Sarah Paulson stars in Searchlight Pictures’ latest thriller, Hold Your Breath, but her character Margaret was originally offered to Claire Foy, who’s best known for her role in The Crown. Paulson, who attended her film’s premiere at Santa Monica’s Aero Theater, dropped by for a Q&A session on Montana Avenue and spoke about the film, casting, and more.  

Paulson has portrayed Margaret, a mother in Oklahoma in the 1930s who struggles to keep her family safe from the region’s dust storms while trying to be sane amidst a sinister presence. During the session, the American Horror Story actress revealed that Foy was originally meant to play Margaret. 

“I don’t know what the reasons were why she didn’t do it, but I don’t really care because I got to do it instead,” she quipped. The role was a lot more challenging than she had anticipated. The actress had to work with a movement coach, Julia Crockett, who became her trusted companion. 

“She has sort of changed the way I work,” she added. Paulson continued to praise the film, explaining what attracted her to the project. “I just thought, what an interesting thing to have a horror movie or a psychological thriller/horror movie that is grounded,” she said. 

Amidst everything that’s going on in the film, at its core, the story is about a mother who’s grieving the loss of her youngest child. “The descent into madness becomes purely out of this fear of not being able to protect her children,” she added. Holding on to that sanity while portraying her character was “tenuous” for the actress. She joked, saying she relates to someone who’s “a hair’s breadth away” from losing their grip on reality. 

Hold Your Breath will be released on Hulu on October 3, 2024.