Sarah Paulson’s star on the Walk of Fame is located at 6533 Hollywood Blvd. (photo by Rance Collins)

Actress Sarah Paulson has graced Los Angeles’ storied studio lots time and again, appearing in a laundry list of films and television series that have been shot in the entertainment industry’s capital city. Now, she is immortalized forever on Hollywood’s most hallowed grounds. On Dec. 2, just west of Wilcox Avenue on Hollywood Boulevard, Paulson’s star on the Walk of Fame was unveiled.

“It is not lost on me what a privilege it is to be honored in this permanent, undeniable way,” Paulson said. “It signals, not only to me, but to every dreamer out there, that dreams can come true.”

As Ryan Murphy’s stalwart leading lady – the writer/producer has created 20 characters for the actress, from “American Horror Story” to “All’s Fair” – Paulson has become synonymous with Hollywood itself. Ryan Murphy Productions have remained committed to filming in Los Angeles, many of his shoots utilizing Hollywood’s own Paramount Studios lot. Paulson has, again and again, given Emmy-winning and nominated performances, in the heart of L.A., even as hundreds of productions have moved to other locations.

“I realize that maybe [acting] isn’t just a narcissistic endeavor to filet yourself in front of others, hoping people clap and cheer, but perhaps it is a noble way to spend your time in aspiration,” Paulson said. “Because in the chaos of our world, the practice of art feels vital to our survival as a society. I can think of nothing more powerful to answer life’s lonelier moments than to try to make one another feel seen.”

Her sometimes co-star and life partner Holland Taylor talked about the animal-like prowess of Paulson.

“Nothing interferes with her laser perception of her character’s traits, its habitat, vulnerabilities, its heroism, its ugliness, terrible truths, its comic pathos,” Taylor said. “She zeroes in to a story’s central struggle, while most of us aren’t even aware of our own.”

Paulson’s best friend, actress Amanda Peet, shared a message from Pedro Pascal, in which he expressed his regrets in being unable to attend.

“Missing this makes it too hard to find words,” Pascal wrote. “To Sarah, I’ll just say there is no me without you. Without you, I wouldn’t believe in moon or sun or sky. You are the opening in the road. You are the decorated forest. And most importantly, you’re my friend and I’m yours.”

Peet also spoke to Paulson’s unique skillset.

“She can [mimic] anyone – not just iconic people like Julia Roberts, Holly Hunter, Joy Behar and Joan Rivers,[but]  also Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood … and Meryl Streep as Karen Silkwood imitating Karen Silkwood’s mom,” Peet said. “Sarah also does Sally Field’s ‘I want to know why’ cancer speech in ‘Steel Magnolias’ better than Sally Field, and Edith and Edie in ‘Gray Gardens’ better than Edith and Edie. But it’s not just famous people. It’s people she barely knows – strangers she secretly films on her cell phone – on the subway, waiters, salespeople, politicians, you name it. No one is safe. Her ear, except for when she sings, is remarkable.”

Murphy talked about elevating Paulson to a leading lady with “American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson,” in which she portrayed prosecutor Marsha Clark.

“I believe in Sarah Paulson more than myself,” Murphy said. “We were casting the role of Marsha Clark, and I was in a room, and all of the usual big, starry names were bandied about, and it was just a matter of asking one of them and they would accept. Because the role was that great. And I said simply, ‘Sarah Paulson is going to play Marcia Clark. She’s not going to audition, and we’re making the offer tomorrow.’”

Paulson credited Murphy with her career.

“If I were to list all the characters his fever dreams have created, we’ll be here all day,” Paulson said. “Ryan – in the world of dreams coming true – that [dream] happened the day you chose me.”

“She was, in a way, my dream of what a collaborator and a supporter and a fighter in the trenches could look like, feel like, be,” Murphy said. “And from the very first day I met her, I’m thankful I’ve never woken up from the dream that is her.”

A slew of other co-stars and friends joined the event – in addition to a healthy contingent of vocal fans – including Leslie Grossman, Judith Light, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Niecy Nash-Betts and Melanie Lynsky.

The “American Horror Story” actress invoked an iconic scene from “Pretty Woman,” one of the most memorable films to use the boulevard as a location, when accepting the honor. Paulson talked about how – as a young girl – she tried to emulate Julia Roberts and wondered, as a struggling New Yorker turned starving Los Angeles actress, why she couldn’t get cast in the roles for which she felt destined, but then it clicked.

“I had practiced her way of talking in the mirror, lamented the fact that I wasn’t born with a wider smile and more teeth,” Paulson said. “Quite frankly, it took me too long to understand that Julia Roberts landed in our hearts because she was so unabashedly herself. And I was so busy dreaming of a working journey that would mimic Julia Roberts, I couldn’t see the road I was already traveling [was] a road uniquely mine.”

Paulson’s star is located at 6533 Hollywood Blvd.