User:Samjohnzon/sandbox4

Lana Winters is a fictional character played by Sarah Paulson on the FX horror television series American Horror Story: Asylum. The character was created by television producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. She first appeared in the episode "Welcome to Briarcliff" on October 17, 2012, and appeared in all thirteen episodes until the season finale on January 23, 2013. Lana is a lesbian journalist who visits Briarcliff Mental Institution with aims to write a story on the serial killer "Bloody Face", before being admitted to the asylum for her homosexuality. As the series' protagonist, Lana is characterized as a "mercilessly ambitious" writer and described by Paulson as having a "plucky quality" and an "incredible strength". Her storyline develops dramatically as the season progresses, with Lana battling for freedom from Briarcliff in order to expose the institution's secrets.

Murphy instructed Paulson to play Lana with the idea that she is "the smartest person in the room" and stated that from the beginning of the season he intended Lana to survive until the end. The character of Lana received mostly positive critical reception. For her portrayal of Lana, Paulson won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Movie/Miniseries Actress and the Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2013.