Dakota Fanning Is Finally Letting Loose

Photo: Olivia Malone

Dakota Fanning is aware of her reputation as the good girl, the sophisticated professional, the child star with a big grin and a precocious attitude. For many of us millennials, she has grown up right along with us: Her career began in the early aughts, when she was 5 years old. She started out playing the “mature youngster” type, first in I Am Sam opposite Sean Penn, for which, at the age of seven, she was the youngest person ever to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She followed up by playing the bratty, fastidious Ray in Uptown Girls alongside Brittany Murphy, snagged a lead role in Man on Fire with Denzel Washington, and later appeared in The Runaways as a teen version of the rocker Cherie Currie and as a teen vampire in the Twilight series. But despite being known from such a young age in the splashy aughts tabloid era, Fanning managed to keep her personal life mostly private and maintains that she has always just been focused on the work. Now 30, she’s ready to reveal new sides of herself. “My kink is taking people by surprise and doing things that they don’t expect me to do,” she says.

In between sips of coffee and bites of berries at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, Fanning radiates a poised yet relaxed confidence. She’s friendly and smiling, thoughtful when she responds to questions, and often finishes her answers with another question — “Does that make sense?” — a subtle assertion to confirm she has truly been heard and understood. It’s just a few days before she’ll fly to Australia to shoot a new mystery series called All Her Fault with Sarah Snook and Abby Elliott. The buzz around this stage of her career — an Emmy nomination for acting in Netflix’s acclaimed Ripley with Andrew Scott, a celebrated campy performance in The Perfect Couple alongside Nicole Kidman and Eve Hewson, the lead role in Ishana Night Shyamalan’s supernatural flick, The Watchers — is thrilling, of course, but Fanning shrugs off this new period as a major shift. She has been tuned in to this era of auteur TV ever since she starred in her first grown-up series, The Alienist, in 2018, and has been in the business long enough to see the hierarchy of film over television dissolve. More and more filmmakers are making TV, and many actors, like Fanning, cross over between the two. “That divide just doesn’t exist anymore, it’s great,” she says. “Work is work. Acting is acting. Wherever you do it, it kind of pretty much feels the same.”

Photo: Olivia Malone

This mixing of high and low is at the core of the current cultural moment, in which someone like Fanning’s Perfect Couple co-star Kidman can go from winning big at the Venice Film Festival to wearing yet another over-the-top wig while dancing to a Meghan Trainor song in the show’s title sequence. The Nantucket-set murder-mystery series premiered on Netflix in September and, like the Elin Hilderbrand novel it is based on, quickly amassed a cult following. Fanning stars as Abby, the pregnant wife of one of a Waspy family’s three sons, who will stop at nothing to ensure her stake in their generational wealth. “It was like summer camp in Cape Cod,” she says of her time on set. In Susanne Bier’s adaptation of the book, Fanning gives Abby a twisted, sinister sense of humor that, like the assumed weakness of the pregnant woman, contradicts her perky blonde real-life reputation. “I played her as the woman who’s reminding you how pregnant she is all the time — and really holding her stomach a lot,” Fanning says, laughing.

Alongside the handful of TV roles Fanning has picked up in the past couple of years, what excites the actor most these days is her foray into producing. She’s working closely with her sister, Elle, and their company bought the exclusive rights to Paris Hilton’s memoir. Fans hope the two will play Paris and Nicky Hilton, which would be a surprising twist since they have never been the bad girls of the press themselves. Fanning has been famous nearly her whole life, but she’s not resentful of her position — in fact, she embraces it: “I don’t look back and have any regrets.”

In The Perfect Couple, your character, Abby, holds the key to understanding the show’s mystery. It seems like you’re aware of playing with your own persona in that performance, too.

I had a feeling that the character was going to surprise people, and my kink is totally taking people by surprise and doing things that they don’t expect me to do. That is really what Abby, and being a part of the show, fulfilled for me. The people in my life, like my friends and my family, know that I could be this character and tap into a darker side of mine — obviously not murderous and not as out of touch as Abby, but I definitely have that kind of dark, twisted sense of humor in me.

