Dakota
Fanning's
Teen Transition
By Christina Radish
 Dakota
Fanning began her acting career at the age of five when she booked her
first job on a Tide commercial. Since then, she has gone on to star opposite
some of the biggest names in the business, like Tom Cruise, Robert DeNiro,
Mike Myers, Sean Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron,
Denzel Washington and Reese Witherspoon.
Now, at the
age of 14, Dakota is taking on more adult film roles, most in Hounddog
(now in theaters) and as a troubled clairvoyant in Push (in theaters
on February 6, 2009). We recently spoke to the teen actress about the
new turn her career is taking and her hopes for the future.
AGW: Was it
a freeing experience for you to really let yourself go in the film "Push",
having played the innocent child for so long?
Dakota: Yeah!
I had never done that before, so it definitely was. But, I really identify
with the character. She was desperate and she had to raise her power to
the full effect. Push is different than anything I’ve ever
done before, and I feel really lucky to be a part of it. I like that it’s
an action movie, but it also has a story, and there’s characters
that have relationships with each other that are all very significant.
AGW: Did you
get the sense that it was time to start growing into more adult roles?
Dakota: I
didn’t really do it intentionally. As you get older, the roles that
you can do are limited, and also expanded, at the same time. I don’t
really try to make conscious decisions about it. I just try and let it
happen naturally. And, as I get to certain ages, some things are right,
and some things are not. I’ve been lucky to find the right things.
AGW: Do you
find that people are sending you those more adult scripts now?
Dakota: Yeah.
People are definitely seeing that I’m older and I can do more things.
I feel very lucky to have that, and I hope to continue to do movies forever.
It’s what I love to do. As I get older, I’m excited for what’s
to come.
AGW: Are you
prepared for the audience being resistant to seeing you grow up on screen
because they are used to the kid version of Dakota?
Dakota: Yeah,
that’s exactly, true. That’s inevitable because the first
time everybody saw me, I was six, in I Am Sam, and now I’m
14. I am getting older. I am growing up. I can’t do anything about
that. I have to do what I feel is right for me, and grow as an actress,
no matter what, if I want to continue, and I definitely do.
AGW: How was
your experience in Hong Kong? What was it like shooting Push
there?
 Dakota:
I loved it. Hong Kong was one of my most favorite places I’ve ever
filmed. It was such a new experience, and so different than anywhere I’d
ever been before. The city was almost like an actor in the movie, just
with the landscape of the buildings, the colors and the people. It helped
everyone be in the moment there, in this fascinating place.
AGW: Having
been on a set as big as Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds,
was it a shock to do action work on a film with a smaller budget?
Dakota: I
didn’t really notice that so much. When I was in War of the
Worlds, it was about as grand and as big as you can imagine. It was
amazing! But, doing Push, I didn’t really feel so much
of a difference. It still felt like a big action movie. Because of the
stunts, it was not low budget. I know that it wasn’t as big of a
budget, obviously, but it still got the same result, as far as the stunts
and the action goes.
AGW: How was
it to work with Jennifer Hudson on The Secret Life of Bees (in
limited release on October 17th)?
Dakota: It
was great! I had so much fun. I got to work with Jennifer, Queen Latifah,
Alicia Keys, Paul Bettany, Nate Parker and Tristan Wilds (“90210").
It was totally a switch of gears from Push. The characters were
totally different, the people were totally different and the setting was
totally different. I play Lily, the main character in the book.
AGW: With
Halloween coming up, do you have any plans?
Dakota: I
love Halloween! I’m already thinking about what I’m gonna
be. My sister, Elle, just filmed The Nutcracker, so we decided
we’re gonna be characters from The Nutcracker. Not the
actual Nutcracker, but we’re gonna be the Sugar Plum Fairy, and
be in a full ballerina costume. And then, her best friend is gonna be
the Rat King. And, one of my best friends is gonna be the Nutcracker.
We’ll all go out together and be the whole Nutcracker Brigade. It’s
gonna be great!
AGW: Do you
make your own costumes?
Dakota: I
don’t. Usually, I have a friend of ours make them for me. I could
never do that. But, they actually have a ballet studio, so they’re
very familiar with making ballet costumes.
AGW: Are you
still a voracious reader?
Dakota: I
am. I just read The Namesake. I had to read that for school.
And, I had to read a book about the Holocaust, called Those Who Save
Us. There was also another one, called The Hidden Diary of Marie
Antoinette. They were all great! I read them all in about a week
because they were so good.
AGW: You’re
in high school, right?
Dakota: Yeah,
I’m in 10th grade.
AGW: Do kids
in high school treat you very differently than the kids that you went
to elementary school with?
Dakota: I
didn’t go to school when I was in elementary. The only school I’ve
ever gone to was when I was in pre-school and first grade. And then, I
was home-schooled from second to eighth grade. I went to high school in
ninth grade.
AGW: How was
that experience?
Dakota: The
transition was almost not even a transition. It was very smooth. I have
so many friends at school. It’s been great. It’s been so natural.
I’m really fortunate that my school lets me leave and take my work
with me, and then come back. They’ve been amazing! I’m very
fortunate.
AGW: What’s
next for you? Are you signed up for anything else?
Dakota: I
just have The Secret Life of Bees coming out in October, and
then Coraline, which is an animated movie where I play Coraline,
coming out early next year.
ComiCon picture
courtesy of and copyright Christina Radish/Agency Photos, 2008
Picture from
Hounddog copyright Empire Film Group, 2008
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