Dakota Fanning needs to grow

Mar 18, 2010, 17:41 GMT

Dakota Fanning wants to grow up.

The 16-year-old actress, who plays rocker Cherie Currie from the in new biopic 'The Runaways', admits she wants to do more hard-hitting roles because it is difficult shaking off her child star image.

She said: "I can be sweet little Dakota Fanning, and then I can be totally different in the movies.

"A big reason I wanted to do 'The Runaways' was to do something unlike anything that I've done before.

"I'm ready to have people see me in a different way than like the kid in 'I Am Sam' or 'War of the Worlds'. You have to kind of grow up. Everyone has to do it. I am doing it through films, which may be more difficult but it's what I love to do."

Dakota - who shot to fame aged just seven in 'I Am Sam' - also insists she isn't worried about media attention as she gets older and has vowed to live her life normally.

She added to Parade.com: "I will always live my life and always just do what I want to do and what I need to do. I don't think you can really let fame effect you. It hasn't been a problem for me yet, with people following me or anything. If it ever does, I don't know what I'll do. But as of now, I think I just have to live my life."