Dakota Fanning Biography

Summary

"Dakota Fanning" (born February 23 1994) is an American actress. Fanning's breakthrough performance was in "I Am Sam" in 2001. As of 2007, her most well-known films have been "War of the Worlds" and "Charlotte's Web". She has won numerous awards, and is currently the youngest person ever to have been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Biography

Early life

Fanning was born "Hannah Dakota Fanning" in Conyers, Georgia, daughter of Joy (née Arrington), who played tennis professionally, and Steve J. Fanning, who played minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and now works as an electronics salesman in Los Angeles. Her maternal grandfather is football player Rick Arrington and her aunt is ESPN reporter Jill Arrington. Fanning is the older sister of Elle Fanning, also an actress. Fanning's mother had wanted to name her 'Hannah' and her father wanted to name her 'Dakota'; she has always used Dakota among her friends and family. Her younger sister, Elle, is also an actress. Fanning is of half German descent and her last name is of Irish origin. Fanning and her family are Baptists, members of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Early career

Fanning began acting at the age of five after appearing with legendary musician Ray Charles in a television commercial for the state lottery and being chosen for a Tide commercial. Her first significant acting job was a guest-starring role in the NBC prime-time drama, "ER", which remains one of her favorite roles ('I played a car accident victim who has leukemia. I got to wear a neck brace and nose tubes for the two days I worked.')

Fanning subsequently had several guest roles on established television series, including "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "Friends", "The Practice", "Spin City" and "Malcolm in the Middle". She also portrayed the title characters of "Ally McBeal" and "The Ellen Show" as young girls. In 2001, Fanning was chosen to star opposite Sean Penn in "I Am Sam", the story of a mentally impaired man who fights for the custody of his daughter (played by Fanning).

This role made Fanning the youngest person (in 2002, at age eight) ever to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, for her supporting performance. When she won the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for the film, she was too short to reach the microphone; presenter Orlando Bloom held her up for the duration of her acceptance speech.

2002-2003

In 2002, director Steven Spielberg cast Fanning in the lead child role of Allison 'Allie' Clarke/Keys in the science fiction miniseries "Taken". By this time, she had received positive notices by several film critics, including Tom Shales of "The Washington Post", who wrote that Fanning 'has the perfect sort of otherworldly look about her, an enchanting young actress called upon ... to carry a great weight.'

In the same year, Fanning appeared in three films: As a kidnap victim who proves to be more than her abductors bargained for in "Trapped"; as the young version of Reese Witherspoon's character in "Sweet Home Alabama", and as Katie in the movie "Hansel and Gretel".

Fanning was featured even more prominently in two films released in 2003: Playing the uptight child to Brittany Murphy's immature nanny in "Uptown Girls", and as Sally in "The Cat in the Hat".

Fanning did voice-over work for four animated projects during this period: As Satsuki in Disney's English language release of "My Neighbor Totoro", as Kim Possible in preschool in the Disney Channel series "Kim Possible", as a little girl in the Fox series "Family Guy", and as young Wonder Woman in an episode of Cartoon Network's "Justice League".

2004-2005

In 2004, Fanning appeared in "Man on Fire" as Pita, a nine-year-old who wins over the heart of the retired assassin (Denzel Washington) hired to protect her from kidnappers. Roger Ebert wrote that Fanning 'is a pro at only 10 years old, and creates a heart-winning character.'

"Hide and Seek", was her first release in 2005, opposite Robert De Niro. The film was generally panned, and critic Chuck Wilson called it 'a fascinating meeting of equals-if the child star Fanning challenged the master De Niro to a game of stare-down, the legend might very well blink first.' Fanning voiced Lilo (succeeding Daveigh Chase) in the direct-to-video film "Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch". She also had a small part in the Rodrigo Garcia film "Nine Lives" (released in October 2005), in which she shared an unbroken nine-minute scene with actress Glenn Close, who had her own praise for Fanning: 'She's definitely an old soul. She's one of those gifted people that come along every now and then.'

