The Character You Forgot Sarah Paulson Played in This Popular Medical Drama

Actress and director Sarah Paulson has undeniably marked her place in fans’ and critics’ hearts as a bona fide scream queen. Over the years, she has racked up numerous iconic performance credits, including Lana Winters, Cordelia Goode, and many more in FX’s American Horror Story, as well as her most recent appearance as Margaret Bellum in the 2024 Hulu original film, Hold Your Breath. Given these performances, which have garnered wins and nominations from both the Critics’ Choice and Emmy Awards, there is no doubt that Paulson’s horror roles are impressive, memorable, and career-defining.

However, Sarah Paulson’s credits also include a particularly surprising role. One which has seemingly slipped through the cracks of many fans’ minds. She guest-starred as a young Dr. Ellis Grey in a 2010 episode of the timeless hit medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Why did this role become a forgotten piece of the actress’s telegraphy? Maybe because Paulson’s appearance on Shonda Rhimes’s show was extremely short-lived, consisting of a singular Season 6 episode. How did Paulson serve the narrative as a young Dr. Ellis Grey, and why didn’t she return to reprise the role?

Ellis Grey and Richard Webber Worked Together

Sarah Paulson appeared in Grey’s Anatomy Season 6, Episode 15, “The Time Warp,” which first aired on February 18, 2010. As the episode title implies, the narrative is split between present day, where Dr. Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) gives a presentation for the hospital’s recently restored lecture series, and reflective flashbacks, which detail young Dr. Webber’s (J. August Richards) first encounter in 1982 with Dr. Ellis Grey, Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo) mother. These flashbacks are motivated by Dr. Webber’s lecture material, which focuses on the importance of learning from your peers instead of relying entirely on superiors. Dr. Ellis Grey was one of these peers, and the first case that Dr. Webber worked with her on had a deeply profound impact on the rest of his life.

Upon her first appearance, young Dr. Ellis Grey is seen attempting to revive a coding patient before being called a nurse by a male colleague who tries to shove her aside. However, Paulson’s character stands her ground and continues working on the patient, successfully reviving them a short time later. This interaction sparks Dr. Richard Webber’s interest because he too can relate to the experience of harsh discrimination within the healthcare industry. The narrative then returns to the present day as Dr. Webber praises Dr. Ellis Grey as a ground-breaker, telling his audience that their biggest influences and inspirations could be sitting next to them at this very moment.

Dr. Webber then continues on with his presentation and delves deeper into the case that initially brought the two together. Unfortunately, the case is a tragic one, ultimately ending in the death of their patient, Philip Nichols (Ian Jensen), due to AIDS, which was called GRID in 1982. After the patient’s untimely death, the two doctors share a toast in their patient’s name and discuss their developing romantic feelings for each other.

Sarah Paulson’s Performance Impacts Ellis Grey

Paulson’s unique performance contributes a new side to the recurring character that audiences had not seen previously. Dr. Ellis Grey is introduced in this episode as an unknown and disregarded resident who is constantly fighting against the misogyny that runs rampant in the 1980s medical field. This portrayal comes across as strikingly different compared to the cut-throat and highly praised older version of Dr. Ellis Grey (Katherine Burton), whom audiences were familiar with up until this point in the series. The somber circumstances surrounding the presented medical case also allow for more emotional insight into the character. Paulson’s choice to convey the young Dr. Ellis Grey with a soft and sympathetic demeanor makes all the difference.

Despite Paulson’s warmhearted performance, distinct traits found within the older Ellis Grey still come through within the episode. One such trait is her unyielding priority for her work over her daughter, Meredith, who is ignored and cast off after Dr. Grey receives a page from the ER. This portion of the narrative serves to remind audiences that some things, like Meredith’s cold relationship with her mother, are incapable of changing.

The character of young Dr. Ellis Grey made a return several seasons later in Season 11, Episode 1, “I Must Have Lost it on the Wind,” as well as Season 11, Episode 4, “Only Mama Knows.” However, Paulson did not come back to play the part. At that time, she was busy filming as Bette and Dot Tattler in American Horror Story: Freak Show, a role that gained her another Emmy nomination. The two-episode guest-starring role ended up going to actress and dancer Sally Pressman, who is best known for her role as Roxy LeBlanc on the Lifetime series, Army Wives.