Sarah Paulson portrays the hard-nosed prosecutor of the highly controversial O.J. Simpson murder trial, Marcia Clark, and while it certainly is the role of a lifetime, she has also discovered some shocking truths about her what her character went through during the ordeal.
The 41-year-old actress stars in the FX mini-series, The People v. O.J. Simpson, which revolves around the events of O.J.’s murder case based on lawyer and legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin’s book, The Run of His life: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
Sarah Paulson Plays Marcia Clark in the First Season of ‘American Crime Story’
During and prior to filming, Sarah Paulson said that she boned up on the details of the case and devoured books, articles, and interviews that she could find about Clark. Needless to say, she ended up becoming a fan of the lawyer and deeply empathizing with her struggles as lead prosecutor in the case.
In an interview with Business Insider, Paulson described the harsh sexist treatment that Clark had to endure while battling it out with O.J.’s high-profile, all-male defense team.
“Because she’s a woman she got the harsher side of the spotlight, and she had no support,” said Paulson. “And this woman in a man’s world, being ripped apart for her appearance, it’s pretty shocking.”
How Sarah Paulson is turning Marcia Clark into a feminist hero on #AmericanCrimeStory https://t.co/82R6Nz918k pic.twitter.com/nQ8Gl7piBH
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But what shocked her even more was the treatment that Clark received from her fellow women, particularly during a focus group discussion organized by a jury consultant. Most of the female participants criticized Clark for her aggressive presentation and even her appearance, which they deemed un-feminine.
Openly bisexual and a staunch supporter of gender equality, Sarah Paulson expressed her dismay toward the double standard that women are subjected to in the professional world.
“Any of the words, the negative words to describe Marcia Clark, would be positives in a man: aggressive, strong, tough,” she remarked.
Marcia Clark Sings Sarah Paulson’s Praises on ‘The View’
Clark recently appeared on the daytime talk show, The View, and praised Sarah Paulson for her portrayal of her.
“I think it took guts and vision,” said Clark of the way the show dealt with the main issues of the case. “And I got the gift of all time to be played by Sarah Paulson.”