Twitter Reacts to Anna Paquin Having More Lines as SAG Awards Presenter Than in The Irishman

During the SAG Awards on Sunday, Twitter had a lot to say about Anna Paquin‘s lack of lines in The Irishman.

Presenting the Netflix film as one of the nominees for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture, Paquin, 37, gave a quick introduction to the movie, along with two of her costars, Ray Romano and Harvey Keitel.

Viewers on Twitter noted that the actress’ brief speaking engagement at the awards show marked more lines for Paquin than her character was given in the three-and-a-half-hour film itself.

The Oscar-winning actress only says a total of seven lines of dialogue in the acclaimed Martin Scorsese mob epic, causing some moviegoers to criticize her small role in a film full of men, including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.

In November, Paquin responded to the backlash surrounding her mostly muted role in the crime drama, saying that the silence was always an intentional component of the character.

RELATED: Robert De Niro Defends Anna Paquin’s Mostly Silent Role in The Irishman: ‘She’s Terrific’

Ray Romano, Anna Paquin and Harvey Keitel | Kevork Djansezian/Getty
Ray Romano, Anna Paquin and Harvey Keitel | Kevork Djansezian/Getty

“Nope, nobody was doing any ‘ordering’. I auditioned for the privilege of joining the incredible cast of @TheIrishmanFilm and I’m incredibly proud to get to be a part of this film,” she wrote on Twitter at the time.

In The Irishman, Paquin portrays Peggy Sheeran, the daughter of mafia hitman Frank Sheeran, played by De Niro, 76. Defending the quiet role last month, De Niro told USA Today that her performance was “powerful.”

“She was very powerful and that’s what it was,” he said at the time. “Maybe in other scenes there could’ve been some interaction between Frank and her possibly, but that’s how it was done. She’s terrific and it resonates.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories

Anna Paquin in The Irishman | Netflix
Anna Paquin in The Irishman | Netflix

RELATED: What You Didn’t See at the SAG Awards, Including Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s Sweet Reunion

On Sunday night, Twitter users commented on the apparent sidelining of the former True Blood star, who recently appeared in the final season of Showtime’s The Affair as well as the new PopTV series Flack.

“Similar to The Irishman, the intro for The Irishman at @SAGawards was Anna Paquin being pushed into the background in favor of aging white men. #SAGAwards #Annoying,” tweeted one person.

Added another user: “Anna Paquin finally gets to speak for The Irishman. #SAGAwards.”

At the time of the film’s release, many fans agreed with De Niro and Paquin — who wore a Carolina Herrera ballgown and sleek up-do created with SH-RD protein cream for the awards show — about the role and its significance for the story, with one tweeting, “I think Anna Paquin’s silence in the movie speaks volumes.”

The Irishman is now available to stream on Netflix.