Holland Taylor, 82, delivered a moving tribute to her partner Sarah Paulson, 50, during the actress’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony Tuesday, celebrating Paulson’s talent, humanity, and enduring impact.
“Sarah, the actress, is first of all a wild creature in the animal kingdom. Warm blooded, instinctive, mysterious,” Taylor said, opening her speech.
Taylor injected humor alongside admiration. “And Sarah is dangerous, trust me in this, not dangerous like a snake, more like a mongoose. You know, those darling furry, little creatures that kill snakes.”
A Performer of Rare Dedication
Taylor praised Paulson for her commitment to truth on screen. “Nothing interferes with her laser perception of her character’s traits, its habitat, vulnerabilities, its heroism, its ugliness, terrible truths, its comic pathos,” she said. “She zeros in to a story’s central struggle, where most of us aren’t even aware of our own.”
She also hinted at Paulson’s potential behind the camera. “She’s a great director in the making. Her acting is as honest as our faith and as complicated as chemistry. She’s not deceiving us; she is practicing magic.”
Taylor highlighted Paulson’s unique skill as an actor: “Her secret skill as an actor is her own humanity.”
Beyond the Screen
Taylor made sure to honor Paulson’s personal qualities, describing her as “deeply understanding, loving and loyal… a person who is safety itself.” She praised Paulson’s relationships with friends and family, noting, “Truth to tell, it is these relationships where Sarah is most complex, dedicated and giving… She breaks the mold, throws assumptions out the window, does it her way. She will always surprise us. Hollywood does well to honor her.”
Concluding with affection, Taylor said, “And just in case she doesn’t know it, she has a permanent shining star on my street. I love you, darling.”
Love in the Spotlight
Taylor and Paulson have been together since 2015 and openly embrace their 31-year age difference. Paulson told Modern Luxury in 2018, “If anyone wants to spend any time thinking I’m strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that’s their problem. I’m doing just fine.”
Despite earlier reservations about public scrutiny, Paulson reflected in 2017, “It occurred to me, ‘Should I not?’ And then I thought, ‘Why would I not?’ The fact I’m having this thought is wrong. But I had a moment of societal concern… But then, you know, I did it anyway.”
Their relationship continues to thrive in the public eye, combining playful humor, mutual admiration, and unwavering support, qualities that Taylor celebrated alongside Paulson’s official Hollywood recognition.