I think I feel more secure in sharing different sides of myself. For so much of my life, it felt like people were just waiting for me to make a massive mistake. Finally, I think, everybody sees that I’ve grown up, so I don’t have to worry about those things anymore. There’s a bigger freedom to play with my persona or just be a little bit more myself and not worry that everything that I do or say is going to be so picked apart.

People have called your Emmy-nominated part in Ripley your “first real adult role.” I have to admit, when I was watching the show, I did a double take at your first appearance as Marge. Did it feel like a new direction for you or a different type of project?

It’s funny, everyone’s been saying that. It’s hard to think of yourself in that context, but I guess it is, in a way. I’ve been acting for 24 years, so I do know what I’m doing — but you can sometimes get caught into thinking, Oh, it was just the back of my head today, or Oh, I don’t have any lines. We all do that eventually, in a self-preservation kind of way. But in this, everything was important, every detail, and it always should be.

Photo: Olivia Malone

Your character is important even if she doesn’t have a ton of time onscreen. She and Tom Ripley don’t get along. I like what you did with her. She was fun, and you could feel her interior life. 

It was about doing as much with a six-page scene of dialogue as with a silent moment and trying to make those equally as powerful. I think Marge is an opportunist in her own way. Andrew Scott and I talked about how, between them, it’s the sort of thing where you don’t like things in other people that you don’t like about yourself. She’s enjoying the fruits of this lifestyle; they kind of see that in each other, and they share similar class positions with each other more than with Dickie. So playing with that was really fun. It was very fulfilling work because I felt like what I was doing was not going to get lost. I watched it again recently just for fun. Marge is a punching bag for everybody toward the end. And I’m like, What did she do to any of you? I get defensive of her!

What was the shoot like? How long were you in Italy?

In total, it was about nine months. We started shooting in the summer of 2021, through the winter, and then into the spring; we traveled around. There were still COVID protocols. I think that contributed to some of the difficult moments. My brain sometimes was like, Wait, am I on vacation, or am I working? It was quite challenging and intense. And then I’d have a stretch of four days off and I’d be like, Okay, well, I’m in Capri, I guess I should go do stuff. But then you’re just by yourself. It was all those emotions but really ultimately a great period of growth for me.

What kind of growth?

I’ve never felt lonely. I don’t have a problem being by myself. I’ve traveled to all kinds of places by myself. I love it. But this was the first time I felt really lonely. If there was no COVID, I don’t know that I would necessarily have felt that way because friends and family could have visited. But it felt isolating. Andrew and I helped each other through, but even we would be on the phone being like, Should we go to dinner? Totally afraid to go have a cocktail together. I think a lot of people during COVID had to confront the fact that they were lonely. We distract ourselves most of the time. Ultimately, I think it was good for me to have to admit that to myself, that I do need help sometimes.

This summer, you played the lead in Ishana Night Shyamalan’s film, The Watchers. What drew you to that? Had you done a horror film before?

I didn’t think of it necessarily as a horror film. I don’t know why. I think because it was attached to the Shyamalan name, I feel like they kind of have their own genre, which is a bunch of different things. It’s supernatural and psychological and has horror elements and the Shyamalan twist. I thought of it in its own category. It felt very experimental. And Ishana brings a lot of youthful creativity and artistry and clearly has grown up in a family that has really fostered that within her.

I love that you had another dark role a few years ago in Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. You played Squeaky Fromme. It seems like Quentin Tarantino had fun with casting the Manson girls, playing with actors’ real-life reputations. You’re the sort of “golden-girl child actor turned cult killer.”

It was always a really big dream to work with Quentin Tarantino. It was something I never really verbalized out loud, but in my heart I was like, If that happens, I’ll be so happy. When it did, I was just overjoyed. He sent a bunch of research about the Manson family and Squeaky and all the footage and everything. I watched all of it and was like, Okay, get red hair. I wore brown contact lenses, and no one recognized me. It was a transformative thing. It’s such an outrageous character, and she’s obviously an outrageous person in history, and working on that movie, I could have kept going for months and months.

