Misplaced Pages

Anna Paquin
Paquin in 2018
Born	(1982-07-24) 24 July 1982 (age 42) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Other names	Anna Emery
Citizenship	New Zealand (from mother) Canada (by birthplace)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1993–present
Spouse	Stephen Moyer ​(m. 2010)​
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Anna Paquin (/ˈpækwɪn/ PAK-win; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. She made her acting debut in the romantic drama film The Piano (1993), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at age 11, becoming the second-youngest winner in Oscar history. As a child actress, she had roles in Fly Away Home (1996), Jane Eyre (1996), Amistad (1997), The Member of the Wedding (1997), and A Walk on the Moon (1999), as well as in Cameron Crowe's comedy drama film Almost Famous (2000).

Paquin continued to perform prominent roles into adulthood, portraying Rogue in the X-Men franchise (2000–2006; 2014). Her other film credits include 25th Hour (2002), Trick 'r Treat (2007), Margaret (2011), The Good Dinosaur (2015), and The Irishman (2019). She played the lead role of Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO vampire drama television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 2009. Among other accolades, Paquin was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for her work in the television film Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007), in addition to a further Golden Globe nomination for her work in the television film The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (2009).

Early life

Paquin was born on 24 July 1982 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her father, Brian Paquin, is a Canadian retired physical education teacher, and her mother, Mary (née Brophy), is a New Zealand teacher of English from Wellington. Paquin is the youngest of three children, with a brother and a sister. Her father is of Dutch and French descent. Paquin has stated that all her maternal great-grandparents emigrated to New Zealand from Ireland due to the Great Famine.

In 1986, the family relocated to Wellington, where Paquin would attend Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School, Hutt Intermediate School and Wellington Girls' College. Her parents divorced when she was 12 years old. After relocating to the United States at age 16, Paquin attended Windward School, where she graduated in 2000. Paquin studied for one year at Columbia College, where she lived in Carman Hall, and subsequently dropped out to continue her acting career. She holds dual New Zealand and Canadian citizenship.

Career

Director Jane Campion was looking for a little girl to play a main role in The Piano, set to film in New Zealand, and a newspaper advertisement was run announcing an open audition. Paquin's sister read the ad and went to try out with a friend; this inspired Paquin to audition. When Campion met Paquin—whose only acting experience had been as a skunk in a school play—she was very impressed with the nine-year-old's performance of the monologue about Flora's father, and she was chosen from among the 5000 candidates. When The Piano was released in 1993 it was lauded by critics, won prizes at a number of film festivals, and eventually became a popular film among a wide audience. Paquin's debut performance in the film earned her the 1994 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of 11, making her the second-youngest Oscar winner in history, behind Tatum O'Neal.

The Piano was made as a small independent film and was not expected to be widely known, and Paquin and her family did not plan to continue to pursue acting. However, she was invited to the William Morris Agency, and she kept receiving offers for new roles. She systematically rejected them, but she did appear in three commercials for the phone company MCI in 1994. She later made a series of television commercials for Manitoba Telecom Systems in her birth city of Winnipeg. She also appeared as a voice in an audiobook entitled The Magnificent Nose in 1994. In 1996, she appeared in two films. The first role was as young Jane in Jane Eyre. The other was a lead part in Fly Away Home playing a young girl who, after her mother dies, moves in with her father and finds solace in taking care of orphaned goslings. As a teenager, she had roles in other films, including A Walk on the Moon, Finding Forrester, Amistad, Hurlyburly, She's All That and Almost Famous as well as the English dub of Castle in the Sky.

Paquin played the mutant superhero Rogue in the Marvel Comics movie X-Men in 2000, its sequel X2 in 2003, and its third installment, X-Men: The Last Stand, in 2006. Between 2006 and 2007, she starred in, as well as executive-produced Blue State. The film is made by Paquin Films, a production company formed by her and her brother, Andrew. In November 2006, she completed the film Margaret, which was released in 2011. She played Elaine Goodale in HBO's made-for-TV film Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, based on Dee Brown's best-seller, garnering a Primetime Emmy Award nomination. In 2007, she played the role of Laurie in the horror film Trick 'r Treat, which was released in 2009.

