Dakota Fanning was just a kid when she acted in movies like “I Am Sam,” “Uptown Girls” and “Man on Fire,” starring opposite heavy-hitters like Sean Penn, the late Brittany Murphy and Denzel Washington, but now she’s all grown up and a respected actress in her own right.
Fanning’s had a long career, starting in television at five years old (she’s 30 now). But unlike many child stars, she’s been able to avoid the dramatic rise and fall that so many young actors fall victim to.
Even though she was able to evade being in tabloids for deviant behavior, Fanning says she wasn’t able to dodge “super-inappropriate questions” from the media.
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Dakota Fanning starred opposite Denzel Washington in the 2004 film, “Man on Fire.” (Twentieth Century Fox/Regency/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“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,” she said in a new interview with The Cut. “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,” she continued.
The generation that preceded Fanning included stars Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, who all had their fair share of trouble.
“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.”
Dakota and Elle Fanning have both had successful acting careers in childhood and adulthood. (John Nacion/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
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“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?”
— Dakota Fanning
Fanning’s younger sister, Elle, is also an acclaimed actress.
“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.”
Dakota Fanning says she sometimes felt like people wanted her to fail. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)
Fanning admitted she’s perturbed by the public’s fascination with embattled child stars.
“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 have a mother who taught me how to treat other people and also how to treat myself.”
— Dakota Fanning
Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning, who starred in “War of the Worlds” together, pose at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. (KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images)
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“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.”
Dakota Fanning says she views acting as a job – not a lifestyle. (Steven Ferdman/WireImage/Getty Images)
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In 2020, “The Perfect Couple” actress told Fox News Digital that loving her craft has also contributed to keeping her on the straight and narrow.
“For me, I think, I just have always maintained my very pure love for what I do. You know? When you start out so young, it’s really like make-believe and you’re using your imagination and it’s like a heightened version of playing at home. And so I think I always have approached it that way…It’s supposed to be fun.”
Dakota Fanning waves on the carpet in 2007. (Mark Sullivan/WireImage/Getty Images)
Now, 25 years into the industry, Fanning said she has no regrets from that child-star portion of her life.
“I’m pretty happy with who I was then. I don’t look back and have any regrets,” she told The Cut. “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.”
Dakota Fanning says she has no regrets from her younger days. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to caroline.thayer@fox.com.
