Posted in: Netflix, TV | Tagged: monster, ryan murphy, Sarah Paulson

Monster: Sarah Paulson In Talks to Portray Aileen Wuornos (Report)

Sarah Paulson is reportedly in talks to portray serial killer Aileen Wuornos for Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's Monster Season 4.

Published Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:51:04 -0600

by Ray Flook

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It seems Sarah Paulson will be heading back to the "Murphyverse" one more time before work gets underway on American Horror Story Season 13. Variety is reporting that Paulson is in final talks to join the fourth season of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's (American Horror Story) Ella Beatty (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, If I Had Legs I'd Kick You)-starring Monster. Though the focus will be on Beatty's Lizzie Borden, Murphy has said in the past that the season will also spotlight the history of other female killers. To that end, assuming the deal is finalized, Paulson would portray serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was sentenced to death for six of the murders that she was charged with and executed in 2002. Charlize Theron portrayed Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance.

With Max Winkler (Monster: The Ed Gein Story, Grotesquerie) set to direct the opening chapter, Beatty will be joined by Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Criminal) as Lizzie's father, Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread, Monster: The Ed Gein Story) as the Bordens' live-in maid, Bridget Sullivan, and Rebecca Hall (Christine, Passing) as Lizzie's stepmother, Abby Borden. Billie Lourd (American Horror Story, The Last Showgirl) will play Lizzie's older sister Emma, while Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World, Dune: Prophecy) will play Lizzie's actress friend Nance O'Neill.

Speaking with Variety as part of a profile on Hunnam and the streaming series, Murphy shared that he and Brennan took a pass on a season focusing on serial killer Ted Bundy ("When you look at those crimes, what are the themes there? It doesn't ask you any questions about society") and a look at Luigi Mangione has been tabled for now ("We know nothing about him"). Regarding the fourth season, Hunnam had declined to comment on reports at the time that he would be playing the father of Lizzie Borden (Ella Beatty). That's when we got clarity on Season 4, with previous reporting having the season focus on Borden. "Later, once the news is out, Murphy tells me [the writer/interview] that the role is complex, and that the season will probe the history of infamous women, including Aileen Wuornos and Hungarian noblewoman Elizabeth Báthory."

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