Dakota Fanning

Background

Hannah Dakota Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, in the U.S. She has been exceptional since childhood. Her parents are Heather Joy, a tennis pro, and Steven J. Fanning, a minor league basketball player. Her younger sister, Elle Fanning, is also a professional actress. In 2011, Fanning received her diploma from Campbell Hall School in California and commenced studies at New York University the same year. She is of German, Irish, English, French, and Channel Island ancestry. Fanning acted around her house before her big-screen debut. She began undergoing acting training at a young age and earned her first T.V. commercial offer at five years old. Fanning went on to sign several advertisements.

Fanning’s big break came when she auditioned for a lead role in “I Am Sam” (2001). The director and the rest of the team were blown away by her incredible talent. She went on to star as Lucy Diamond Dawson, with renowned Hollywood stars ― Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer. Fanning received critical acclaim for her performance in this movie. Afterward, Fanning rose to fame in 2002 after being cast in the television series “Taken.” Her performance persuaded critics that she was the right fit. Fanning went on to star in “Trapped,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Hansel and Gretel” that same year. In 2003, Fanning starred in “Uptown Girls” and “The Cat in the Hat.” She has lent her voice to four Disney, Fox, and Cartoon Network animated projects. Fanning received raving acclaim for her performance in the violent thriller “Man on Fire” (2004). She had a busy year in 2005, finishing with a lead in “War of the Worlds.” For four years in a row, Fanning won the ‘Best Performance in a Feature Film – Leading Young Actress’ category award for her roles in “The Cat in the Hat” (2004), “Man on Fire” (2005), “Dreamer” (2006), and “Charlotte’s Web” (2007). Fanning tried a genre transition in 2009 when she starred in the action film “Push.” In the fantasy film “Coraline,” she got the opportunity to voice the title character. The same year, she became a part of the successful “Twilight” franchise, playing Jane in the film “New Moon.” She continued her role as Jane in “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn.” Fanning’s performance in “The Secret Life of Bees” earned her Broadcast Film Critics Association honors for ‘Best Young Performer’ and the Young Artist Awards for ‘Best Performance in a Feature Film (Comedy or Drama) – Leading Young Actress’ in 2009. Fanning starred in films, such as “The Runaways,” “Now Is Good,” “The Motel Life,” and “Effie Gray.” Fanning returned to television in early 2018 with a major part in “The Alienist.” She acts as a police secretary on a serial killer case and aspires to be a detective.

Fanning is dating Henry Frye, a former college basketball player. They started dating in 2017 and have been together for almost five years.