Dakota Fanning

Hannah Dakota Fanning, born February 23, 1994, is an American actress known for her performances in both blockbuster films and independent features as a child and as an adult. Her career achievements include nominations for four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She first gained widespread recognition at seven years old for starring in the drama film I Am Sam (2001), becoming the youngest nominee for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, to Heather Joy, a professional tennis player, and Steven J. Fanning, a minor league baseball player and electronics salesman. She attended a Montessori School in Covington before her family moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to support her acting career. Her sister, Elle Fanning, is also an actress. Fanning graduated from Campbell Hall School in 2011 and attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University from 2011 to 2014, majoring in women's studies.

Fanning began acting at age five in small plays at the Towne Lake Arts Center and debuted professionally in a 1999 Tide commercial. Following guest appearances on television series such as ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Practice, and Spin City, her breakthrough role in I Am Sam launched her child stardom. She subsequently starred in Steven Spielberg's science-fiction miniseries Taken (2002), as well as feature films including Trapped (2002), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Uptown Girls (2003), and The Cat in the Hat (2003).

In 2004, Fanning starred alongside Denzel Washington in Man on Fire and narrated the documentary In the Realms of the Unreal. She went on to star in Hide and Seek (2005) opposite Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005), and Charlotte's Web (2006). In 2006, at age 12, she became the youngest person invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her subsequent work as a child included Hounddog (2007), Push (2009), The Secret Life of Bees (2008), and voice roles in projects such as Coraline (2009).

Fanning transitioned into mature acting roles playing Jane in The Twilight Saga (2009–2012) and Cherie Currie in The Runaways (2010). She continued working in independent films such as Night Moves (2013), Every Secret Thing (2015), and Brimstone. Fanning made a cameo in Ocean's 8 (2018), portrayed Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), and starred as Sara Howard in the historical television series The Alienist starting in 2018.

In 2021, Fanning co-founded the production company Lewellen Pictures with her sister. Her subsequent projects include the films The Equalizer 3 (2023) and The Watchers (2024). On television, she has held starring roles in the series The First Lady (2022), The Perfect Couple (2024), All Her Fault (2026), and Ripley (2025). Her portrayal of Marge Sherwood in Ripley earned her Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations.