Anna Paquin hails Stephen Moyer an 'exceptionally talented' director

Anna Paquin has praised Stephen Moyer as an "exceptionally talented" director.

The 41-year-old actress portrays alcoholic mother Ella in his husband's new movie 'A Bit of Light' and she found it "really hot" seeing him work because he is so knowledgeable and had a very clear vision for the film.

In a joint interview with ET's 'Spilling the E-Tea', she told her spouse: "You are exceptionally talented. You think in images and storytelling and camera angles and you know the inside and out of every single aspect of making a film or TV show and that's really hot."

Anna joked she had been cast in the film because of her ability to "ugly cry on camera".

Asking Stephen, 54, what had impressed him about her performance, he said: "When I read 'A Bit of Light' for the first time, it was a play, and I thought it would make a wonderful screenplay.

"It was written by my friend, Rebecca Cellard, or Becks as we call her, and when I read this thing, you were the first person I immediately thought of.

"There are very few people in my orbit who could go down the rabbit hole of complexity that the character of Ella needed to inhabit."

Anna then quipped: "And I'm not scared to ugly cry on camera."

But Stephen insisted he knew his wife could give exactly the performance he was looking for.

He said: "The fact that you went to all of the places that I needed you to go to create this character. I knew you would, which is why I cast you."

Stephen had previously directed his wife in their TV show 'True Blood', and the couple recalled shooting an intimate scene between Anna's character Sookie and Joe Manganiello's Alcide.

The actor-and-filmmaker said: "I had to allow Joe, in front of our entire crew, to grab your bits."

Anna added: “Yes, but I had also consented repeatedly."

Stephen recalled shouting out instructions: " 'I need you to go for it, Joe,' and I was giving him permission in front of our entire crew."

His wife added: "And then he was like, 'Babe, is that OK?' and I said, 'Please, just do it.' "