As the Oscars draw near, Holly Hunter is reflecting on her Academy Award-winning performance in the 1993 classic, The Piano. Speaking to PEOPLE on March 10 at the Star Trek: Starfleet Academy FYC event, the actress revisited her role as the mute pianist, Ada McGrath.
“Oh, I loved having the experience with my cast—that Jane [Campion] was there, and Jan Chapman and Anna Paquin,” she shared, adding, “It was cool to experience it with them as opposed to being alone.” Hunter also took a moment to highlight the film’s director: “It was fantastic to be there with Jane, who conceived of it, directed it, and edited it.”
The 67-year-old actress noted that the unique nature of the character made the experience “really special” to her.
In her first significant film role, then 11-year-old Anna Paquin played Hunter’s on-screen daughter, Flora. At the 1994 Academy Awards, Holly Hunter took home the Oscar for Best Actress, while Paquin won Best Supporting Actress. At just 11, Paquin became the second-youngest competitive Oscar winner in history, trailing only Tatum O’Neal, who won at age 10 for Paper Moon.
The Piano also earned a Best Picture nomination, with Jane Campion winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Notably, Campion also became the first female director to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the same film.