‘True Blood’s’ Anna Paquin ‘flattered’ by double Golden Globe nominations
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The vampire craze continues.
“True Blood” star Anna Paquin received two separate Golden Globe nominations this year — a feat shared by Meryl Streep, Sandra Bullock and Matt Damon.
Sookie Stackhouse — the telepathic waitress Paquin plays in the HBO drama “True Blood” — probably knew the whole time. But Paquin -- who received a nod for her role as Sookie (for which she won the same award earlier this year) as well as a part in the made-for-TV movie “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler” — got word from her publicist … and she wasn’t exactly standing by for an alert.
“It was 5 in the morning. I was in bed,” Paquin quipped. ‘It was all very surprising.’
And the Kiwi actress definitely didn’t spread the word once she heard.
“It’s not considered nice to wake people up at 6 in the morning. No one likes that. Weird, huh? But I e-mailed my family.”
And, sure, she knew Tuesday morning was the “big reveal,” but she’s been too preoccupied to give it much thought.
“Honestly, our show just went back two weeks ago, so it’s been pretty hectic,” said Paquin, whose breakthrough performance in 1993’s “ The Piano” earned her an Academy Award. “And, you know, Christmas is coming up and my family is coming into town. I’ve just been sort of focusing on that stuff. It came upon me quite suddenly, it felt like. It’s very flattering and a great honor. I’m very happy with what I have. If anything else comes of it, that’s wonderful, but it’s really wonderful already.”
In “True Blood” — based on Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries novels — she plays an innocent waitress who can read people’s minds. It’s a stark contrast with her role as a Polish social worker who brings Jewish children to safety during World War II in “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler.”
“That’s what I love about acting. I could be a part of this amazing story about someone so young who could do so much. She was so brave and so strong and incredibly impressive. And then there’s Sookie, who is really flawed, but she really means well and she’s always kind of getting herself into trouble and ends up in these wildly bad situations that she can kind of get herself out of but always ends up needing to be rescued.”
And though “True Blood” has ridden the vampire wave and propelled into one of HBO’s most-watched shows, it was snubbed by the Emmys this year. But Paquin isn’t bitter.
“It was our first season,” she said. “I mean, come on! We’re still a brand new show. I think it’s amazing that we’re getting noticed and that people are watching it at all. I always say it takes a while for new shows to catch on so any attention people are paying to us is the cherry on top. “
Still, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has been a fan from the beginning, and is once again recognizing the series.
So where does she keep the statuette she received earlier this year?
“It’s sitting in a cabinet under my sink next to my Oscar. “
--Yvonne Villarreal
