Sarah Paulson Names The Actress Who Sent Her A Six-Page Critique Of Her Performance: “I Hope To See You Never”

Sarah Paulson revealed the actress who originated her role in the 2013 play Talley’s Folly sent her six pages of notes after she watched her perform.

She name dropped the actress during a recent appearance on Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett’s Smartless podcast when they were discussing the custom of celebrities going backstage during plays to meet the cast.

Paulson revealed that she once had an “outrageous” experience when her mother brought Trish Hawkins, the actress who originated the role she was playing in Talley’s Folly, to see the show. Paulson said they were “in some kind of writing group together” at the time.

“I did do a play once. The last time I was on stage, I did a play called Talley’s Folly at the Roundabout, and the actress — and I’m going to say this, and I’m not going to ask you to cut this out, because I don’t fucking care — this actress came to the play. Her name is Trish Hawkins — Hi, Trish! Hi, Trisha!” Paulson said. “Trish Hawkins came to the play — am I going to get sued? I don’t care, because I think this is outrageous.”

She continued, “She came to the play, proceeded to say — she looked at me up and down and then she went, ‘Your dress is yellow. Mine was pink.’ And I thought, ‘What?’”

The bizarre experience didn’t end there, however. Paulson revealed that Hawkins sent her pages of notes, sharing advice on how to approach the role.

“Cut to two days later, I got an email that was six pages long of notes and a communication to me about what she had done when she had done the play, what she recommended I do,” Paulson added. “It was outrageous. It was really outrageous. Trish Hawkins, I have not forgotten it, and I hope to see you never.”

Hawkins had starred in Talley’s Folly in 1979 and during its Broadway debut in 1980. She had a short-lived acting career in the ’70s and ’80s, including her role in the 1987 series The Equalizer.

The “outrageous” experience has obviously stuck with Paulson, who revealed she still has the notes filed away somewhere.

“I just put it back in the file of things my mother has done,” she said. 

Scroll up to listen to Paulson’s recent appearance on the Smartless podcast.