Anna Paquin was photographed using a cane while attending the premiere of her latest film, A Bit of Light, in New York City.
Paquin, 41, stepped out to celebrate the project at the Crosby Street Hotel on Wednesday, April 3, accompanied by her husband, Stephen Moyer, who directed the movie. She opened up to People about her “difficult” health journey, the specifics of which have not been disclosed.
“It hasn’t been easy,” she said of adjusting to using a cane for mobility assistance and other challenges, including effects on her speech. (According to the outlet, a full recovery is hopeful.)
Despite her health battle, Paquin was all smiles on Wednesday night, shimmering in an all-black ensemble. She wore her hair in a slick updo while posing next to Moyer, 54, who matched his wife’s color scheme.
“He’s my favorite person to play with,” Paquin gushed over collaborating with her real-life partner, teasing that she wouldn’t agree to work with him if he wasn’t so talented behind the camera. “I’m not sentimental when it comes to work.”
Paquin called independent filmmaking her “first love,” reflecting on its impact throughout her career. “That’s how I entered the film industry,” she told People. “I was working with people who were all about telling stories and telling them with integrity and truth.”
In A Bit of Light, Paquin stars as Ella, an alcoholic forced to move back in with her father after losing custody of her young daughters. As a mother of two, Paquin was able to connect to the complex realities of the parenting experience.
“Not everyone ends up having the journey with motherhood that they have hoped or had planned,” she noted. “We’re all flawed and imperfect, and Ella is kind of on some level repeating some sort of familial patterns as far as stuffing feelings down.”
The True Blood alum continued, “It’s very relatable because there’s so many ways that people can get in their own way, or sort of learn to cope with trauma.”
Paquin and Moyer tied the knot in 2010 after sparking a romance on the set of True Blood. While marking their wedding anniversary in August 2023, Moyer praised the pair’s loving partnership.
“The good lady thespian/producer/all round badass ‘er indoors, and myself have been married 13 years!! I forgot to post about it Monday cos, ya know, we were kinda busy 😉,” he captioned an Instagram tribute. “Thanks to everyone who remembered & sent messages.. 💜💜💜 And to those who didn’t remember don’t worry we almost forgot too 🤪.”
A Bit of Light hits theaters Friday, April 5.
