Sarah Paulson may star in scary shows like “American Horror Story”, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune from fright.
On Tuesday’s episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, Ellen decides to have some fun with Paulson to see just how easily she scares.
First, Ellen pops out at Paulson in her dressing room. Then, as they show that clip, Ellen has one of her crew members creep up behind Paulson, giving her another big scare. Finally, without much time for recovery, a clown jumps out, sending Paulson laughing and screaming right under a table.
It’s not just clowns jumping out of nowhere that scares Paulson, though. The actress tells Ellen about her intense fear of flying, which she had to get over recently on a trip to see Cher live in Las Vegas.
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Paulson was apparently nervous because she didn’t have time to talk to the pilot. She says she usually pops her head in to ask “how long they’ve been doing this,” to which most pilots jokingly respond that it’s their first day. Paulson also likes to ask pilots how much rest they’ve had, and whether they’ve been drinking the night before.
Ellen also asks Paulson about “American Horror Story: Cult”, and how creator Ryan Murphy based the phobias in the new season on Paulson’s own fears, including clown, heights, bees. “I could be carrying a small child, and if a bee came around that baby’s getting dropped,” Paulson says.
Paulson also suffers from something called tryophobia, which she explains is “a fear of any holes that are clustered or nestled” together. “I just think they’re disgusting,” she says.