Sarah Paulson Transforms Into Aileen Wuornos: First Look at ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’
Sarah Paulson Surprises Everyone as Aileen Wuornos in New Monster Season Trailer
What’s the Big News?
The Surprise Reveal
Netflix just dropped the trailer for the fourth season of Monster, titled Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Right at the very end of the trailer, viewers got a huge shock: Sarah Paulson appears as Aileen Wuornos, a famous serial killer from the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Here’s what you need to know right away:
- Show: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Season 4 of the Monster anthology)
- Premiere Date: September 17 (all 8 episodes drop at once on Netflix)
- Trailer Released: August 20
- Big Twist: Sarah Paulson plays Aileen Wuornos — even though Wuornos has nothing to do with Lizzie Borden’s 1892 case
Who’s Who in the Cast
The show has a star-studded lineup playing the Borden family and the people around them:
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Ella Beatty | Lizzie Borden (the main character) |
| Vicky Krieps | Bridget Sullivan (the family maid) |
| Charlie Hunnam | Andrew Borden (Lizzie’s father) |
| Rebecca Hall | Abby Borden (Lizzie’s stepmother) |
| Billie Lourd | Emma Borden (Lizzie’s older sister) |
| Jessica Barden | Nance O’Neil (a family friend/actress) |
| Sarah Paulson | Aileen Wuornos (surprise cameo/role) |
Why Is Aileen Wuornos in a Lizzie Borden Story?
This is the question everyone asked after seeing the trailer. Lizzie Borden was accused of killing her parents with an axe in 1892. Aileen Wuornos killed seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. They lived almost 100 years apart.
Ella Beatty (who plays Lizzie) Explains the Connection
In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Beatty shared the creators’ thinking:
"The show is exploring a legacy of female rage and reaction to the set of circumstances that they are presented with. I think there’s a connection [between Borden and Wuornos] that Ryan and Ian were interested in mapping and exploring."
In simple terms: The show isn’t just about what these women did — it’s about why. Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan want to explore the psychology behind female violence: Are killers born or made?
Key Theme of the Season
Every season of Monster tries to understand the killer’s mind. This time, the focus is on what drives a woman to kill — using two very different women from different centuries to ask the same question.
The Monster Anthology So Far
Monster is an anthology series — meaning each season tells a completely different true-crime story. Here’s what came before:
- Season 1: Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
- Season 2: Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024)
- Season 3: Monster: The Ed Gein Story (coming soon / recently announced)
- Season 4: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story ← This is the new one!
First Time for Female Killers
This is the first season centered on female killers — both Lizzie Borden (accused, never convicted) and Aileen Wuornos (convicted, executed in 2002).
Previous Actresses Who Played Aileen Wuornos
Sarah Paulson is the third major actress to take on this role. Fans are already comparing them!
| Actress | Project | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlize Theron | Monster (film) | 2003 | Won the Oscar for Best Actress |
| Lily Rabe | American Horror Story: Hotel (Season 5) | 2015 | Another Ryan Murphy production |
| Sarah Paulson | Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story | 2024 | Surprise role in the trailer |
Fun Fact: Sarah Paulson and Lily Rabe are both frequent collaborators with Ryan Murphy (especially on American Horror Story). This is Paulson’s first time playing Wuornos.
When Can You Watch?
Mark Your Calendar
- Trailer is out now — you can watch it on Netflix or YouTube
- All 8 episodes premiere on September 17, 2024
- Binge-watch ready — Netflix drops the whole season at once
Summary
- Sarah Paulson makes a jaw-dropping appearance as Aileen Wuornos in the trailer for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.
- The show premieres September 17 on Netflix (all episodes at once).
- Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, joined by a powerhouse cast including Rebecca Hall, Charlie Hunnam, and Billie Lourd.
- Wuornos isn’t part of the Borden story — but the creators use her to explore "female rage" and the psychology of why women kill.
- This is the first Monster season focused on women — previous seasons covered Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, and Ed Gein.
- Paulson joins Charlize Theron (Oscar winner) and Lily Rabe as actresses who’ve portrayed Wuornos.
FAQ
Is Aileen Wuornos actually in the Lizzie Borden story in real life?
No. They lived in completely different centuries. The show is using Wuornos as a thematic parallel — not a historical fact.
Why did the creators include Wuornos if she’s not connected to Borden?
They want to compare two women driven to violence in very different times — to ask: What pushes a woman to kill? Is it nature or nurture?
Has Sarah Paulson played a real-life killer before?
Not exactly like this. She’s played fictional villains (like in American Horror Story), but this is her first time portraying a real convicted serial killer.
Do I need to watch previous Monster seasons to understand this one?
Nope! Each season is a standalone story. You can jump in with Season 4 without seeing the others.
When does the show come out?
September 17, 2024 — all 8 episodes drop at once on Netflix.