Sarah Paulson is spotted in a hospital gown as she films scenes for her role as Linda Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story
Sarah Paulson was spotted filming scenes for Impeachment: American Crime Story on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Emmy Award-winning actress donned a hospital gown for her role as whistleblower Linda Tripp on the Los Angeles set of the upcoming FX series.
Sarah wore a blonde fringe-cut bob wig as she portrayed the late civil servant who secretly recorded conversations with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky after she confided in Tripp about an affair with President Bill Clinton.
In character: Sarah Paulson was spotted filming scenes for Impeachment: American Crime Story on Thursday
Paulson carried a large green bottle with a straw and her iPhone as she walked toward the set, escorted by a crew members.
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She was sporting turquoise plastic sandals that she later swapped out for a pair of fuzzy UGG slippers.
The American Horror Story veteran was seen holding her script and covering her face with a blue surgical mask as she stood outside a trailer.
Preparing for the shoot: The American Horror Story veteran was seen holding her script and covering her face with a blue surgical mask as she stood outside a trailer
In addition to her wig, the star has been seen wearing facial prosthetics and heavy makeup as she transformed into the character of the late White House employee.
The Golden Globe winner received backlash after she appeared to be wearing a fat suit in the first photos that emerged from the set. Online detractors complained about the choice of casting and the lack of plus-size representation in Hollywood.
However, producer Ryan Murphy defended his choice of actress. Murphy told ET, 'Sarah, particularly, really had been dedicated to that role and she wanted to do it naturally and she gained weight to play Linda Tripp...
Committing to the role: In addition to her wig, the star has been seen wearing facial prosthetics and heavy makeup as she transformed into the character of the late White House employee
He continued, 'And then, you know, you put the wig on her and it's sort of an amazing thing she's doing physically. It's very transformative...
'It reminds me a lot of what Christian Bale did a couple years ago [in Vice] - that sort of dedication...'
In February, Sarah told DuJour magazine that the 'story' is 'really about these three women: Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp.'
Controversy: The Golden Globe winner received backlash after she appeared to be wearing a fat suit to portray Tripp (seen in 1998)
She said, 'There is one predominant thing that we forget: that these are human beings and multidimensional people.
'This series gives you an opportunity to understand some of the behavior. I have more in common with Linda than I care to admit.
'My impatience, my desire for everything to be just so. I can tap into that with Linda. I felt a connection with her,'
Meanwhile, an extended teaser for the show was released on Wednesday.
In it, actress Beanie Feldstein is seen as Lewinsky, as she walks along a corridor and faces off against Paulson's Tripp.
'The President kissed me': Beanie Feldstein's Monica Lewinsky faces off with Paulson's Tripp in Impeachment: American Crime Story teaser that dramatizes Bill Clinton scandal, released Wednesday
The dramatic clip features an exchange of dialogue between the pair, as Feldstein, 28, is first heard saying, 'The president kissed me,' as Paulson responds, 'Tell me everything.'
'I am in love with him,' Feldstein says next, with Paulson asking: 'When was the last time you two were together?'
Sarah, as Tripp, is also heard saying, 'The blue dress, it would be smart to keep that. Uncleaned. In your possession,' adding: 'He chose to start a relationship with an intern. He's gonna have to resign.'
Drama: Feldstein is seen as Lewinsky, as she walks along a corridor and faces off against Linda Tripp, who is played by Paulson
Feldstein's Lewinsky ends the clip saying, 'My life is over.'
The infamous scandal saw the then US-President Bill Clinton accused of having a sexual relationship with a White House intern.
Lewinsky stated that she had nine sexual encounters in the Oval Office with Clinton between November 1995 and March 1997.
Grilling: Paulson is heard asking, 'When was the last time you two were together?'
Tense: The dramatic clip features an exchange of dialogue between the pair, as Feldstein, 28, is first heard saying, 'The president kissed me,' as Paulson responds, 'Tell me everything'
Details: Paulson, as Tripp, is also heard saying, 'The blue dress, it would be smart to keep that. Uncleaned. In your possession,' adding: 'He chose to start a relationship with an intern. He's gonna have to resign'
Foreboding: Paulson appears to pull no punches with playing Tripp as she is heard being assertive in the latest teaser
Re-telling: The infamous scandal saw the then US-President Bill Clinton accused of having a sexual relationship with a White House intern
These involved fellatio and other sexual acts, but not sexual intercourse, according to her testimony.
