Dakota Fanning

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Dakota Fanning

Fanning at the London premiere of War of the Worlds, June 2005
Born Hannah Dakota Fanning
February 23, 1994 (1994-02-23) (age 14)
Conyers, Georgia, USA
Occupation actress
Years active 1999 - present

Hannah Dakota Fanning (born February 23, 1994) is an American child 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, Charlotte's Web and Man on Fire. She has won numerous awards, and is currently the youngest person ever to have been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, the 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.[1] Her maternal grandfather is football player Rick Arrington and her aunt is ESPN reporter Jill Arrington.[2] 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. Fanning is of half German descent and her last name is of Irish origin.[3] Fanning and her family are members of the Southern Baptist Convention.[4]

Early career

Fanning began acting at the age of five after appearing with Ray Charles in a television commercial for the state lottery[5] 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.")[6]

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 retarded 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."[7]

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 a 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."[8]

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."[9] 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."[10]

Fanning in War of the Worlds; Director Steven Spielberg praised her ability to show "how she would really react in a real situation".
Fanning in War of the Worlds; Director Steven Spielberg praised her ability to show "how she would really react in a real situation".

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 her 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." [11] Kris Kristofferson, who plays her character's grandfather in the movie, said that she's like Bette Davis reincarnated.[12]

While promoting her role in Dreamer, Fanning 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. She is not a member of a troop, but rather registered as a "Juliette" (GSUSA's title for independently registered girls). [13]

She then went directly to the set of War of the Worlds, starring alongside Tom Cruise. Released in reverse order (War in June 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."[14]

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 15, 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."[15] Fanning also provided voice work for Coraline, scheduled for release sometime in 2008.[16]

2006–2007

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." [17] Fanning's parents have been criticized for allowing her to film a scene in which her character is raped. "It's not really happening," she told Reuters. "It's a movie, and it's called acting."[18] 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."[19]

In March and April 2007, she filmed Winged Creatures, alongside Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, Josh Hutcherson, and Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson. She plays Anne Hagen, a girl who witnesses her father's murder and who turns to religion in the aftermath.

In July 2007, Fanning filmed for three days a short film titled Cutlass, one of Glamour's "Reel Moments" based on readers' personal essays. Cutlass was directed by Kate Hudson and is available online.

From September to December 2007, Fanning filmed Push which centers on a group of young American expatriates 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.[20] Dakota plays Cassie Holmes, a thirteen-year-old futureteller.

2008–present

In January 2008, Fanning began filming the movie adaptation of The Secret Life of Bees, a novel by Sue Monk Kidd.[21] Set in South Carolina in 1964, the story centers on Lily Owens (Fanning), who escapes her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father by running away with her caregiver and only friend (played by Jennifer Hudson) to a South Carolina town where they are taken in by an eccentric trio of beekeeping sisters (played by Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo and Alicia Keys). Production wrapped in February.[22]

A potential future project is The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle which Danny DeVito would direct. [23] The movie would be an adaptation of the children's pirate tale The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, set on a ship in 1832.

Personal life

Fanning is an avid reader, and includes among her hobbies knitting, swimming, piano, violin, ballet, and horseback riding.[24]

Fanning also wears ceramic orthodontic braces and a palatal expander.[citation needed]

In 2006, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; At the age of 12, she is the youngest member in the Academy's history.[25]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2001 Father Xmas Clairee 20-minute short subject
I Am Sam Lucy Diamond Dawson Shared role with sister Elle Fanning
Tomcats Little Girl in Park
2002 Taken (TV) Allison "Allie" Clarke/Keys Miniseries
Trapped Abigail Jennings
Sweet Home Alabama Melanie (as a child)
Hansel and Gretel Katie
2003 Uptown Girls Lorraine "Ray" Schleine
The Cat in the Hat Sally
Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time Preschool Kim (voice)
2004 Man on Fire Lupita Martin Ramos
My Neighbor Totoro Satsuki Kusakabe (voice) English-language re-release; directed by Hayao Miyazaki
In the Realms of the Unreal Narrator (voice)
2005 Hide and Seek Emily Callaway
War of the Worlds Rachel Ferrier
Lilo & Stitch 2 Lilo (voice)
Dreamer Cale Crane
Nine Lives Maria
2006 Charlotte's Web Fern Arable
2007 Hounddog Lewellen Wide release date July 18, 2008
Cutlass Lacy Short film, available online
2008 Winged Creatures Anne Hagen Awaiting release
The Secret Life of Bees Lily Owens Post-production, release October 17, 2008
Coraline Coraline (voice) Post-production, limited release December 2008, wide release February 6, 2009
2009 Push Cassie Holmes Post-production, release aimed for February 2009
Hurricane Mary Narrator Sister Elle Fanning plays Anastasia