I love working with directors who work with the same people over and over again and the same crew. There’s a camaraderie and there’s a family. Steven Spielberg has that. Tony Scott had that. Quentin definitely has that. And there’s nothing more special than witnessing a troupe and then getting to live inside of it for however long.

Who are some other directors you’d love to work with?

I would love to work with Paul Thomas Anderson. Magnolia is one of my favorite movies. I worked with Susanne Bier on The First Lady and again on The Perfect Couple. I love working with a director more than once. I got to have a shorthand and a closeness, and I really liked that. A director just sets the tone for what an experience is going to be like. It’s the most important relationship to me. And when it’s good, it’s so special.

Are you thinking about writing and directing your own stuff eventually?

I directed a fashion short film for Miu Miu, one of their “Women’s Tales,” a few years ago. Eve Hewson was in it. There are certain moments as an actor where you have somebody to guide you — the other actors or the director. They’ll help you through it. When you’re the director, you’re that person who’s supposed to help people through it. This was a small film over a couple of days, not a long shoot, but I was the person that was supposed to have all the answers. I confronted that pressure I’d never felt before, and it went well! I loved the postproduction process, all that stuff that as an actor you’re not normally involved with. It taught me that I would only do it again if I felt like I couldn’t live if I didn’t. I do think eventually there will be something that calls me so deeply that I will have to answer the call. Writing is more my sister’s department. I can talk! But writing it down … I don’t know.

You were born in Georgia, grew up in L.A., and then moved to New York for a number of years before returning to L.A. in 2018. Did you feel like you needed a break from Hollywood? Were you considering doing something else?  

I really wanted to move to New York, and I knew that the only way my mom would let me do that is if I went to school. It wasn’t like I stopped working for four years and just dedicated all my time to that. But from a young age, I wanted to live there, and it was the greatest time in my life. My friends from high school, we all went to college in New York so I didn’t have to trust a new group, and I always had that core.

I was there for seven years. Then I was like, Maybe it’s time to go. I didn’t have enough tying me there. Everyone was moving back. My family was here. I lived in the same apartment the whole time. I loved it more than anything in the whole world. But then, you’re like, Oh, a house would be nice … it’s time to move on. So I did. I was always focused on acting. I definitely was forming the seeds of, I want to have my own company, and I want to produce things. 

Photo: Olivia MalonePhoto: Olivia Malone

So you started a production company called Lewellen Pictures with your sister, Elle. Did that come out of wanting to work together or were you both frustrated or disappointed with things you were being offered? 

I wanted to be a part of the whole thing and to give myself this opportunity because a lot of my life has been the perception that people have of me. Then when somebody actually knows me, meets me, or works with me, they’re like, Oh my God, you’re nothing like I thought you were. Being involved from very beginning to end and not waiting for someone else to believe in you is empowering. That was something that Elle and I both felt strongly about. It’s super-exciting to go out and find something and have those meetings, pitch things, and plead your case.

Are there any producing projects you’re excited about?

We have the rights to Paris Hilton’s memoir. We’re doing that with A24 and Paris. This is my girlhood dream come true; it’s such an exploration of the early 2000s. Paris is a friend now, which is like, if you told me this at 12, I would’ve lost my shit. She’s a genius. She knows exactly what’s going on. Nobody’s been fooling her. She’s dealt with super-traumatic situations in her life. 

Maybe I wouldn’t have put “that’s hot” stickers on my chest and posted a picture of it a few years ago, but here I am. That’s me! And it’s always been me. Who cares, why not? It’s like my favorite picture of myself. My sister and I are both excited about it and getting to know Paris in a very real way. It’s so wild because we grew up in her heyday — which, I mean, has she ever really not had a heyday? We’re still living in it; she’s an icon who has endured the test of time. Similar to what I’m saying about playing with my persona and loving to surprise people and subvert people’s perceptions, I think Paris has that too, and we’ve connected a lot over that. It’s been a fun adventure so far.

