Her debut at two catapulted the actress to child stardom, while taking the lead in The Great turned her into a household name. Ahead of the much-anticipated Bob Dylan biopic, she discusses subverting expectations, escaping her princess vibe – and why she could have been a tennis pro
‘Technically, I did my first film when I was two,” says Elle Fanning, which, at 26, makes her a youthful old-timer, already more than two decades into a hugely successful acting career. The cliché of the child star is that they will, inevitably, go off the rails at some point, unable to cope with a demanding adult-oriented entertainment business that places its leading lights on a distant and unreachable pedestal, leaving them with no concept of real life and no solid framework to prop them up. But there are other, less headline-worthy outcomes for performers who have been at it for their whole lives. Some child stars, particularly those who seem to be thriving, may be more like professional athletes, singular in their ambitions, trained and focused, more than content to remain within the industry that has raised them.
I tried to wear the skinny jeans, the sexy dress, but it wasn’t quite me
I suspect that Fanning leans towards the latter. She was born in Georgia in 1998 and was brought up in California, where her family moved when she was two, to pursue her older sister Dakota’s acting career. “My family is very southern, so it’s southern hospitality and southern manners,” she explains. “My grandmother would go with me on all my film sets, or my mom, to keep us in line. Thank God they were there with us.”Anything I have seen of her, out of character, suggests an upbeat woman with a sunny disposition. Do people who have seen her growing up on screen expect her to be, well, sweet? “I guess that’s true,” she says, quite sweetly. “I also think, on a grander scale, that as a ‘child actor’, people see you as younger than you are.”
Elle Fanning attends the 19th annual L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth Celebration at NeueHouse Hollywood in Hollywood, California. I’ve updated our photo gallery with pictures of Elle. Make sure you check them out by clicking the thumbnails below. Enjoy!








Elle Fanning attends the 2024 Governors Awards at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. I’ve updated our photo gallery with pictures of Elle. Make sure you check them out by clicking the thumbnails below. Enjoy!












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Public Appearances > 2024 > November 17 | 2024 Governors Awards
Elle Fanning at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards presented by Variety at Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles, California. I’ve updated our photo gallery with 57 pictures of Elle. Make sure you check them out by clicking the thumbnails below. Enjoy!




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Public Appearances > 2024 > November 14 | Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards
Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, the ballad of a true original. A Film by James Mangold. Co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Monica Barbaro. Only in theaters Christmas Day. #ACompleteUnknown
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician BOB DYLAN’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
A Film By James Mangold.
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Norbert Leo Butz, Dan Fogler, and Scoot McNairy.
Elle Fanning plays a character, but never puts on an act.
Unlock your courage. In our latest campaign, our Coach Family are here to remind you: don’t let your idea of perfection hold you back from expressing your true self. #CourageToBeReal
Timothée Chalamet is Bob Dylan in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. A Film By James Mangold. Co-starring Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Dan Fogler, Norbert Leo Butz and Scoot McNairy. ONLY in theaters this December.
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician BOB DYLAN’s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
A Film By James Mangold.
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Monica Barbaro, Boyd Holbrook, Norbert Leo Butz, Dan Fogler, and Scoot McNairy.
Emmy nominee Elle Fanning is in talks to star in “Badlands,” a standalone movie from Dan Trachtenberg that expands the “Predator” universe.
Trachtenberg is set to direct the movie for 20th Century Studios from a script he co-wrote with Patrick Aison. “Badlands” comes following the success of Trachtenberg’s “Prey” — the “Predator” prequel which was a critical hit and broke records with its release on Hulu. The 2022 film was nominated for five Primetime Emmys, winning one for sound editing; “Prey 2” is in early development, with its star Amber Midthunder potentially returning. “Badlands” was announced in February, with the film expected to begin production later this year. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
Fanning recently wrapped a three-season run as executive producer and star of Hulu’s “The Great,” where she starred as Russian monarch Catherine the Great and earned her first Emmy nomination (for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series). Over the course of her 20-year career, Fanning’s resume ranges from playing Disney princess Aurora in the “Maleficent” movies to ripped-from-the-headlines drama in “The Girl from Plainville” and the family comedy “We Bought a Zoo,” as well as auteur-driven fare like Nicolas Winding Refn’s “The Neon Demon,” Mike Mills’ “20th Century Women,” and Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” and “The Beguiled.”
But among her first big roles was a breakout turn in J.J. Abrams’ 2011 sci-fi movie “Super 8.” Fanning plays Alice, one of a group of preteens who, in the summer of 1979, witness a train crash and investigate the series of unexplained events that follow it. Fanning will next be seen in James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown,” where she plays Sylvie Russo opposite Timothee Chalamet’s Bob Dylan.
She is repped by UTA, TFC Management and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
Deadline was first to report Fanning’s involvement. 20th Century Studios declined to comment.
Source: Variety