Anna Paquin

Infobox actor
name = Anna Paquin


caption = Anna Paquin in 2006
birthname = Anna Helene Paquin
birthdate = birth date and age|1982|7|24
birthplace = Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
yearsactive = 1993 - present
occupation = Actress, Producer
academyawards = Best Supporting Actress
1993 "The Piano"
awards = Gotham Award for Best Cast
2005 "The Squid and the Whale"
LAFCA Award for Best Supporting Actress
1993 "The Piano"
OFCS Award for Best Ensemble
2000 "Almost Famous"

Anna Helene Paquin (born July 24, 1982) is an Academy Award-winning, Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated, Canadian-New Zealander actress. Her breakthrough performance was in "The Piano", which earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and made her the second youngest winner in history at the age of 11.cite news|last=Crisell|first=Luke|coauthors=|title=Rogue Star|pages=|publisher=New York Magazine|date=2007-05-21|url=http://nymag.com/movies/features/32118/|accessdate=2007-05-21] She is also the first Canadian-born actress to win Best Supporting Actress.

Early life

Paquin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mary (née Brophy), an English teacher and native of Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a high school physical education teacher. In 1995, Her parents divorced and she moved in with her mother. Paquin has two older siblings: brother Andrew, born in 1977, and sister Katya, born in 1980.cite news|url=http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,351581,00.html|publisher=Guardian Unlimited|title=X Appeal|date=2000-08-06 |accessdate=2007-05-21] [cite web|title=Anna Paquin Biography (1982-)|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/12/Anna-Paquin.html|accessdate=2007-12-31|work=filmreference.com] Paquin moved to New Zealand when she was four. She attended the Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School until she was eight or nine. [cite news|url=http://anna-paquin.net/press/2003/nzherald-0503/|publisher=NZHerald.co.nz|title=X Patriate Anna Paquin|date=May 2003 |accessdate=2007-12-31] Her musical childhood hobbies in New Zealand included playing the viola, cello and piano. She also did gymnastics, ballet, swimming and downhill skiing, but she didn't have hobbies related to acting.Citation |last=Verhaeghe |first=Melanie |date=Summer 1994|title=Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star|magazine=Homemakers magazine.] cite news|last=Dutka |first=Elaine |date=1994-01-11| title= A Young Star is Born in the Piano| publisher=Los Angeles Times|url=http://djuna.cine21.com/anna/02.html]

While in New Zealand, Paquin attended Hutt Intermediate School from 1994-1995, where she completed Form 1 and 2. Having begun her secondary education in Wellington, New Zealand, she completed her high school diploma at Windward School in Los Angeles, where she moved with her mother following her parents' divorce.cite news|last=Hobson |first= Louis B. |date=1996-09-02| title=Real-Life Acting Difficult for Paquin| publisher=Calgary Sun] She graduated from Windward School in June 2000 and completed the school's community service requirement by working in an LA soup kitchen and at a special education center. She studied at Columbia University for one year, but has since been on a leave of absence to continue her acting career.

Career

Acclaim as a child actress

It was in New Zealand in 1991 that Paquin became an actress by chance. Director Jane Campion was looking for a little girl to play a key 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 advert and went to try out with a friend; Anna tagged along because she had nothing better to do. When Campion met Anna-whose only acting experience had been as a skunk in a school play-she was very impressed with nine-year-old Paquin'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 movie among a wide audience. Paquin's debut performance in the film earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of eleven, making her the second-youngest Oscar winner in history after Tatum O'Neal. The Piano was made as a small independent movie and wasn't intended to be widely known, and Paquin and her family didn't plan to continue in the acting circles. However, she was invited to the William Morris Agency, and she kept receiving offers for new roles. She systematically refused them, but she did appear in three commercials for the phone company MCI (now Verizon).cite news|location=New York|date=2006-01-06|title=Verizon and MCI Close Merger, Creating a Stronger Competitor for Advanced Communications Services|url=http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2006/page.jsp?itemID=29672197] She also appeared as a voice in an audio book entitled "The Magnificent Nose" in 1994.

In 1996, she appeared in two movies. 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.cite news|last=Lambert |first=Pam |date=1996-04-16| title=Paquicking it in| magazine=People|url=http://djuna.cine21.com/anna/07.html]

As a teenager, she had roles in several films, such as "A Walk on the Moon", "The Member of the Wedding", "Amistad", "Hurlyburly" and "She's All That".

X-Men and beyond

Paquin returned to worldwide prominence with her role as Rogue in the blockbuster "X-Men" movie in 2000, its sequel ' in 2003, and its third installment ' in 2006.

