Sarah Paulson: “Hold your Breath is totally inspired by The Others”

The American Horror Story star actress returns to us on Disney Plus, in a new film with a suffocating setting. Encounter.

After making us scream with fear or happiness in American Horror Story, Rachted Or American Crime Storythe muse of Ryan Murphy carries on its shoulders this new film to watch today on Disney Plus. In Hold your breath – inspired by a true story – Sarah Paulson plays Margaret, an isolated mother on her small farm in 1930s Oklahoma, where nothing grows. A barren land that causes terrible storms of sand and dust to infiltrate the homes and minds of the inhabitants. An ideal setting to make one of the queens of Hollywood angst shine. Meeting with Sarah Paulson.

FIRST: This Dust Bowl phenomenon in Oklahoma in the 1930s actually happened and it's pretty impressive! He's almost a character in his own right in the film, right?
Sarah Paulson : Yes. And I advise you to see a really fascinating documentary by Ken Burns, called The Dust Bowl (2012) and which I saw just before making the film. We hear testimonies from people who experienced this when they were children. They tell some pretty crazy, very distressing stories about these dust storms that we can't imagine. It’s chilling to listen to these testimonies. I had heard about it at school, but I didn't know exactly what the Dust Bowl was. What it had done to hundreds of families…

Did you film everything on real locations?
We didn't film in Oklahoma, but we filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Partly in a closed studio and partly outdoors. The production built the entire house with all the land around…

How were these spectacular dust storms reproduced?
There were huge industrial fans on set. They were blowing very hard on us. Sometimes, I was directly hit by gusts of 120 km/h! And then they incorporated enormous amounts of dust into this artificial wind. It got everywhere, and we got it in our faces. I got it in my eyes, in my nose, in my mouth, in my ears… There are also a few digital effects added in post-production, but most of the time, we used practical effects. . I must say that I loved filming in such conditions. It was great. I kept shouting: 'Boost the fans! Put more dust!' It's easier to play, when you just have to react to things that actually happen to you.

Is it easier to play anxiety in such an oppressive setting?
Let's say that what helped greatly was the construction of the entire house. We were in a real house, which was completely reminiscent of the buildings of the time in the country. It was all very real: the farm, the barn… We were really immersed in this setting and we could perfectly imagine the feeling of isolation these people must have felt in Oklahoma in the 1930s…

The dust is an excuse to tell a story about the bond between a mother and her daughters…
That’s really the essence of the film I think. It's about how far a mother is willing to go to protect her children. My character, Margaret, has already lost a daughter, so the idea of ​​losing another is unbearable to her. She would die. And as a result, it eats away at her so much that she ends up losing her mind.

We also think of the film The Others by Alejandro Amenábar (2001) when seeing Hold your breath. Was it a reference?
Absolutely ! It was a huge benchmark for the directors (Will Joines and Karrie Crouse). They thought about it a lot during production. And we want people to realize that in a certain way. Hold your breath is totally inspired by The Otherswithout the slightest doubt.

You have often played the role of a woman who descends into madness. As in American Horror Story Or Ratched. Has it become second nature to you?
It’s clear that I’ve played more than one (laughs)! To different degrees. Afterwards, I'm not really crazy you know in life… But let's say that it's an aspect of the personality of the being that I like to explore. I find it interesting so I'm going back. Because I believe that we have never completely covered human madness. Especially when the trigger is bereavement…

The horror genre, the psychological thriller, is that what you also like to watch as a spectator?
No way ! I hate it. I'm a fearful person and I don't like watching this at all.

Do you see yourself as a Hollywood “Scream Queen”?
No, not really. But I take the compliment! I prefer that to not finding a role… Above all, I really like that fans of the genre identify so much with my stories, that the community is so sensitive to my work. It's nice to feel appreciated.

Do you think you're a better Scream Queen today than you were 15 years ago?
I hope so! Over the years, I've learned that you should make fun of the look you make when you scream at the screen. It doesn't matter if we look awful or ugly, we don't care. Because the people who really have horrible things happen to them don't care what they look like when it happens to them. So this kind of role, playing terror in this way, allows you to forget yourself a little, to leave behind part of your vanity as an actress.

You haven't toured with Ryan Murphy in 3 or 4 years… Do you miss him?
Obviously. Our relationship is incredibly creative. It's the most fertile of my life as an actress. He gave me so many opportunities. It allowed me to reveal myself, in every sense of the word. A bit like a coach in a match, he left me on the pitch all the time, he kept me in the match all the time. And the more you play, the more you improve. It's that simple. I've been busy with theater in New York lately, but I'm going to catch up with him for his new courtroom series, All's Fair. I'm delighted!

Hold your Breath, film by Will Joines and Karrie Crouse, can be seen on Disney Plus from October 3.