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Sarah Paulson paid for cinema screenings of trans film Monica so fans could watch for free

The actress sponsored recent screenings at a Texas cinema

By Charlotte Manning

Sarah Paulson and Trace Lysette
Sarah Paulson has thrown her support behind Monica (Image: CBS/YouTube)

Sarah Paulson is one of our absolute faves, and she’s once again proved she’s the ultimate trans ally. 

According to Dallas Morning News, she’s paying for screenings of trans film Monica in Austin’s Violet Crown Cinema.

This means fans who want to view the poignant new movie can go and watch without having to shell out for tickets themselves. 

“Sarah Paulson is sponsoring the screenings but will not be in attendance,” said David Gil, marketing director of the cinema confirmed.

“Here was a transsexual protagonist, the movie was centered around her, seen from her lens, and that’s rare”

Monica explores the story of a trans woman estranged from her family deciding to return home to care for her dying mother.

IMDB mentions that it “explores universal themes of abandonment, aging, acceptance, and redemption”.

It stars trans actress Trace Lysette in the titular role. She also acts as an executive producer. 

The film currently has an 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critical consensus reads: “Bolstered by a powerful lead performance from Trace Lysette, Monica follows a personal quest that’s as beautifully filmed as it is emotionally resonant.”

Commenting on the film, Lysette recently told the Reporter: “Here was a transsexual protagonist. The movie was centered around her, seen from her lens, and that’s rare.

“It’s also rare that it’s done well. And I think they [Pallaoro and co-screenwriter Orlando Tirado] wrote a really good script, centered on family, and survival, without being too in-your-face.”

American Horror Story favourite Paulson is currently in a relationship with actress Holland Taylor.

Paulson, 48, and Holland, 80, have been public as a couple since 2016. They are regularly seen on the red carpet together.

Speaking to the New York Times in 2016 Paulson said: “My choices in romantic partners have not been conventional. Therefore the idea that it’s ‘other’ makes it compelling.

“If my life choices had to be predicted based on what was expected from me from a community on either side. That’s going to make me feel really straightjacketed, and I don’t want to feel that…

“What I can say absolutely is that I am in love, and that person happens to be Holland Taylor.”