Sarah Paulson talks new thriller, 'Glass' and why she refuses to watch herself on screen

"Seeing your face on a giant screen or even small one is traumatic for me."

January 17, 2019, 10:52 AM

There's a chance Sarah Paulson won't be joining fans in theaters Friday as her new thriller, "Glass," hits the big screen.

The Emmy-winning actress said on "Good Morning America" Thursday that she refuses to watch her own films.

"I don't like to watch myself," Paulson said. "Do you like listening to the sound of your own voice? Seeing your face on a giant screen or even small one is traumatic for me."

She added, "I don't need to see it -- I got to do it, I got to work with those incredible actors, I got to make the thing and I'll let you all enjoy it."

In "Glass," Paulson plays Dr. Ellie Staple, a psychiatrist who specializes in people who believe they are superheroes. The role was originally written for a man, she said.

PHOTO: Sarah Paulson in a scene from "Glass."
Sarah Paulson in a scene from "Glass."
Universal Pictures

"I went in and took it from that man, I don't know who the man was so I'm sorry to you," Paulson joked. "I think not much of the dialogue changed which was great because they didn't try to soften her or feminize her in some way. They just kept her authority and her strength which was really cool."

They didn't try to soften her or feminize her in some way. They just kept her authority and her strength which was really cool.

She went on, "I said yes without reading the script, which could be crazy but I basically do with with "American Horror Story" every year. You never know what they character's going to be so it's sort of in my blood at this point to go, 'Yeah, I want to work with M. Night Shyamalan and [Samuel L. Jackson] and all these people. I think it was a good dice roll."

PHOTO: Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson in a scene from "Bird Box."
Sandra Bullock and Sarah Paulson in a scene from "Bird Box."
Universal Pictures

Another good dice roll for Paulson was the Netflix thriller, "Bird Box," which has become a global phenomenon.

"I didn't watch it so I don't understand exactly why," she said. "I'm just jealous of all the people in the movie who got to wear the blindfold. I didn't get to wear the blindfold, you guys."

I won't let my grandmother watch ('American Horror Story') at all.
PHOTO: Sarah Paulson as Ms. Wilhemina Venable in "American Horror Story: Apocalypse."
Sarah Paulson as Ms. Wilhemina Venable in "American Horror Story: Apocalypse."
Kurt Iswarienko/Fox

Paulson is also a familiar face on "American Horror Story" but it's unclear if she'll reprise her role once season 9 premieres.

"Every year I get to do the wildest stuff on that show," she said. "I've had to do some crazy things where I've had to call my mother and be like, 'This is not something you should watch.' I won't let my grandmother watch it at all. I don't want to raise her blood pressure and she can't watch 'Bird Box.' Almost nothing I do, she can watch."