Paquin was cast as waitress Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood in 2008, her first role in a TV series. The show is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. The series saw Paquin doing nude scenes for the first time. While working on True Blood, she started dating co-star Stephen Moyer and later married him in 2010. In 2009, Paquin played Irena Sendler, a Polish woman hailed as a heroine of the Holocaust, in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, a CBS TV film biographical film based on the book Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story, by Anna Mieszkowska. The film was made in Latvia, and was a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation for the network.

In 2010, Paquin's film The Romantics, a romantic comedy with Josh Duhamel and Katie Holmes, was released in the US at selected cinemas in September. She played a cameo role in Scream 4, alongside Kristen Bell in 2011. She also played the voice of Kristin on an episode of Phineas and Ferb. Paquin reprised her role as Rogue in the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past, but most of her scenes were cut out for the theatrical release. An alternative version of the film with all of Paquin's scenes reinstated was released as The Rogue Cut on 14 July 2015. Paquin voiced Ramsey in Disney•Pixar's film The Good Dinosaur. She also played Nancy Holt, the wife of a Confederate soldier, in the 2016 miniseries Roots.

In June 2016, the Human Rights Campaign released a video in tribute to the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting; in the video, Paquin and others told the stories of the people killed there. Later in 2017 Paquin starred in television series Bellevue, also being the executive producer, and acted as Nancy Montgomery in the television miniseries Alias Grace. In 2018, she acted in husband Stephen Moyer's directorial debut, The Parting Glass, and in Laurie Collyer's comedy-drama film Furlough.

In 2019, Paquin appeared in Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed drama, The Irishman. That year, she also produced and starred as Robyn in television series Flack and appeared in the television series The Affair. In 2021, she portrayed the wife of Kurt Warner in the biographical Christian sports film, American Underdog.

In 2022, Paquin starred in A Friend of the Family for Peacock.

Paquin will star in True Spirit alongside Teagan Croft and Cliff Curtis. It will be aired on Netflix in February 2023. The movie is based on the journey of Jessica Watson, an Australian sailor who attempted solo global circumnavigation at 16 years old.

Personal life

On 5 August 2009, Paquin announced her engagement to her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, whom she had been dating since filming the series pilot in 2007. They married on 21 August 2010 at a private residence in Malibu, California. Paquin gave birth to fraternal twins on 12 September 2012. She has a stepson and a stepdaughter through her marriage to Moyer. The couple reside in Venice, California and visit New Zealand yearly to see Paquin's family.

In 2010, Paquin came out as bisexual in a public service announcement for the Give a Damn campaign as part of the True Colors Fund, an advocacy group organised by Cyndi Lauper dedicated to LGBT equality. The video features Anna Paquin stating, "I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual, and I give a damn." When asked about her participation in the video, Paquin said her sexuality hadn't been a secret but that she hadn't "ever had an opportunity to speak out about in a way that would be useful. Obviously I know that one person's voice doesn't necessarily do that much, but I just wanted to do my bit." In May 2012, in an Us Weekly interview Paquin rejected the notion that bisexuality is a choice. "My sexuality is not made up, for a bisexual, it's not about gender. That's not the deciding factor to who they're attracted to," stated Paquin. In 2014, she described herself on Twitter as "Proud to be a happily married bisexual mother".

Paquin also supports other charities and foundations such as the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Elton John AIDS Foundation, and The Art of Elysium.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Accolades

See also

• List of actors with Academy Award nominations
• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of New Zealand Academy Award winners and nominees

