Anna Paquin was born on July 24, 1982, and lives in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

While in New Zealand she attended Hutt Intermediate School (an intermediate school in Lower Hutt) from 1994-1995, where she completed Form 1 and 2 (Year 7 and 8). Having begun her secondary education in Wellington, New Zealand, she completed her high school diploma in Los Angeles, where she moved with her mother following her parents' divorce, and took several well-regarded roles in various movies while doing so.

A highly precocious, dark-haired actress, Anna Paquin gave an extraordinary, Oscar-winning performance as the fiercely articulate daughter--and voice--of a feisty mute woman (Holly Hunter) in Jane Campion's sensuous film "The Piano" (1993). Just 11 years old at the time, Paquin was (to date) the second youngest person to ever win an Academy Award. Easily

Paquin proved that her outstanding debut was no fluke when she earned raves for her portrayal of the young Jane (played as an adult by Charlotte Gainsbourg) in Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of "Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre" (1996). But her biggest role since winning the Oscar was as the daughter of a man (Jeff Daniels) who teaches geese to migrate with the aid of ultra-light planes in Carroll Ballard's "Fly Away Home" (also 1996).

In the summer of 2006, she completed filming Blue State. Paquin also executive-produced the film.