Sarah Paulson all but confirms a ‘The Bear’ return: ‘So intimidated’ by the cast

Sarah Paulson is teasing fans of “The Bear” with a possible return to the hit series. 

Paulson hinted that she could once again step into the chaotic world of the Berzatto family as cousin Michelle while speaking to The Post about her new horror movie, “Hold Your Breath.”

The movie, which dropped on Hulu Thursday, also stars Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who won his second Emmy just last month for his work on “The Bear.” Although Paulson appeared on the show’s second season in 2022, she met Moss-Bachrach when they filmed “Hold Your Breath.”

“I only knew Ebon sort of socially from our New York theater days, most of us being in New York around the same time,” Paulson, 49, told The Post. “And then we hadn’t even done ‘The Bear’ yet.”

“Hold Your Breath” was shot during the pandemic and was shut down “a couple of times,” according to Paulson, because of COVID and later delayed because of the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes. Thankfully for the actress, her prior professional relationship with Moss-Bachrach made her experience on “The Bear” a little less intimidating. 

“I was so excited when I got to go onto that set because I was such a massive fan of the show,” she said, “it was very comforting to me to be around someone that I had actually done something outside of ‘The Bear’ space with, who seemed more like a human being to me.”

“Whereas all the cast members seemed like rockstars, and I felt very intimidated. So it was nice to have a familiar friend with Ebon.”

“I’m intimidated all the time,” Paulson went on. “Pretty much, in every environment. I’m feeling some version of that. And I certainly did on that set for sure. Oh, my God.”

“It’s like walking around going, ‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ Every time I turned around, there was another one of those faces that I had been so dazzled by on that show. I just couldn’t believe it.”

When asked if she will be returning for Season 4 of the series, Paulson played coy. “I don’t think I’m allowed to say, but maybe that tells you something,” she said. 

In addition to acting in “Hold Your Breath,” playing a mother fighting to protect her family during Oklahoma’s horrific dust storms of the 1930s, Paulson produced the film.

“I wanted to produce the film because I really like being in charge, and I really like having an opinion; an opportunity to share the many opinions that I have,” she shared. “Also, it just feels like it gives me a little bit more agency and opportunity to at least feel more part of the entire storytelling process, which I think is really a wonderful as an actor to have that. So I jumped at that chance for sure.”

Paulson is no stranger to the horror world, having starred in “American Horror Story,” “Ratched” and many other nail-biters. As for why she thrives in psychologically terrifying projects, Paulson explained, “I’m sort of a person who’s always had a flair for the dramatic, for better or for worse.”

“And I certainly think that when you’re working in the horror genre or the psychological horror or thriller genre, it really helps to be able to commit to a high level of stakes because you’re usually dealing with a situation of, either you or your family or your loved ones or are in grave danger and you have enormous responsibility to keep everyone safe,” she added.

“So I think I just like things where my natural tendency to respond in a really robust way sort of serves the horror genre nicely.”

She continued, “I think that’s the most polite way to put it. The other way I can put it is that I’m just a crazy bitch.”

“Hold Your Breath” is available to stream now on Hulu.