References

1. @_annapaquin (23 September 2019). "#intheopen2020 Are you signed up yet? #crossfit #strongisbeautiful #chickswholift". Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022 – via Instagram.
2. @_annapaquin (12 October 2019). "And my score card..." Archived from the original on 21 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022 – via Instagram.
3. "Anna Paquin discusses returning to Canada for 'Bellevue' and 'Alias Grace'". 16 February 2017.
4. "Anna Paquin is Canadian Enough to Star in Netflix and CBC's Adaptation of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace". 16 August 2016.
5. ^ Crisell, Luke (21 May 2007). "Rogue Star". New York. Archived from the original on 23 May 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
6. "Anna Paquin. Biography, news, photos and videos". Hello!. 8 October 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
7. "Biography – Anna Paquin". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
8. "Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 19–25". Associated Press. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
9. ^ "Interview: Anna Paquin". USA Weekend (Interview). Interviewed by Tollestrup, Jon. 16 September 2007. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
10. ^ Paquin, Brian (9 April 2021). "Spotlight on a Staff Member". Retrieved 22 October 2022.
11. ^ Dutka, Elaine (11 January 1994). "A Young Star is Born in 'Piano'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
12. ^ Taylor, Kate (5 September 2008). "Just a small-town girl with a taste for the undead". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
13. ^ Douglas, Ana (1 July 2012). "HAPPY CANADA DAY: These 10 Hollywood Actors All Hail From The North". Business Insider. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
14. ^ "Studios rush to cash in on Oscar night's cachet". Toronto Star. Los Angeles. Reuters. 23 March 1994. Retrieved 11 June 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "X Appeal". The Observer. 6 August 2000. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
16. ^ MacDonald, Marianne (4 October 2009). "Anna Paquin: interview for 'True Blood'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
17. "Agnes Tuckwell (nee Janzen)". Winnipeg Free Press.
18. @AnnaPaquin (18 November 2015). "@merriday_brandy irish/french/dutch same deal for me" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
19. @_annapaquin (18 March 2019). "My #restingbitchface and I hope you are all enjoying #stpatricksday responsibly! Oh and though I'm one of "those" who claims Irish having never set foot in the country (yet) my mum holds an Irish passport cos ALL her grandparents were born there and only left because due to #potatofamine .... so I'm not a total fraud 💚 oh and look!!! I own an item of clothing that isn't black!". Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via Instagram.
20. ^ Tapaleao, Vaimoana; Young, Audrey (23 August 2010). "Paquin marries true love". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
21. ^ Verhaeghe, Melanie (Summer 1994). "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". Homemakers.
22. "Prospectus 2021" (PDF). Wellington Girls' College. April 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
23. "Windward School | Alumni Spotlight: Anna Paquin '00". 7 September 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
24. Hobson, Louis B. (2 September 1996). "Real-Life Acting Difficult for Paquin". Calgary Sun.
25. "X Patriate Anna Paquin". The New Zealand Herald. 18 April 2003. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
26. "Columbia Spectator 25 March 2005 — Columbia Spectator". Columbia University. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
27. Lorge, Sarah (September 2000). "Young Lions of Stage and Screen". Columbia College (New York). Retrieved 9 December 2020.
28. @AnnaPaquin (25 June 2016). "@ExpertTerrorism @Variety @HillaryClinton I'm not an american, so I don't get to vote. In New Zealand where I am a citizen I vote @NZGreens" (Tweet). Retrieved 29 June 2016 – via Twitter.
29. "Verizon and MCI Close Merger, Creating a Stronger Competitor for Advanced Communications Services". Verizon Communications. New York. 5 January 2006.
30. "Anna Paquin to be MTS's Celebrity Spokesperson Academy Award Winning Actor Stars in MTS Commercials Beginning Today". CNW Group. Winnipeg. 6 October 1997. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
31. Lambert, Pam (16 April 1996). "Paquicking it in". People. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 31 December 2007.
32. "Anna Paquin: filmmaker and risk-taker". Independent Filmmakers Alliance Newsletter (Interview). Interviewed by Halle, Karina. 25 August 2006. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
33. "Academy Award And Recent Golden Globe Award Winner Anna Paquin Stars in 'The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler,' A New "Hallmark Hall Of Fame" Presentation to Be Broadcast Sunday, 19 April on the CBS Television Network". thefutoncritic.com. CBS press release. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
34. Clark, Cindy (25 August 2010). "Anna Paquin and Kristen Bell to appear in 'Scream 4'". USA Today. Retrieved 2 May 2013.
35. Chitwood, Adam (26 January 2013). "Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, and Shawn Ashmore Returning for X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST". Collider. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
36. "Anna Paquin's Rogue Will be Present for X-Men: Days of Future Past". comingsoon.net. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
37. Evry, Max (5 May 2015). "Bryan Singer Reveals X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut Release Date". superherohype.com. Periscope. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
38. "Meet the New Cast of Disney•Pixar's The Good Dinosaur". The Walt Disney Company. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
