If you, like many others at the start of the pandemic, made a resolution to finally start reading all the books on your bedside table, then there’s a good chance that Glennon Doyle’s memoir Untamed was among them. In fewer than 20 weeks, the book had sold over 1 million copies worldwide and become synonymous with one simple phrase from its pages: We can do hard things.

Beloved by Oprah, Adele and Reese Witherspoon, Untamed follows the story of Doyle as she navigates divorcing her husband, pursues new love with Olympic soccer star Abby Wambach, and forms a new blended family. Through Doyle’s own trials and tribulations, the book captures what it means to endure hardship, as well as provide hope that through having difficult conversations, we can learn to live freer, braver lives.

It was excellent news, then, when it was announced back in 2020 that Doyle’s memoir would be adapted into a television series by JJ Abrams’s Bad Robot production company. Now, we know who’ll be stepping into the role of Doyle for the show.

In a snippet from her podcast We Can Do Hard Things posted to Instagram, Doyle revealed that American Horror Story star Sarah Paulson will be taking the lead in the series.

“Want to meet who’s playing me in the Untamed TV show?” Doyle wrote in the caption. “My entire dream list consisted of only one person and: THERE. SHE. IS. I love you, @mssarahcatharinepaulson.”

In the podcast, Doyle revealed that Paulson had been her top pick from the very beginning.

“I, in my little sweaty heart, have known the person that I needed the universe to provide to play me in the Untamed show that I have always known in my little sweaty heart.

“One shot, one shot for this human,” she added. “Sarah Paulson comes once in a freaking lifetime.”

Doyle also shared that the team at Bad Robot suggested that she reach out to Paulson to gauge her interest by writing her a letter, and she shared her heartfelt email on the episode.

“Dear Sarah, everything is hard right now,” the letter began. “The way I love the world when things are hard is to keep creating beautiful, true, hopeful things. And the way I love myself is to co-create those things with beautiful, true, hopeful people. 

“To that end, I have forever worshipped you as an actor. I understand that this is not a unique experience as the entire world worships you as an actor. I will tell you this. I never imagined [I’d] dare to ask you to play me.” 

Paulson then shared her excited response to Doyle’s email confirming that she wanted to be involved.

“OK, let me be frank,” she said. “I have never gotten an email that made me sweat and cry, and sweat and laugh, and sweat and cry and sweat, whilst, that’s right, whilst making my hands shake a little. Also, did I mention the sweating? Here’s what I know. I revere you top to toe.” 

The Emmy-winning actor also shared a clip from the podcast on her Instagram, writing: “This is an extremely exciting day for me. Cause, it’s out there now — like Meg Ryan said in When Harry Met Sally, ‘you can’t take it back it’s already out there’ and so…”

There’s no confirmation on who is to portray Wambach yet, but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we hear word.

Images: Getty