Tripp - who became a close confidante to Lewinsky - worked in the Pentagon during the Clinton administration.
The blue dress line in the dialogue refers to Tripp convincing Lewinsky to save the gifts that Clinton had given her during their relationship, and to not dry clean a blue dress that was said to be stained with Clinton's semen.
Secrets: Lewinsky stated that she had nine sexual encounters in the Oval Office with Clinton between November 1995 and March 1997
Infamous: The drama is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, that was released in 1999
The real deal: Lewinsky herself served as a hands-on producer for the series, and has since inked a production deal with 20th TV after impressing bosses with her work
Clinton famously denied under oath that he ever had 'a sexual affair', 'sexual relations', or 'a sexual relationship' with Lewinsky.
He stated, 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky' on a nationally televised White House news conference, after news of the affair broke in January 1998.
It is not yet clear who has directed the project, which started production in October last year.
Power walk: Tripp - who became a close confidante to Lewinsky - worked in the Pentagon during the Clinton administration
Shocking scenes: It is not yet clear who has directed the project, which started production in October last year, though it comes from creator Ryan Murphy
British actor Clive Owen stars as Bill Clinton, Edie Falco as Hillary Clinton, Billy Eichner as Matt Drudge, and Cobie Smulders as Ann Coulter, among other stars.
The drama is based on Jeffrey Toobin's book A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President, that was released in 1999.
Lewinsky herself served as a hands-on producer for the series, and has since inked a production deal with 20th TV after impressing bosses with her work.
Timeline of Bill Clinton/ Monica Lewinsky sex scandal
November 1995 - President Bill Clinton, 49, engages in an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, 22
March 1997 - The affair ends, according to Lewinsky. She said they had engaged in sexual encounters on nine occasions
September 1997 - White House employee Linda Tripp begins recording her conversations with Lewinsky after she confided in Tripp about the affair
January 7, 1998 - Lewinsky signs an affidavit stating that she never had a sexual relationship with Bill Clinton. This was at the request of attorneys representing Paula Jones, who had accused Clinton of sexual harassment in 1994
January 17, 1998 - News of the scandal first breaks on the Drudge Report
January 21, 1998 - The Drudge Report publishes allegations that Lewinsky had kept a 'garment with Clinton's dried semen'. The story is picked up by major news outlets
January 26, 1998 - President Clinton denies the affair while standing with his wife Hillary at a White House press conference. He says the famous line: 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman'
January 27, 1998 - Hillary Clinton appears on the TODAY Show where she defends her husband and calls the claims 'a vast right-wing conspiracy that has been conspiring against my husband since the day he announced his run for president'
February 6, 1998 - President Clinton says in a press conference that he will not resign from office
August 3, 1998 - A blood sample is taken from President Clinton for DNA testing against stains from Lewinsky's blue dress
August 6, 1998 - Lewinsky begins to testify before the grand jury
August 17, 1998 - Clinton testifies to the grand jury where he admits to 'inappropriate intimate contact'. He speaks to the nation in a televised address, finally admitting that he had a relationship with Lewinsky
October 2, 1998 - Transcripts of Monica Lewinsky and Linda Tripp’s taped phone conversations are released
December 11, 1998 - The House Judiciary committee votes to impeach, approving two articles of impeachment, including lying to a grand jury and obstruction of justice
December 12, 1998 - Clinton says he won't resign and denies lying under oath
December 19, 1998 - The House of Representatives votes to impeach President Clinton. Clinton vows to remain in office until 'the last hour of the last day of my term'
January 7, 1999 - The Senate begins its trial of President Clinton
February 12, 1999 - The Senate acquits President Clinton on both charges of perjury and obstruction of justice
Where are they now?
The latest series of American Crime Story, called 'Impeachment', will focus on the Clinton–Lewinsky scandal, which saw President Bill Clinton impeached for his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinksy, that lasted between 1995 and 1997.
But now, 24 years on, where are the key players in the scandal and subsequent impeachment hearing that gripped the nation?
