Anna Paquin, 41, walks red carpet with a cane alongside husband Stephen Moyer after ‘difficult’ undisclosed health issue left Oscar-winning actress suffering mobility and speech difficulties

Anna Paquin was seen using a cane to help her get around at the New York City premiere of her new film A Bit Of Light.

The 41-year-old actress, who was joined by her husband and former True Blood costar Stephen Moyer, looked sensational in an angular black sequined dress that matched her 54-year-old husband’s all-black look.

The lovebirds put on a unified front at the premiere for the new film, which Anna stars in and Stephen directed.

She plays a recovering alcoholic who reunites with her estranged father (played by Ray Winstone) after she loses custody of her daughters, who go to live with her ex-husband and his current partner.

During the event at the Crosby Street Hotel, Anna admitted the last two years had been ‘difficult’ for her, while alluding to recent health struggles that had impacted her mobility, according to People.

‘It hasn’t been easy,’ the actress, who has reportedly also had speech difficulties recently, told the publication. 

However, a source was optimistic that Anna could recover fully from the undisclosed condition.

The film and television star — who became the second-youngest person to win an Academy Award after nabbing the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Jane Campion’s 1993 classic The Piano — sounded excited to be back in front of the camera and working on a small independent production.

‘My first love was independent filmmaking,’ she shared. ‘That’s how I entered the film industry. I was working with people who were all about telling stories and telling them with integrity and truth.’

Anna added that she was grateful for her husband Stephen’s help, both on and off set.

‘He’s my favorite person to play with,’ she said, before making it clear that she was drawn to his artistic talents when it came to signing up for the film.

‘I’m not sentimental when it comes to work,’ she added, laughing. 

Anna explained that, while her lead character’s struggles with addiction in A Bit Of Light were foreign to her, her experience being the mother of 11-year-old fraternal twins with Moyer helped her to tap into the emotional struggles of a mother separated from her children.

She also shares two stepchildren with Moyer — a son from his first marriage and a daughter from a previous relationship.

‘Not everyone ends up having the journey with motherhood that they have hoped or had planned,’ Anna said. ‘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.’

She was able to simulate her character’s pain, as it was ‘very relatable because there’s so many ways that people can get in their own way, or sort of learn to cope with trauma.’

Anna looked her best in a slim black long-sleeve dress covered in shimmering sequins.

It featured edgy padded shoulders and a skirt that reached halfway down her thighs.

She matched the look with black stockings and black nail polish, along with short leather boots, and even her all-black cane suited the look.

The Margaret star wore her brunette hair swept back with a slight bump and tied tightly, which put the spotlight on her winning smile.

Stephen complemented her monochrome ensemble with one of his own featuring a tasteful black suit with slim peaked lapels and a tie-free black shirt.

 

Matching the dark styles was the model Aalyah Ross, who rocked a plunging black halter mini dress with long sleeves that exposed her shoulders, along with pointy black heels.

The actress Anna Van Patten lightened up things with a pale pink mini dress cinched around her waist, along with leopard-print stocking and knee-high black boots.

Stephanie Kurtzuba, a breakout supporting actors in Martin Scorsese’s modern classic The Wolf Of Wall Street, looked relaxed in a casual black jacket with rainbow sequins running up the sleeves. She wore it with a casual black top and pants, as well as black suede boots.

The models — and sisters — Sarah and Mary Nader stunned in contrasting looks. Sarah wore a busty plunging white top sans bra and cool black pinstripe pants with a high waste and flared legs. Mary looked cool in a baggy white shirt dress with knee-high black boots.