Notable TV guest appearances

Year TV show Role Episode
2000 ER Delia Chadsey "The Fastest Year"
Ally McBeal Ally (5 years) "Ally McBeal: The Musical, Almost"
Strong Medicine Edie's Girl "Misconceptions"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Brenda Collins "Blood Drops"
The Practice Alessa Engel "The Deal"
Spin City Cindy "Toy Story"
2001 Malcolm In The Middle Emily "New Neighbors"
The Fighting Fitzgeralds Marie "Pilot"
Family Guy Little girl "To Love and Die in Dixie"
The Ellen Show Young Ellen "Missing the Bus"
2004 Justice League Unlimited Young Wonder Woman (voice) "Kid Stuff"
Friends Mackenzie "The One with Princess Consuela"

Awards

Kids Choice Awards

  • 2007 Favorite Movie Actress

Saturn Award

BFCA Awards|BFCA Award

Sierra Awards|Sierra Award

Bronze Leopards|Bronze Leopard

  • 2005 Best Actress (shared with other cast members), Nine Lives

MTV Movie Award

Satellite Award:Special Achievement Award

Young Artist Award

Parody and cultural references

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.

Prior to asking, "Did you know? Tom Cruise is under your bed right now," political commentator Glenn Beck asked, "Did you know? Dakota Fanning once killed a guy in a bar fight," in his comedic book, An Inconvenient Book.[26]

References

  1. ^ 1
  2. ^ Stein, Joel. "The Million-Dollar Baby", Time, 2005-02-27. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. 
  3. ^ Dakota Fanning Lives Out Her Dreams. timessquare.com. Retrieved on July 21, 2006.
  4. ^ Interview: Dakota Fanning. lifeteen.com. Retrieved on July 19, 2006.
  5. ^ Winning Numbers. Shoot magazine via findarticles.com. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  6. ^ Fanning the flames. Jam! Movies. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  7. ^ Sci Fi's 'Taken' Grabs You and Doesn't Let Go. The Washington Post via virtuallystrange.net. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  8. ^ Man on Fire (review). rogerebert.com. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  9. ^ Hide and Seek review. laweekly.com. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  10. ^ Glenn Close raves about Dakota Fanning. monstersandcritics.com. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  11. ^ Kurt Russell Says Dakota Fanning Is The Best Actress He Ever Played With. softpedia.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2007.
  12. ^ Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story (2005) DVD Review. reel.com. Retrieved on January 28, 2007.
  13. ^ Dakota Fanning, Movie Star and Girl Scout. girlscouts.org. Retrieved on April 28, 2007.
  14. ^ War of the Worlds: Spielberg & Cruise - Part I. comingsoon.net. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  15. ^ Exclusive Interview : Jordan Kerner. moviehole.net. Retrieved on December 15, 2006.
  16. ^ Dakota Fanning Signs on to "Coraline". about.com. Retrieved on March 13, 2006.
  17. ^ All shook up over Dakota's Hounddog. nydailynews.com. Retrieved on July 20, 2006.
  18. ^ Dakota Fanning: 'It's called acting'. cnn.com. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
  19. ^ "No More Kid Stuff", Premiere, January 2007. 
  20. ^ "Fanning set to 'Push' for McGuigan", Vanity Fair, August 2007. 
  21. ^ "Cast set for 'Secret Life of Bees'", December 2007. 
  22. ^ Smith, Bruce. "'Bees' author gives film A-OK", 2008-03-23. Retrieved on 2008-04-13. 
  23. ^ "USA Today News", June 2007. 
  24. ^ Dakota Fanning Chats About Dreamer. timeforkids.com.
  25. ^ "Brokeback stars to join Academy", BBC, April 2007. 
  26. ^ Beck, Glen, and Kevin Balfe. An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems. New York: Threshold Editions, 2007. 131-133.

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