Photo: Olivia Malone

Do you and your sister agree on the same things usually or have similar taste in the projects you take on? 

Yeah, we do. I mean, we’re also different personality-wise. She has her emotions on her sleeve, and people would say she’s a free spirit. I’m more of that stereotype of the older one who keeps everything together and is pragmatic. But the dynamics shift as you get older — there have been times when I’ve fallen apart and been wild and she’s picked me up. When it comes to the company, we’re super in sync and usually pretty much have the same opinions on things. There are things that we work on together and then there are things that she does or things that I do, and it all just kind of is instinctual.

Are you just reading scripts all the time?

Yeah, but I need to prioritize reading books more. I love it so much when I do. My grandmother’s a massive reader; she’ll read anything and everything. She’ll tell me about books that I should have my eye on.

Do you watch a lot of movies?

Yes, and I watch a lot of TV! A lot of docuseries and documentaries. I’m super into that. I try to watch at least one or two episodes of the things that people are talking about. I watch reality TV, too.

What’s your favorite?

I watch the Bravo stuff, but I love Big Brother. I’ve watched all 26 seasons. My whole life! I have a real passion for Big Brother. By the way, Big Brother is not what people think it is! It’s different from the celebrity versions. It’s a strategy game, a whole thing, and it comes on three times a week when it’s on, so it’s a full-time commitment. I have to keep up. Real Housewives too. When you’re away for a long time by yourself, these are the little pieces of home that keep you going. The amount of times I’ve watched those on my iPad in a hotel room is outrageous, but I need it. It’s like the comfort, the stability. These shows coming on is the only thing I can rely on! I have to have them. It’s my one thing: If I can watch my shows, and have a bathtub, I can be anywhere.

What docuseries do you like?

You’ve got to see Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God. There’s another one I couldn’t finish because I was getting vertigo, but my sister told me about it; it’s called Skywalkers: A Love Story. It’s about people who climb to the edges of cranes on skyscrapers, stuff like that. I watched The Vow and the Sherri Papini documentary, Perfect Wife. We produced a documentary on Hulu, Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, because of my love of this stuff. I was like, We have to get into that world.

There’s just so much television to watch right now. Does that affect the way you choose projects? Is that something you feel on your side of the industry right now?

Yeah. Sometimes after reading something, I’ve been like, I’m not sure this needs to be in the world. But I also don’t think that a movie or a television show always has to have a profound message. Sometimes something’s just fun to watch. I try to be aware of that and to not be repetitive. I think everyone goes into making something with good intent. That’s the other thing: People make things, and everyone tears it apart. The world is so harsh about a medium that takes a lot of time and effort from people.

You started acting professionally at a very young age. A lot of us are curious about people who start in the industry so young — how much of it is decided for you, and how much of it is your own discovery? Was it something you were drawn to yourself or something your parents encouraged? 

My mom put me in everything from a very young age: tennis, ballet, violin. I come from a family of professional athletes. You’re either good at the sport or not. But I think she put me in a lot of different things to see what I enjoyed, what I didn’t enjoy, and then what I was maybe naturally good at. I was sort of fine at everything, some better than others, but I was always just trying to get home to play and do my scenarios and act out things. I just wanted to express and use my imagination, and that was when I was happiest.

When you think you want to start acting at that age, what everyone did at that time was come to L.A. for pilot season — the goal would be to get on a pilot. Because I am from Georgia, I had done a few commercials and came to L.A. because my mom’s sister lived here. My parents were like, “If it doesn’t pan out, go to Disneyland and visit your aunt and then come home. No big deal.” I know people are like, “You were only 6 years old. How could you have these conscious thoughts?” I did, believe it or not. My mom and I had that kind of relationship. I was a mature child. I didn’t become that way because of acting. It was always the way that I was. And if I was misbehaving, my mom would be like, “We’re going to go home. We’re going back to Georgia, and we’re done.” But I’d never felt the confidence and security that I feel from being an actor. It just felt right.