39. "'Roots' TV Movie Adds Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, More to Cast". Variety. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
40. "49 Celebrities Honor 49 Victims of Orlando Tragedy | Human Rights Campaign". Hrc.org. Archived from the original on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
41. Rothaus, Steve (12 June 2016). "Pulse Orlando shooting scene a popular LGBT club where employees, patrons 'like family'". Miami Herald. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
42. Saraiya, Sonia (23 January 2018). "TV Review: 'Bellevue,' Starring Anna Paquin". Variety. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
43. Kickham, Dylan (1 November 2017). "Anna Paquin signs on for 'Alias Grace' miniseries on Netflix". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
44. "Stephen Moyer To Helm 'The Parting Glass'; Anna Paquin Stars". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
45. Scheck, Frank (15 March 2018). "'Furlough': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
46. Pedersen, Erik (3 October 2017). "Anna Paquin To Play De Niro's Daughter In Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
47. Schaffstall, Katherine (12 March 2018). "Anna Paquin to Star in Pop TV's New Limited Series 'Flack'". The Hollywood Reporter.
48. Kinane, Ruth (17 July 2019). "Anna Paquin teases what's to come on the final season of 'The Affair'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
49. N'Duka, Amanda; D'Alessandro, Anthony (13 January 2021). "Anna Paquin Set To Star In 'American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story' Opposite Zachary Levi". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
50. Otterson, Joe (15 February 2022). "Peacock Orders True Crime Series 'Friend of the Family' With Anna Paquin, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, Lio Tipton". Variety. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
51. DiNunno, Gina (5 August 2009). "Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Get Engaged". TV Guide. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
52. Silverman, Stephen M. (5 August 2009). "Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer Are Engaged! – Engagements, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer". People. Archived from the original on 29 July 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
53. Chiu, David (22 August 2010). ""True Blood" Co-Stars Get Hitched". WNBC. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
54. "Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Get Married!". Us Weekly. 21 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
55. Michaud, Sarah; Jordan, Julie (11 September 2012). "Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Welcome Twins". People. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
56. "It's a Baby Boy and a Girl for Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer!". Life & Style. 14 November 2012. Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2012.
57. "Stephen Moyer Reveals Names of Twins with Anna Paquin". People. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
58. Romeyn, Kathryn (8 September 2020). "Inside Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer's Driftwood-Like L.A. Abode". Architectural Digest. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
59. Anna Paquin opens up on leaving NZ at a young age and her new show Flack. 1News. 4 March 2019. Event occurs at 3:45. Retrieved 6 September 2023. She still calls New Zealand home, and gets back at least once a year so her children can spend time with their cousins.
60. Singh, Anita (1 April 2010). "True Blood star Anna Paquin comes out as bisexual". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
61. "Anna Paquin: I'm Bisexual (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
62. "Anna Paquin: Why I Came Out As Bisexual". The Huffington Post. 4 June 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
63. Macaluso, Beth Anne (3 May 2012). "Pregnant Anna Paquin: My Bisexuality Is Not "Made Up"". Us Weekly.
64. Nichols, James (11 February 2014). ""Anna Paquin Declares She Is A 'Happily Married Bisexual Mother"". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
65. "Anna Paquin's Charity Work bio". Look To The Stars.
66. "Anna Paquin, Breckin Meyer Talk 'Blue State,' Why 'Garfield' Saga Isn't Over". MTV News (Interview). Interviewed by Horowitz, Josh. New York City. 1 May 2007. Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
67. "Anna Paquin Visits "Blue State"". CBS News. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
68. Grater, Tom (12 October 2021). "Anna Paquin & Ray Winstone Starring In Stephen Moyer-Directed 'A Bit of Light'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
69. Schneider, Michael (9 August 2007). "HBO rolls with Ball's 'True Blood'". Variety. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
70. Goldberg, Lesley (31 July 2017). "Anna Paquin Drama 'Bellevue' Acquired by WGN America". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
71. Isherwood, Charles (15 November 2001). "The Glory of Living". Variety. Retrieved 22 October 2022.

External links

• Anna Paquin at IMDb

• 1982 births
• Living people
• 20th-century New Zealand actresses
• 21st-century New Zealand actresses
• 21st-century New Zealand LGBTQ people
• Actresses from Wellington City
• Actresses from Winnipeg
• Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (television) winners
• Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners
• Columbia College (New York) alumni
• New Zealand bisexual actresses
• New Zealand child actresses
• New Zealand expatriate actresses in the United States
• New Zealand film actresses
• New Zealand LGBTQ actors
• New Zealand people of Dutch descent
• New Zealand people of French-Canadian descent
• New Zealand people of Irish descent
• New Zealand stage actresses
• New Zealand television actresses
• New Zealand voice actresses
• People educated at Wellington Girls' College
• People from Lower Hutt
• People from Venice, Los Angeles
• Theatre World Award winners
• Waldorf school alumni