Born Dec. 17, 1975, Paulson spent the first five years of life in her birthplace of Tampa, FL, at which point her parents divorced and her mother uprooted them both. The pair spent some time living in Maine before settling in New York. Paulson attended grade school in Brooklyn, but during the summers, would return to spend time in Tampa with her close-knit father and two sisters. As a youngster, she was the master of ceremonies for a play, and with that experience – coupled with the summer she was inspired by the film musical, “Annie” (1982) – the youngster knew what she would do with her life from then on. This enchantment with acting prompted many impromptu theatre productions at home, all of which usually co-starred her siblings. But the real world beckoned, and in 1989, she was accepted into the drama program at New York’s prestigious LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts; attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Paulson’s presence on the New York acting scene began in 1994, when, at the age of 19, she landed an understudy role for a Broadway revival of “The Sisters Rosenweig” as well as a role in an off-Broadway play, “Taking Pictures.” That same year, she nabbed her first television role as a guest star on NBC’s “Law and Order” (1990- ). Her appearance on the show led to an initial bout of exposure and the subsequent CBS made-for-television movie, “Friends at Last,” (1995) soon followed.

Not one to let her skills sit idle, by September of 1995, Paulson was already showcasing her abilities in another high profile CBS venture – taking on the much-loved role of the spirit Merlyn Temple in the chilling cult drama series, “American Gothic” (1995-98), in which she helped her brother navigate the treachery of Gary Cole’s sinister sheriff. Ripe from her first major success on TV, Paulson proceeded to jump into the feature film world with a lead role in the low-budget film “Levitation,” (1997) – a forgettable story about a young pregnant woman’s search for her biological mother. A year later, she received strong notices for her role in the off-Broadway play “Killer Joe.” Unfortunately, Paulson followed this with a part in her first major feature, the unintentionally humorous (and uncomfortable), “The Other Sister” (1999), in which the actress played the supporting role of sister to the mentally disabled lead character, portrayed by Juliette Lewis.

Continuing her employable streak, Paulson was back on the small screen in her second major series, playing the ex-girlfriend of Ivan Sergei’s character of Jack on The WB’s romantic comedy, “Jack and Jill” (1999-2001). Although on only two seasons, the series proved to be pivotal to both Paulson and its star, Amanda Peet – both of whom would become somewhat repeat collaborators in future projects. While on “Jack and Jill,” like any smart actress, Paulson continued to pad her big screen resume during her TV down time, landing a small part in the Jamie Foxx pre-stardom vehicle, “Held Up” (1999). Though that film came and went without fanfare, her next effort did not. In 2000, she made a bigger splash with a larger part in the actress-laden romantic comedy hit, “What Women Want,” portraying Annie, the secretary to Mel Gibson’s heretofore misogynistic character.

In 2002, following the demise of “Jack and Jill,” Paulson snagged the lead role of New York ad executive Faith Wardwell on NBC’s sitcom, “Leap of Faith” (2002). Although the show was short-lived, it continued to showcase Paulson’s comedic side and proved the newcomer could juggle a lead series role. Around this time, she would also demonstrate her diverse range, alternating between her already proven comedic chops and her dramatic skills, both on screen and stage. A dramatic performance in the John Frankenheimer-directed telefilm, “Path to War” (HBO, 2002) was followed up by a lighter performance opposite Renee Zellwegger and Ewan MacGregor (2003) in the Doris Day/Rock Hudson homage, “Down with Love.” Though the latter film was a stylized tip of the hat to ‘60s romance comedies, the film fell flat, generating dismal box office despite its appealing leads and aesthetics.

Now a recognizable face, if not a name, to movie and television audiences, even a two-episode stint as a deputy district attorney on ABC’s failed drama, “The D.A.,” (2004) did little to slow Paulson’s trajectory. No stranger to playing characters ensconced in matters of the supernatural, following her role on “American Gothic,” Paulson played Agatha Ripp on FX’s controversial plastic surgery drama, “Nip/Tuck,” (2003- ). In this edgy 2004 episode named after her character, Paulson’s Ripp was a woman seemingly affected with the mysterious stigmata. The following year, Paulson started a six-episode run on HBO’s gritty period western, “Deadwood” (2004- ), playing Alice Isringhausen.

Proving she inadvertently had a nose for a good cult project, Paulson landed the role of Dr. Caron in the big screen adaptation of the fan-boy favorite series, “Serenity” (2005). Initially a sci-fi/western TV series created by Joss Whedon, the film version was a minor success. Unfortunately, Paulson’s contribution was overshadowed by the series’ regulars all being cast in the film – a wise move on the studio’s part – with fans already attached to the actors/characters of the recently cancelled series.

By 2005, Paulson was considered a dependable character actress equally at home in all mediums and genres. However, she still lacked that one role that would put her over into a new stratosphere of fame. Having gone back to the 1960s with “Down With Love,” she quickly delved even further into the past to play famed photographer Bunny Yeager in the 1950s-minded “The Notorious Bettie Page” (2005), once again imbuing a diligent sense of empathy into the work. However, the film was not a commercial success. Perhaps a bit disenchanted by her constant back-and-forth between mediums, Paulson needed a change of pace. Broadway had never been far from her thoughts, so when she returned to the Barrymore Theatre where she had made her stage debut as a “Rosenweig” understudy years before, it was a homecoming of sorts for the actress. Now she was front and center, playing Laura Wingfield in the revival of Tennessee Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie.” Both the play and the cast, which included Paulson’s idol, Jessica Lange, earned rave reviews.

Though Paulson typically tended to focus on her career and keep her personal life quiet, she was indirectly outed by her girlfriend, older actress Cherry Jones, with whom she attended the 59th Annual Tony Awards. During Jones’ acceptance speech, following her Best Actress win for “The Heiress,” she thanked her girlfriend by the name "Laura Wingfield" – the character Paulson was then playing in The Glass Menagerie – during her acceptance speech. This remained the one "public" proclamation of their relationship.