Monica Lewinksy
At the centre of the scandal with President Bill Clinton was White House intern Monica Lewinksy, 22 at the time, who later said she had sexual encounters with Bill Clinton on nine occasions from November 1995 to March 1997.
In the years after the scandal, she struggled to stay out of the spotlight, and after a number of TV appearances, she moved to London study social psychology at the London School of Economics.
She graduated with a Master of Science degree, and her thesis was titled, 'In Search of the Impartial Juror: An Exploration of the Third-Person Effect and Pre-Trial Publicity.'
For the next decade, she did what she could to stay out of the spotlight, living in London, Los Angeles, New York, and Portland, but remained notorious and recognisable, and struggled to find work.
In 2014, she wrote an article for Vanity Fair titled 'Shame and Survival', and later joined the magazine as a contributor.
Monica Lewinksy, pictured in 2019
In October 2014, she took a public stand against cyber-bullying, referring to herself as 'patient zero' of online harassment, and has become an activist on the issue. She has delivered TED talks and has called for a more compassionate Internet.
In 2019, she was interviewed by John Oliver on his HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, where they discussed the importance of solving the problem of public shaming.
The pair considered how her situation may have been different if social media had existed at the time that the scandal broke in the late 1990s.
Linda Tripp
Lind Tripp, a friend, colleague and confidant of Lewinksy, was an American civil servant, working in the Pentagon's public affairs office.
She secretly recorded Lewinksy's confidential phone calls in which Lewinksy told her about the relationship she was having with the then-President of the United States.
Tripp gave the tapes to in exchange for immunity from prosecution for wire tapping, and eventually both Clinton and Lewinsky had to appear before a grand jury to answer questions.
Pictured: Linda Tripp speaking to the press outside of the Federal Courthouse 29 July 1998 in Washington, DC
When asked if she had any last words in the trial, Lewinksy simply said: 'I hate Linda Tripp.'
From 2004, Tripp and her husband, Dieter Rausch lived in Middleburg, Virginia. There, they ran a German winter-themed year-round Christmas store called the Christmas Sleigh.
Speaking in 2018, she said she was the 'victim of 'a real high-tech lynching', and in 2020 she sadly died of pancreatic cancer on April 8, 2020, at the age of 70.
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton left the White House on January 20, 2001 - being replaced by George W. Bush - surviving the impeachment trial and calls to resign.
Since then, he has continued to be active in public life, giving speeches, fundraising, and founding charitable organizations.
He has also spoken in prime time at every Democratic National Conventions, and campaigned on behalf of Democrat party candidates.
He has written numerous books and has been a paid speaker at a number of events, often earning six figure pay-cheques as a result.
In 2018, Clinton said he did not owe Monica Lewinksy an apology in light of the #MeToo movement, but later backtracked.
'The important thing is that was a very painful thing that happened 20 years ago and I apologized to my family, to Monica Lewinsky and her family, to the American people,' he said.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton arrives with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol for the 59th presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021
Hilary Clinton
After the evidence about her husband's affair became impossible to deny, Hillary Clinton issued a statement reaffirming her commitment to their marriage.
She has since gone on to continue her political career, serving as a U.S. Senator from New York, and later as U.S. Secretary of State under president Barack Obama.
She famously lost the democratic presidential election nomination against Barack Obama in 2008, and the presidential election against Donald Trump in 2016.
Like her husband, she has written a number of books and has appeared at numerous speaking events, and since January 2020, she has been the Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Ken Starr
Kevin Starr is an American lawyer who served as a United States circuit judge and 39th solicitor general of the United States, and whose investigation eventually led to the impeachment of President Clinton.
Since then, he has gone on to be involved in a number of other high-profile cases.
In 2007, Starr joined the legal team defending Palm Beach billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who was criminally accused of the statutory rape of numerous underage high school students.
Ken Starr, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020
Epstein would later agree a plea bargain, but in 2019 committed suicide facing fresh charges.
In 2020, Starr was announced as a member of President Donald Trump's legal team for his Senate impeachment trial. He argued before the Senate on Trump's behalf on January 27, 2020. Trump was acquitted, only to be impeached again in January 2021.
