will Lana escape from briarcliff manor

…according to Sarah Paulson, who plays lesbian reporter turned Briarcliff patient Lana Winters, “It’s so only just begun. What happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

Source: The Huffington Post Online ©Jaimie Etkin, 2012.

Jaimie Etkin
jaimie.etkin@huffingtonpost.com

Here are some juicy tidbits from an interview with Sarah Paulson (who plays Lana Winters) dated 11/07/2012 (in other words, the night episode 4, “I Am Anne Frank” aired). Here she discusses Evan Peter’s junk, whether episodes are hard on her health, how much worse and blood-curdling it gets for hapless Lana, and that as of this writing, they’ve just wrapped Episode 8, ready to shoot #9 or 13. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT BEGINS (highlight to read): In a recent interview with Chloe Sevigny, she stated she has wrapped for the season and hasn’t read any of the scripts past episode six. So, it may very well be that our poor Shelley will only survive till the end of episode 6. I wish she’d stick around longer …mainly because I would love to see her give some payback to Dr. Evil Nazi Prick – and up close and personal. I do know that another character who is on their way to becoming a fan favorite will get revenge for her this season, though!

(END SPOILER)

American Horror Story Asylum Sarah Paulson

Everything from here on (until the end of this piece) is from the Huffington Post, ©Jaimie Etkin, 2012. I absolutely do not claim copyright or writing credit for the HuffPost article. It was just too awesome to paraphrase (if that’s even possible) or post a one-line piece consisting of a link!

“…given what I know happens and what we’ve shot, it’s so only just begun and it’s so horrifying that what happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

If you’ve been watching “American Horror Story: Asylum,” chances are … you’ve been scared shitless. But, according to Sarah Paulson, who plays lesbian reporter turned Briarcliff patient Lana Winters, “It’s so only just begun. What happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.”

On the series’ fourth episode (Wed., Nov. 7 at 10 p.m. ET on FX), things take a turn for Lana, Paulson told HuffPost TV. Even Chloë Sevigny, who played Shelley on “Asylum”, told us, “What happens to Sarah Paulson’s character [later on] is what’s scariest to me.”

Below, Paulson, who also recurred on Season 1 of “American Horror Story,” explains why “Asylum” is far more terrifying than its predecessor, upcoming guest stars, how the show can make an impact in terms of gay rights (even though it’s set 50 years in the past) and what it’s like being flashed by Evan Peters, which made her and Jessica Lange burst into laughter. Seriously.

Will Lana find out about Wendy’s murder?
[Laughs.] I can’t answer that yet because that doesn’t happen until much later … in Episode 5.

I was kind of looking forward to Lana being out in the non-Briarcliff world for a while. Were you surprised she was committed so early on in the season?
Well, I feel like in true Ryan Murphy form, it’s going to be an assault, not a slow burn. The show to me — even the style in which it’s edited — is very in your face. I feel to draw it out would have been antithetical to the way he does things. I think now that she’s in there, what happens to her is so insane and so extreme that if we waited a few episodes to get her in there, all this stuff wouldn’t have happened. I can understand why a viewer would think, “Wow. That was quick!” But at the same time, I sort of feel like, given what’s coming for Lana and what happens — we’re about to shoot Episode 9 — given what I know happens and what we’ve shot, it’s so only just begun and it’s so horrifying that what happens in the first few episodes is like eating a bowl of ice cream compared to what happens to her.

Q: I‘m officially terrified now.
A: Yeah. You should be. [Laughs.] It’s just really terrifying, I have to say.

Does Lana’s lack of friendships affect her mental state in the asylum?
…Lana Winters is a fighter so she’s not going to go down without a fight, that’s for sure. Boy, I wish I could tell you everything. [Laughs.]

“American Horror Story” alumni Frances Conroy and Dylan McDermott are all also coming back to guest star this season. Have you done scenes with either of them yet?
Um, I don’t know if I’m allowed to answer that question. Dylan, no and I’m going to plead to fifth on the other one.

There was an interview with Evan Peters on Vulture and he said he flashed you and Jessica on the first day of shooting “Asylum.”
… Yeah, but listen, there are worse things to look at than Evan Peters from behind, I gotta say. I mean, Jessica and I blew a couple takes, we were laughing so hard because we just looked at each other and thought, “What the hell are we doing?!” We’re looking at these bare asses of these people and I’m handing her canes from the closet. [Laughs.] At one point, we were completely off camera — the camera was just pointing at Lizzie and Evan and we just literally could not get through the scene we were laughing so hard.

Well, now I’m scared to watch.
You should be. We can talk again after Episode 8 or 9 and you’ll be like, “Um. OK. Now I understand. OH MY GOD!”