Out Actress Sarah Paulson on 'Studio 60'

I feel a little bit like I'm cheating on my girl crush, Rosario Dawson, but I gotta rave about another one of the women I love: Sarah Paulson of NBC's new show "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." I first saw her in the Renee Zellweger-Ewan McGregor spoof of 50s sex comedies,"Down With Love," and was immediately smitten - perhaps in the same way Rosie O. is smitten with Tommy Cruise.

What I did not know until the Tony Awards last year was that Paulson is a lesbian and in a committed relationship with the mega-talented Cherry Jones who reprises her Tony-winning role in "Doubt" in Los Angeles this fall. Paulson gave Jones a huge smooch on the lips before her partner took the stage to accept her second award for best actress in a Broadway play.

Paulson, 31, made her off-Broadway debut at 12 in a production of "Amerlia Agai. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts then made her Broadway debut in the production of Wendy Wasserstein's Tony Award-winning play "The Sisters Rosensweig" in 1993.

She landed her first leading TV role in the short-lived CBS supernatural drama "American Gothic" which had a cult following then starred in another short-lived television gem, "Leap of Faith" before landing a role in the popular Showtime series "Deadwood." In features, she played played Diane Keaton's lesbian daughter in "The Other Sister" as well as in the Mel Gibson comedy "What Womern Want," and co-starred with Jones in the indie film "Swimmers."

On "Studio 60" plays Harriet, a Christian woman open-minded, self-confidant, and funny, she’s strong in her faith, but openly rejects the bigotry and extremism espoused by Christian fundamentalists.

The terrific Website AfterEllen.com has named Paulson as one of the 10 Most Appealing Women on TV. Check out their complete list which also includes Rosie and Christina Oh, among others.