Anna Paquin

## Cast Member

"*It’s not as awkward as you would think. If you were to picture the perfect day at work for your spouse, would that be it? Probably not, but this is just kind of how it’s always been. So it doesn’t feel as bizarre.*"
—Anna Paquin to people.com.src

**Anna Helene Paquin** is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress actress who portrays Sookie Stackhouse on HBO's *True Blood*.

## Biography

Paquin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mary Paquin (née Brophy), an English teacher and native of Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a high school Physical Education teacher from Canada. Paquin has two older siblings: Andrew (born 1977), a director, and Katya (born 1980), whose partner is the Green Party of New Zealand's former co-leader Russel Norman. Paquin is of Dutch, French and Irish descent. Paquin's family moved to New Zealand when she was four. She attended the Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School until she was eight or nine. Her musical childhood hobbies in New Zealand included playing the viola, cello and piano. She also participated in gymnastics, ballet, swimming and downhill skiing, though she did not have any hobbies related to acting. While in New Zealand, Paquin attended Hutt Intermediate School (1994–95). Having begun her secondary education in Wellington at Wellington Girls' College, she completed her high school diploma at Windward School in Los Angeles, after moving to the U.S. with her mother following her parents' divorce (1995). She graduated from Windward School in June 2000 and completed the school's Community Service requirement by working in a soup kitchen and at a Special Education Centre. She studied at Columbia University for one year but has since been on a leave of absence to continue her acting career.

Paquin played the mutant superheroine 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 both her and her brother, Andrew Paquin. 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. 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. While working on True Blood, she started dating co-star Stephen Moyer and later married him in 2010.

## Appearances

 **Appears**
 "Don't You Feel Me":

 **Appears**
 "Karma":
 **Appears**

## References

1. ↑ http://159.54.226.237/07\_issues/070916/070916whosnews\_anna\_paquin.html
2. ↑ http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,351581,00.html
3. ↑ http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/5889368/Hanging-out-with-the-political-Wags
4. ↑ https://twitter.com/annapaquin/status/667045554799554560
5. ↑ http://annapaquin.net/press/2003/nzherald/
6. ↑ http://djuna.cine21.com/anna/02.html
7. ↑ http://nymag.com/movies/features/32118/
8. ↑ http://www.ifilmalliance.com/newsevents/newsletter/newsletter26.php