Holland Taylor Explains Separate Homes and Work With Sarah Paulson

Actors Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson continue to maintain separate homes while making time for their relationship, which began in 2015. Taylor, 83, discussed the arrangement during an October 20 appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, explaining that their demanding work schedules and geographic distance frequently keep them apart.

Taylor said she and Paulson, 51, make an effort to spend as much time together as their professional commitments allow. Taylor maintains an apartment in New York and a house on the West Coast, while Paulson stays with her partner when they are in the same city.

Addressing the practical challenges of their relationship, Taylor said, "We do as much time as we possibly can, because work takes us apart constantly."

Taylor described how they use her New York residence when their schedules bring them together, saying, "I have an apartment here [in New York] and she stays here at my apartment when she's here, and we stay together here when we're both here."

The arrangement allows the actors to maintain their individual living spaces while spending time together across different locations. Taylor also explained that their time together depends on the demands of their careers and where they need to be.

She described their approach as spending time together "as much as geography and our jobs let us be."

Paulson previously discussed the benefits of their living arrangement during a May 14, 2024, appearance on the SmartLess podcast. She suggested that having flexibility over when they share space has contributed to the relationship's longevity.

"We've been together for a long time now," Paulson said. "And part of it has to do with, we're together when we want to be, and we're not when we don't."

Paulson also compared their previous relationship experiences, explaining that Taylor had not been involved in many long-term partnerships before they met. Paulson, by contrast, had already experienced several relationships lasting more than five years.

"Holland, before me, had not been in a ton of long-term relationships," Paulson said.

She contrasted that history with her own experience, explaining, "Whereas Holland is my sort of third, you know, more than five-year relationship, so I tend to do that and have more experience doing that."

Paulson also reflected on the adjustment involved in sharing personal space after Taylor had spent much of her life living independently. She described the transition as potentially challenging for her partner.

"Holland has it, and so her life, and to get to be her age and sort of not having really cohabitated with someone for a long time, I think it was a lot to sort of, all of a sudden have me and all my meanness in her space," Paulson said.

In a separate interview with Today, Taylor addressed another aspect of their professional lives: whether they would appear together in a film. She said they had recently discussed a specific project offered to both of them but ultimately decided against participating together.

"You know, we were just talking about that, about a particular project, and I said, 'I don't know. It seems kind of ew,'" Taylor said.

When asked to identify the project, Taylor declined to reveal its details. She explained that both actors had reservations about appearing together on screen.

"I'm not going to say now!" Taylor said.

She then described their shared reaction to the possibility of working together, saying, "I said, 'Wouldn't it be creepy?' She said, 'Kinda.' So we don't really want to."

Taylor added, "We don't think we would ever like the idea."

Paulson has also clarified that maintaining separate residences does not mean the couple spends most of their time apart. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she explained that they do not jointly own a home but are together frequently.

"I have to clarify this. We don't live together meaning we don't own a home together, but we're together more often than we are not," Paulson said.

Taylor has described the relationship as offering considerable variety because the two move between their respective properties. She has also identified their shared interest in understanding human behavior as an important point of connection.

"I think we're interested in the same things about character in people," Taylor said.

She elaborated on their mutual interest in what motivates people and shapes their experiences, saying, "I think we like thinking about people in the same way, understanding them. 'What is their thing? What is the thing that drives them, pleases them, hurts them? What's the thing?' We just like to understand these things."

Taylor also praised Paulson's commitment to maintaining friendships despite her successful acting career. She described Paulson as someone who regularly checks on friends, stays informed about their lives and offers support when they face difficulties.

The actors first met in 2005 and made their relationship public in 2015. Their separate residences and decision not to pursue a joint film project reflect their stated preference for keeping their personal and professional lives flexible.