In the summer of 2006, she completed filming "Blue State". She executive-produced the film, the film having been made by "Paquin Films", a production company formed by both her and her brother, Andrew Paquin. [ [http://www.ifilmalliance.com/newsevents/newsletter/newsletter26.php ifilmalliance.com] ] In November 2006, she completed "Margaret". This film is now scheduled for release in 2009, according to imdb.com.

In 2007, Paquin received an Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for her role as Elaine Goodale in the HBO's made-for-TV movie "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee", based on Dee Brown's bestseller. She also received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in similar categories.

In 2008, Paquin appears as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series "True Blood", her first role in a TV series. The show is based on "The Southern Vampire Mysteries" series of novels by Charlaine Harris. [cite news|url=http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=0&id=40314 |date=26 February 2007|title=Paquin Bites Into "True Blood"|publisher=scifi.com] A second season of the show has been commissioned, and is scheduled to air in summer 2009.

Theatrical career

Paquin is also an award-winning stage actress, having made her stage debut in 2001 in a production of "The Glory of Living" at the MCC Theater. She won a 2001-2002 Theater World Award for her performance. [ [http://www.theatreworldawards.org/award.html Winners list at theatreworldawards.org] ] She has since appeared in a number of other plays, but has only once appeared in a play outside of the USA, when she appeared on the West End stage in London, England in a production of "This is Our Youth" in 2002.

Personal life

Paquin has reportedly been romantically linked with actors Logan Marshall-Green and Kieran Culkin. It was reported in 2008 that she and Stephen Moyer, who plays her boyfriend in the HBO series "True Blood", have been dating since filming the series' pilot. [ [http://feedraider.com/item/13260142/OH-NO/Anna-Paquin-dating-co-star-Stephen-Moyer/ "Anna Paquin dating co-star Stephen Moyer" Feed Raider September 24, 2008] ]

Paquin lives in Venice, Los Angeles, California. Her hobbies include surfing and cycling. [ [http://digital.spin.com/spin/200809/?pg=54/ Spin magazine article, September 2008] ]

Filmography and awards

Theatre credits

*"The Glory of Living"; MCC Theater, New York, 2001 - Lisa (Won Theatre World Award (Outstanding Actress) in 2002 for the role)
*"This is Our Youth"; Garrick Theatre, London, 2002 - Jessica Goldman (Nominated for Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Actress) for the role)
*"Manuscript" (Reading); Falmouth Academy, New York, 2003 - Elizabeth Hawkins
*"Drug Buddy" (Reading); Manhattan Theater Club, 2003 - Wendy
*"Roulette"; Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York, 2004 - Jenny
*"The Distance From Here"; MCC Theater, New York, 2004 - Shari (Won Drama Desk Award (Outstanding Cast Ensemble) in 2004)
*"The 24 Hour Plays", South Of The Border; MCC Theater, 2004 - Maylene
*"After Ashley"; Vineyard Theatre, New York, 2005 - Julie Bell
*""; (Reading); Westside Theatre, New York, 2005 - Marcy
*"The 24 Hour Plays", The Blizzard; MCC Theater, 2006 - Jenny

Awards

*1993 - LAFCA Award - Best Supporting Actress for "The Piano"
*1994 - Academy Awards - Best Supporting Actress for "The Piano"
*2001 - Online Film Critics Society Awards - Best Ensemble Cast Performance for "Almost Famous"
*2005 - Gotham Awards - Best Ensemble Cast for "The Squid and the Whale"

Nominations

*1994 - Golden Globe Award - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for "The Piano"
*1997 - YoungStar Awards - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film for "Fly Away Home"
*1997 - Young Artist Awards - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress for "Fly Away Home"
*1998 - Young Artist Awards - Best Performance in a TV Movie/Pilot/Mini-Series - Leading Young Actress for "The Member of the Wedding"
*1999 - YoungStar Awards - Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film for "A Walk On The Moon"
*2000 - Young Artist Awards - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Supporting Young Actress for "A Walk On The Moon"
*2001 - Screen Actors Guild Awards - Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture for "Almost Famous"
*2001 - Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films - Best Performance by a Younger Actor for "X-Men"
*2001 - Saturn Award - Best Performance by a Younger Actor for "X-Men"
*2001 - Blockbuster Entertainment Award - Favorite Actress - Science Fiction for "X-Men"
*2003 - Teen Choice Awards - Choice Movie Chemistry for ""
*2004 - MTV Movie Awards 2 nominations:::- Best Kiss for ""::- Best On-Screen Team for ""
*2007 - Emmy Award - Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"
*2008 - Golden Globe Award - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"
*2008 - Screen Actors Guild Award - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee"

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0001593|name=Anna Paquin
* [http://anna-paquin.net Anna Paquin Online]
* [http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/anna_paquin The Onion A.V. Club interview]

Persondata
NAME=Paquin, Anna
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Paquin, Anna Helene
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Actor
DATE OF BIRTH=July 24, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH=Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=