Sarah Paulson Stars in Cody Fern's Directorial Debut 'Closing Night' at TIFF
Cody Fern, known for his role in "American Horror Story: Apocalypse," takes a leap into directing with his debut film "Closing Night," inspired by the work of Sarah Paulson. The film will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Paulson stars as Sandra Vale, a prominent actress who invites her estranged sister, portrayed by Naomi Watts, along with her nephew Toby Wallace and girlfriend Odessa A'zion to her Broadway debut. An unexpected incident during the event stirs family tensions. Dianne Wiest plays the matriarch in a cast that reflects both personal struggle and reconciliation. Paulson seeks new film opportunities with this role.
Key facts
- Cody Fern wrote 'Closing Night' specifically for Sarah Paulson after working with her on 'American Horror Story: Apocalypse'.
- The film is Fern's directorial debut and will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
- Paulson plays Sandra Vale, a movie star who collapses onstage during her Broadway play's opening night, leading to a family reckoning.
- Naomi Watts, Toby Wallace, Odessa A'zion, and Dianne Wiest also star in the film.
- Paulson won every major award for her role as Marcia Clark in 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story', but film offers did not follow.
- She attributes the lack of film roles to being a woman of a certain age (41 at the time) and not playing a hyper-sexualized or likable character.
- The film was shot in January and Paulson is 51 years old.
- Paulson hopes the role leads to more opportunities for good parts, regardless of where they are.
Entities
Artists
- Sarah Paulson
- Cody Fern
- Naomi Watts
- Toby Wallace
- Odessa A'zion
- Dianne Wiest
- Ryan Murphy
- Pedro Pascal
- Courtney B. Vance
- Sterling K. Brown
- M. Night Shyamalan
- Cate Blanchett
- Kate Winslet
- Mark Duplass
- Jessica Lange
- Kim Kardashian
- Holland Taylor
- Jennifer Salt
- Waldo Salt
- Linda Tripp
- Marcia Clark
- Christopher Darden
- Mamie Eisenhower
- Dwayne Johnson
- Kevin Hart
- Jack Black
- Nick Jonas
Institutions
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Variety
- FX Networks
- American Horror Story
- The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
- Nip/Tuck
- All's Fair
- Sardi's
- DraftKings
- IMDb
- Getty Images
Locations
- Toronto
- Canada
- New York City
- United States
- Los Angeles
- Tampa
- Australia