At her latest red carpet event, actor Anna Paquin posed for pictures in a sparkling black dress, ankle booties — and a matching cane to top off the sleek look.
The “Irishman” and “X-Men” actor showed off that last item Wednesday evening at the New York premiere for her film “A Bit of Light,” where she also revealed she has been living with undisclosed health issues for two “difficult” years.
“It hasn’t been easy,” Paquin, 41, told People.
The magazine reported on Wednesday that the actor’s health issues have impacted her mobility, prompting the need for a cane. With the undisclosed ailment, Paquin also told the outlet that she has experienced some difficulties with her speech.
Anna Paquin attends the premiere of “A Bit of Light” at the Crosby Street Hotel on Wednesday in New York.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press)
A source told People that they are hopeful that Paquin will make a full recovery. More details about the actor’s condition have not been revealed.
A representative for the Oscar-winning “The Piano” star did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for additional comment Thursday.
In “A Bit of Light,” distributed by Quiver, Paquin stars as a woman named Ella struggling to reconnect with her two daughters. Amid her efforts, Ella finds friendship in a teenage boy (Luca Hogan) who helps Ella “rediscover her self-worth,” according to the film’s trailer.
At the premiere, Paquin also told People that she takes comfort in her work amid her health issues, noting “my first love was independent filmmaking.”
“That’s how I entered the film industry. I was working with people who are all about telling stories and telling them with integrity and truth,” she said.
Among Paquin’s “A Bit of Light” collaborators is her husband, actor and director Stephen Moyer. The spouses share 11-year-old fraternal twins Charlie and Poppy.
“A Bit of Light” also stars Ray Winstone, Pippa Bennett-Warner and Youssef Kerkour. The film hits select theaters and video-on-demand platforms on Friday.