Holland Taylor praised her “shining star” partner, Sarah Paulson, in an emotional speech as she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“Sarah, the actress, is first of all a wild creature in the animal kingdom. Warm blooded, instinctive, mysterious,” Taylor, 82, began her heartfelt speech during the ceremony Tuesday.
“And Sarah is dangerous — trust me in this — not dangerous like a snake, more like a mongoose,” she quipped. “You know, those darling furry, little creatures that kill snakes.”
The “L Word” alum went onto applaud Paulson, 50, for her “commitment to truth” as a performer, a quality Taylor noted not many actors have.
“Nothing interferes with her laser perception of her character’s traits, its habitat, vulnerabilities, its heroism, its ugliness, terrible truths, its comic pathos,” Taylor continued. “She zeros in to a story’s central struggle, where most of us aren’t even aware of our own.”
She also noted what a “great director” Paulson will make one day.
“Her acting is as honest as our faith and as complicated as chemistry. She’s not deceiving us she is practicing magic.”
Taylor also said that her partner’s “secret skill as an actor is her own humanity.”
Beyond her on-screen work, Taylor made sure to highlight Paulson’s personal traits, describing her as a “deeply understanding, loving and loyal person who is safety itself.” She also praised the “All’s Fair” star for her personal relationships, including her “many deep, long friendships, and her love for her extended family.”
“Truth to tell, it is these relationships where Sarah is most complex, dedicated and giving. Sometimes it’s hard to believe she’s an actress. She breaks the mold, throws assumptions out the window, does it her way. She will always surprise us. Hollywood does well to honor her.”
“And just in case she doesn’t know it, she has a permanent shining star on my street. I love you, darling,” Taylor concluded.
The pair began dating in 2015. Since then, they have both gushed about their relationship over the years and have defended their 31-year age gap.
“If anyone wants to spend any time thinking I’m strange for loving the most spectacular person on the planet, then that’s their problem,” Paulson told Modern Luxury’s June 2018 issue. “I’m doing just fine.”
Despite shutting down critics, the “American Horror Story” star admitted there was a time when she was skeptical of bringing her relationship into the spotlight because people warned her that it may negatively affect her career.
“It occurred to me, ‘Should I not?’ And then I thought, ‘Why would I not?’” she recalled to the Edit in 2017. “The fact I’m having this thought is wrong. But I had a moment of societal concern; wondering if, maybe, people who didn’t know that about me would be like, ‘Wait, what?’ But then, you know, I did it anyway.”
After getting over that hump, the couple has shown nothing but love and admiration towards each other and Taylor exclusively told Page Six the secret to their successful relationship back in 2023.
“I think we each follow our own path so we’re not exactly the same,” she revealed. “We do some things separately so everyone gets to be true to what they believe.”
“She’s much more social, and I like a little bit of alone time, so I have that. She spends some time with friends and not with me, so it’s a good balance.”
