Anna Helene Paquin (born July 24, 1982) is an Academy Award-winning and Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated Canadian actress. Paquin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mary (nee Brophy), an English teacher and native of Wellington, New Zealand. When the 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. n July 2007, Paquin received an Emmy Award nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie. Paquin lives in the West Village in New York City.