Anna Paquin, the young Canadian who grew up in New Zealand and whose only acting experience was as a skunk at a school play, stunned movie-goers from all over the world with her performance as Holly Hunter's angry young daughter in the acclaimed film The Piano. Anna, who received an Oscar for her performance (the second youngest Oscar winner ever), has proven that The Piano was only the beginning of a fabulous career.

She starred in Carroll Ballard's Fly Away Home and in Franco Zeffirelli's Jane Eyre. After her parents' divorce, she moved to Los Angeles with her mother and sister in order to pursue more actively a career in acting. Soon enough, she made the transition from child-actress to teenage actress with her performance in Hurlyburly alongside Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey and Meg Ryan and in A Walk on the Moon alongside Diane Lane, Viggo Mortensen and Liev Schreiber. Paquin, who has become an expert at portraying troubled teenagers, then starred in the popular science fiction film, the X-Men. The same year, 2000, she also appeared in films such as Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous and Gus Van Sant's Finding Forrester. Anna, who is now a student at Columbia University, has moved to New York City and has begun a new career as a stage actress appearing both in New York and London.
She is a vegetarian. While filming the movie Amistad in Montreal during the summer, she made a side-trip to Toronto to film 5 TV commercials for the telephone company of her old hometown in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She delivers the commercials in a variety of costumes in her Canadian accent rather than her New Zealand one. [1997] She keeps her Oscar in her bedroom closet so her friends won't see it and feel the need to comment on it. She enjoys photography. Family moved to New Zealand when Anna was 4. Has a brother, Andrew Paquin, a film producer, with whom she is working on Blue State), and a sister, Katya. She plays the cello. Father, Brian, is a physical education teacher. Mother, Mary, is an English teacher. Her parents are divorced. Hobbies: rugby; running; playing the piano; singing; gymnastics; swimming; downhill skiing; reading and knitting. Enjoys listening to alternative music. When she was younger, she wanted to be the Prime Minister of New Zealand, or a lawyer. Is the first New Zealander to receive an Oscar for best supporting actress, and is the second-youngest Oscar winner ever. She still hasn't seen all of The Piano. Is a fan of The Beatles. She has 2 cats and 1 dog. Speaks French. Graduated from Windward School in West Los Angeles, California in June 2000; she completed the school's community service requirement by working in an LA soup kitchen and at a special education center. One of Teen People Magazine's "25 Hottest Stars under 25". [2002] college classmate of Julia Stiles. Is a fan of the alternative rock band Nine Inch Nails. She was the original choice to play the character of Enola in Kevin Costner's Waterworld but, eventually, the role fell to Tina Majorino. Attending Columbia University. [2005] When on a talk show, the host told her he would give her $10,000 if she could shoot a basketball into a hoop. She did, but he refused to pay. After bad press he gave her the money which she donated to charity. Played the daughter of Jeff Daniels in Fly Away Home and then his romantic partner in The Squid and the Whale nine years later. Was number 93 on vh1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars. Has kept in close contact with Shawn Ashmore (Iceman/Bobby Drake) and Aaron Stanford (John Allerdyce/Pyro) after filming X2. Though she was born in Canada she considers herself a Kiwi from New Zealand since she grew up there.