.)
So natch when I went to Sarah's page on IMdb.....saw she had zzillions of photos of herself with Amanda Peet, and zilch-o with her supposed live-in lover/ LTR Super-squeeze, Cherry Jones (who is 18 years older than Sarah.)
Wheels began to spin. As in, W T F?! If I were Cherry Jones, it would be major frying-pan throwing time if I were to see how she was in all of these pix with (the gorgeous blue-eyed brunette) Amanda Peet, and NONE with me!
Outsiders (that is, people who are neither Cherry Jones nor Sarah Paulson) would start to wonder: is this a real relationship or a made-for-publicity set-up? For a few years, they did present a poster-couple version of girl-on-girl relationships.
Now, as far as we know, Cherry has pulled the plug. (Maybe this is not even true, but she is the one who made 'the announcement.')
Gossip is not nice. It is frivilous, time-wasting, possibly immoral. Father Flynn gave a sermon about it recently (as in: do not gossip.) However, it is a way to let off steam, and gossip, for one reason or another, does sell a lot of 'hard copy.'
Cheers!
Gossip, gossip! It's what
Gossip, gossip! It's what keeps my bored, stay-at-home wife and mother-self entertained while my two year old runs circles around me! I've been a fan of Cherry's since...well, ever. As well as Sarah. When Sarah did Glass Menagerie on Broadway, hello-DREAM.
As far as Sarah and Amanda Peet go, it seems their friendship is not unlike my own with my best friend. Completely open, completely inappropriate and absolutely the best. I know my wife is delighted with my best friend, and I wish that for all women, an understanding spouse and a kick-ass best friend.
I'm sad that Sarah and Cherry have parted ways. But I'm telling you, if Sarah shows up at my door, the wife is fully aware of INSTA-DIVORCE that will throw down.Limited Edition Married Lesbian
52 and 34? Wow...
what an age difference. I am surprised they ever got together in the first place. Having just turned 50 yesterday, I couldn't imagine being with a 34 year old, no matter how mature she might be.
However, I'm glad to hear that Cherry and Sarah are still friends, and I am sure they will both eventually recover and move on to successful relationships with other people. I wish them both the best.
I just read of Cherry's and
I just read of Cherry's and Sarah's split the other day and it is very sad when relationships end. While I am sure no one intends to make highly visible lesbian couples "role models," as they are just people trying to live their lives, not to mention with the fact of being visible as well, there is a sense of pride, or hope, that we might feel when we see them. By the same token I feel a sense of loss when they end. However, I agree with those who believe that age CAN matter. There is a world of difference between a 30 year old and a 50 year old. They can be at completely different stages in their lives and want completely different things. We also do not know what Cherry and Sarah wanted from each other. It seems that there is much in both their statements that is said between the lines...
I wish the best for both of them.
Yet another cmmt on Sarah, CHERRY JONES, banana-splitsville, etc
Regarding the age-diff: like it or not, Cherry and Sarah had to deal with on-lookers aghast at not only the 'lez thing' but also 'older woman/younger woman' which is an entirely different scenario from the '40 carats' difference of Older Woman-Younger Man.
Wait, maybe it isn't that different. Okay. Well, there is then a big PR difference between 'older man/younger woman' than....the other two things I just mentioned.
Examples:
Michael Douglas/Catherine Zeta-Jones have like, a 33-year age diff: no problem. The now 72-year old Robert Redford just married his 19-year younger companion, {forgot her name]. Again: no problemo.
So Woman-on-girl lez is a whole different WORLD..than, well, you know. The other two scenarios I just mentioned. Unless the two involved are so totally committed and 'in' to each other that the rest of the world doesn't matter at all. That is tough.
Anyway, all of the available evidence shows that Sarah Paulson had a whole world of other interests, not only AMANDA PEET, but also at least one male: prior to CHERRY JONES, she was engaged to the male playwright, Tracy Letts. (Author of the Pulitizer-Prize winning play, "August: Osage County" and an actor himself.
(PS Happy Thanksgiving! Go stuff yourself with some sordid gossip. I know that I am!)