Fanning completed filming on "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story" (opposite Kurt Russell) in late October 2004. Russell declared he was astonished by his co-star's performance in the film. Russell, 54, who plays as Dakota's father in the movie, declared she is the best actress he worked with in his entire career and that he was astonished by her acting ability and well-rounded attitude. Russell says, 'I guarantee you, (Dakota) is the best actress I will work with in my entire career.'

Kris Kristofferson, who plays her character's grandfather in the movie, said that she's like Bette Davis reincarnated.

While promoting her role in the movie "Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story," Dakota became a registered member of Girl Scouts of the USA at a special ceremony, which was followed by a screening of the film for members of the Girl Scouts of the San Fernando Valley Council. Dakota is not a member of a troop, but rather registered as a 'Juliette' (GSUSA's title for independently registered girls).

She then went directly to the set of "War of the Worlds", starring alongside Tom Cruise. Released in reverse order ("War" in June of 2005 and "Dreamer" in the following October), both films were critical successes. "War" director Steven Spielberg praised 'how quickly she understands the situation in a sequence, how quickly she sizes it up, measures it up and how she would really react in a real situation.'

After filming was completed on "War of the Worlds", Fanning moved straight to another film, without a break: "Charlotte's Web", which she finished filming in May 2005, in Australia. Released on December 15th, 2006, "Web" met generally warm critical acclaim. Producer Jordan Kerner said, '...when she was so caught up in "War of the Worlds", we had to end up going on a search for other young actresses. They would have been nothing compared to her.' Fanning also provided voice work for "Coraline", scheduled for release sometime in 2008.

2006-present

Over the summer of 2006, Fanning worked on the film "Hounddog", described in press reports as a 'dark story of abuse, violence and Elvis Presley adulation in the rural South'. Fanning's agent noted that the script is 'challenging' to Fanning as an actress. Fanning's parents have been criticized for allowing her to film a scene in which her character is raped; Fanning called that an 'attack'. 'It's not really happening,' she told Reuters. 'It's a movie, and it's called acting.' Director Deborah Kampmeier addressed the controversy in the January 2007 edition of "Premiere": 'The assumption that Dakota was violated in order to give this performance denies her talent.'

In November 2006, Dakota said she had a small break and wanted to get busy once again. During her "Charlotte's Web" press run in December 2006, she mentioned "The Secret Life of Bees" as a potential future film. Dakota detailed her involvement in "Bees" in the January 2007 edition of "Vanity Fair". She said, 'I think I'm going to do that next summer. It's something I definitely want to do and I'm attached to it.'

In March and April of 2007, she filmed "Winged Creatures", alongside Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, Josh Hutcherson, and Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson.

In July 2007, Dakota filmed for three days a short film titled "Cutlass", one of Glamour magazine's 'Reel Moments' based on readers' personal essays. "Cutlass" was directed by Kate Hudson. (Available online.)

In September 2007, Dakota began filming "Push" which centers on a group of young American ex-pats with telekinetic and clairvoyant abilities who hide from a U.S. government agency in Hong Kong and band together to try to escape the control of the division.'

Later in 2007, Dakota will provide voice over work for the movie "Hurricane Mary" which will star her sister Elle Fanning who will be portraying disabled twin sisters, with Dakota providing voice over work for one twin.

In March 2008, Dakota and her sister Elle Fanning, will begin filming the movie adaptation of My Sister's Keeper, a novel by Jodi Picoult. Dakota will play Kate Fitzgerald, a girl diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia, and whose parents conceived a genetic match sister, Anna played by Elle Fanning, to prolong her life.

Other future films potentially include "The Secret Life of Bees" as previously discussed and also "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" which Danny DeVito will direct.

Personal life

Fanning is an avid reader, and includes among her hobbies knitting, swimming, piano, violin, ballet, and horseback riding.

Dakota also wears ceramic orthodontic braces and a palatal expander.

In 2006, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the youngest person ever at the age of 12.

Parody

On "Saturday Night Live", Fanning is portrayed by Amy Poehler as a pretentious child whose overly intellectual interests are out of step with those of her child actor colleagues who appear on her talk show. She is also portrayed in "The DiCaprio Code" by Scrapmation as a foulmouthed man trapped in the body of an 'eternal child actress,' possibly a nod to Baby Herman from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".