Holland Taylor Opens Up About Girlfriend Sarah Paulson's 'Very Attractive' Quality (Exclusive)

The actress also shares what keeps their nine-year relationship so strong

Holland Taylor is getting candid about what keeps her relationship with Sarah Paulson so solid.

One aspect, Taylor, 81, tells PEOPLE, is by being intrigued by the same things. "I think we're interested in the same things about character in people," Taylor says in a recent interview about her girlfriend of nine years.

"I think we like thinking about people in the same way, understanding them. 'What is their thing? What is the thing that drives them, pleases them, hurts them? What's the thing?'" she continues. "We just like to understand these things."

Related: Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor's Relationship Timeline

The Morning Show star also admires Paulson's love of those close to her. "I mean, she has quite a number of really close friends," Taylor says. "But for Sarah, having close friends means spending time with them, knowing what's going on with them, keeping in touch with them. And if anything is going on with anybody, she'll have them on her mind, and she'll check in late at night, 'How are you doing? How's it going?' I mean, she's just the most thoughtful and attentive friend I've ever seen anybody be. She's really wonderful though."

She adds that Paulson, 49, also "dotes on" her three dogs. "She spends a lot of her time loving other creatures. It's a very attractive quality," says Taylor.

The pair first met at a party in 2005 but didn't connect again until nearly a decade later when they followed one another on X (formerly Twitter) and began talking. PEOPLE confirmed in December 2015 that the two were in a relationship.

Related: Holland Taylor Doesn’t Think She and Sarah Paulson Will Get Married: ‘We’ve Never Talked About It’

"It's a long story. We met a very, very long time ago. I was with someone else; she was, too," Paulson said in 2019 on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. "We sort of breezed by one another, and then started following each other on Twitter, and then …"

Fellow guest on the show Billy Eichner asked, "Holland Taylor slid into your DMs?"

"She actually did," Paulson replied. "Yeah, it's pretty great."

In Taylor's recent interview, she said another thing that keeps their relationship strong is their "identical" tastes. "When we're at a play, or watching a movie, or watching a television show, we invariably like the same things, and the same character, and the same actor's work," Taylor says. "Out of the blue, any actor I mention or she mentions, the other will always [say], 'Oh, I love her. Oh, she's my favorite,' or, 'He's great.' So, we really have very similar tastes in that regard."

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Related: Holland Taylor Hasn’t Heard from Nancy Pelosi Over Off-Broadway Play That 'Evokes' Former Speaker: 'She's Pretty Busy'

Of course, one way they support one another in their relationship is by showing up for important moments. Paulson, though, takes her dedication to another level.

"She comes to anything I do," says Taylor. "She comes multiple times, which is so flattering. I don't know how anybody can stand that. I know when I did Ann, I retired my own performance of Ann [Richards] in Pasadena a couple of seasons ago, she must have come to that thing seven times. It was amazing."

She calls Paulson a "very specific admirer." After watching a performance, "she'll tell you things you did that were just so great," says Taylor. "She's definitely a wonderful fan."

Taylor just finished her run in the off-Broadway play, N/A, at Lincoln Center Theater in New York City. She also stars in the Apple TV+ The Morning Show, which earned her a 2024 Emmy nomination.

Related: Sarah Paulson Gives Shout Out to Partner Holland Taylor as She Wins Her First Tony: 'Thank You for Loving Me'

"I was surprised," she says of her nod. "Four women were nominated just from The Morning Show, so I was lucky to be among them."

She joins costars Nicole Beharie, Greta Lee and Karen Pittman in the category of outstanding supporting actress in a drama series.

The Emmys will serve as a special date night, as Paulson is also up for a nomination for guest actress in a drama series for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

When asked if she has any red carpet tips and tricks, Taylor says she always carries her mascara and lipstick. "I can't be without either," she says, but confesses, "There's no special talisman though."

The Morning Show is streaming on Apple TV+.

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