You seem to have evaded this young-Hollywood tabloid phenomenon. Maybe by the time you got a little bit older, there was more infrastructure in place or awareness to protect kids, especially girls, from that because it was post–Lindsay, Britney, Paris, Drew Barrymore. Was that something you or your family was conscious of ?

Yeah, all of that has been deeply shoved down my throat. In interviews at a young age, I remember journalists asking me, “How are you avoiding becoming a tabloid girl?” People would ask super-inappropriate questions. I was in an interview as a child and somebody asked, “How could you possibly have any friends?” It’s like, Huh?

I have a lot of compassion for people who have been made into examples. If society and the media hadn’t played their part, who knows? I don’t think that it’s necessarily connected a hundred percent to being in this business; there are other factors, too. I just didn’t fall into it, and I don’t know the exact reasons except that my family is comprised of very nice, kind, protective people. I have a mother who taught me how to treat other people and also how to treat myself. And she was there every second. I was always treated with respect. It was never “Bring the kid in! Get her out!” I wasn’t working with people who treated me that way — I was being respected as an actor and as equal as you can be for that age. Looking back on my life, my career is such a present part of it, but I really think about the childhood memories, too. My life doesn’t feel disproportionate with work, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m there doing work that matters.

Photo: Olivia Malone

Yes, that’s lucky. People have this perverse fetish for the fallen child actor; it’s one of the tropes of the Hollywood fame machine. 

That’s the thing. It’s like, Is that what you want to happen to me somehow? Is that what you want to happen to these people? I’ve definitely felt this kind of vibe from people almost wanting me to fail or something. It makes you feel a little bit guarded. I’m just living my life over here. I think also I was just a little too young for it to fully hit me. So that was good. People couldn’t get away with that kind of thing so much anymore. By the time I got to that age, it was sort of being recognized as probably not the best way to treat people.

I also have some separation. I think that’s maybe something particular to me. The work is the thing that I like. So the stuff that comes with it, this part of it, it’s not the thing that I like as much. I don’t get dressed to walk down the street. That’s just not me. I am just an actor. And the other things that come with it are things that you kind of deal with.

Even though it’s changed, there’s still an obsession with fame, but it just exists in new forms with the idea that the influencer is sort of in control of it. With social media, it’s a whole different thing.

Yeah, definitely. When people started to know who I was, it was before social media; I almost feel old-school with the way that I think about my particular job because if I started now and the expectation was to have an Instagram right away, it would just be a whole different experience. Whereas I think, because I’ve been recognizable for a longer time, I can kind of create my own version of that. I wasn’t a woman yet; I was a kid. Now, being a woman, there are more conversations about equality and just basic treatment. If you look back to the early 2000s, if you pick up an US Weekly from then, it’s crazy the way it was totally normal then to discuss someone’s cellulite. It was outrageous then, obviously, but now it’s just unacceptable, so I’m happy that doesn’t happen as much anymore. I mean, there are still pressures, different pressures, but I think there’s more freedom to just be a fucking person.

What are those different pressures? Do you feel like in order to subvert that, you have to play into this trope of “strong female characters”? 

No, I don’t even know what that is. I just like to play characters that I think are going to be challenging as an actor. I don’t feel this pressure to play a likable character. I want to play complicated women, but isn’t that what everyone wants? All people are complicated. Everyone’s complex. For me, it’s about good writing, a good director, good actors, something challenging about the character. And it’s important to play characters that aren’t strong, to not be strong and perfect and make all the right decisions and be the hero in the end. I mean, that doesn’t happen in life, and that’s important to show. You’re not weak if you’re not strong all the time.

Now that you’re at this point in your career, is there any advice you’d give to your younger self?

I’m pretty happy with who I was then. I don’t look back and have any regrets. I never let public perception or any of that stuff really influence the choices that I made, and I just tried to stay true to myself. I’m pretty proud of my past self.

Related

Tinashe Is Working on One Masterpiece at a TimeNicole Kidman Is the Queen of Age-Gap Relationships