Dakota Fanning biography, age, sister, twilight, boyfriend, photos as a kid, height 2025

Biography of Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning is an American actress who made her acting debut at the age of six and became famous for the lead in the drama «I Am Sam». She's also known for films like "Hounddog," three "Twilight Saga" movies, the TV series "The Alienist," and many others.

Childhood and Family

Dakota was born into a family of athletes on February 23, 1994. Her father, Steve Fanning, played for the St. Louis Cardinals, a minor league baseball team. After retiring from sports, he worked as a salesman at an electronics store. Her mother, Heather Joy, was a professional tennis player. Her maternal grandfather, Rick Arrington, was a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dakota has a sister, Elle Fanning, who is four years younger and also an actress. Their family has Irish and German ancestry. Both sisters, like the entire Fanning family, are Baptists.

Sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning Then and Now

She showed star quality from day one. According to Dakota's early memories: During a visit to her aunt's house, she put on high heels and fell. But according to her relatives, she refused to take them off until it was time to leave.

Soon after, Dakota began taking children's acting classes, and at age 5, she appeared in her first commercial - a commercial about washing powder Tide. This charming little girl who gleefully stained her dress was destined for stardom. She went on to appear in numerous commercials, including a 2000 Georgia lottery ad where she starred alongside the legendary Ray Charles.

Dakota Fanning in Tide Commercial

First Roles

Since 2000, Dakota has been a regular presence in both commercials and TV shows. She landed roles in «Emergency Room», «Spin City», «The Ellen Show», and «Ally McBeal». Though she only got small parts, the experience proved invaluable. Her most memorable shoot was for «Emergency Room». She played a car accident victim who also had leukemia. Dakota's scenes took two days to film, during which she had to wear a cervical collar and walk around with tubes in her nose.

A Frame from the TV Show «Emergency Room»

In 2001, Dakota played Sean Penn's daughter in the drama «I Am Sam». The touching film tells the story of a mentally disabled man who raises his daughter alone and fights for the right to stay with her. For this role, the 7-year-old Dakota Fanning was nominated for Screen Actors Guild award. She became the youngest actress in history to receive this nomination.

»I Am Sam»: Dakota Fanning's First Big Role

In 2002, Steven Spielberg personally selected Dakota for his sci-fi series «Taken». In the same year, the young actress appeared in three feature films. She played a kidnapping victim in the thriller «Trapped», then portrayed young Reese Witherspoon in «Sweet Home Alabama», and later had a small role in the fairy tale adaptation «Hansel and Gretel».

The following year brought two memorable projects: the drama «Uptown Girls» opposite Brittany Murphy, who played nanny to Dakota's unusually mature character, and the lead role in «The Cat in the Hat» based on Dr. Seuss's beloved book. That same year, she and her sister voiced the lead characters in the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's anime «My Neighbor Totoro».

A Frame from the Film «The Cat in the Hat»

In 2004, Dakota appeared in the final season of the iconic sitcom «Friends». In one of the last episodes, she played a cute girl Mackenzie who lived in a house that Monica and Chandler wanted to buy.

Her professionalism was becoming increasingly evident, and she began landing more serious roles alongside major stars. In 2004, she starred alongside Denzel Washington in "Man on Fire," once again playing a kidnapped girl whose bodyguard must rescue her from a Mexican drug cartel.

»Man on Fire»: Dakota Fanning and Denzel Washington

In 2005, she starred with Robert De Niro in the thriller "Hide and Seek" and alongside Kurt Russell in the family drama "Dreamer." That same year, she voiced Lilo in Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" and appeared in Steven Spielberg's thriller "War of the Worlds" as Tom Cruise's daughter, fighting alongside her family to survive an alien invasion.

All Episodes from «War of the Worlds» where Dakota Fanning Screams

During this period, she also appeared in a scene with Glenn Close in "Nine Lives." "It's obvious that someone great reincarnated into this girl," her co-star said about Dakota.

Flourishing in Career

In 2007, the drama "Hounddog" starring Dakota was released. Audiences saw this as the beginning of her "mature" career. After its release, "Hounddog" faced harsh criticism for the rape scene of Fanning's character. "But it's filming—it's not real. It's called acting,", the actress tried to explain to all critics. Though the film was a box-office flop, critic Roger Ebert praised Dakota's performance. He compared Fanning to a young Jodie Foster in the film «Taxi Driver» by Martin Scorsese.

By then, she'd already earned $4 million on her own. The actress took the fourth place of Forbes List in the rating of celebrities under 21 years of age. Remarkably, she managed to balance filming with school, even joining the cheerleading squad.

Dakota Fanning Was the Queen of High School Prom

Dakota also appeared in the final three installments of the vampire saga "The Twilight Saga" with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. She played Jane, a twin of a vampire Alec (Cameron Bright). Audiences loved the contrast between her angelic appearance and her ruthless, commanding character—making her the Volturi's most dangerous member.

«The Twilight Saga»: Dakota Fanning in the Character of Jane Volturi

In 2010, the audience saw Dakota in the film «The Runaways» in which together with Kristen Stewart she played a punk band vocalist. Right after that, Fanning had to play in the picture about a violinist who was in a coma «If I Stay» but the girl left the project because occupancy could pitiably affect her school certificate and Chloë Grace Moretz became a film star.

Dakota Fanning in the Biopic «The Runaways»

Dakota also stepped in to replace Saoirse Ronan in the biographical drama "Effie Gray" (2012). The actress appeared before the audience in the character of a wife of a critic, poet, and artist John Ruskin.

Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart Became Friends While Filming

In 2015, Ewan McGregor cast Dakota in his directorial debut, in the political drama «American Pastoral». She plays Merry, the protagonist's daughter who rebels against her patriotic, successful father to become a political terrorist.

On the Set of the Film «American Pastoral»

Another compelling role that year was playing naive country girl Liz in the psychological thriller "Brimstone." Besides Dakota, such stars of «Game of Thrones» as Kit Harington and Carice van Houten also acted in this film. The picture was nominated for the Golden Lion of the Venice Film Festival.

In January 2018, Fanning, Luke Evans, and Daniel Brühl became stars of the TV show «The Alienist». The trio portrayed a team investigating a series of brutal child murders in late 19th-century New York. Dakota plays Sara Howard, the first woman on the New York police force.

A Trailer of the TV Show «The Alienist» with Dakota Fanning

That same summer, the all-female «Ocean's Eleven» spin-off «Ocean's 8» hit theaters. Fanning made a brief cameo appearance in the film.

Modeling Career

In 2007, Fanning modeled pieces from Marc Jacobs' collection. Four years later, she became the face of Marc Jacobs' Oh Lola perfume campaign.

On the Set of the Perfume Commercial by Marc Jacobs

In 2010, Dakota signed with IMG Models, the agency that has represented stars like Kate Moss, Gisele Bündchen, and Naomi Campbell.

15-Year Old Dakota Fanning Poses for Vogue

Private Life of Dakota Fanning

She's notoriously private about her personal life. "I don't like to air dirty laundry in public," she once said in an interview. But she doesn't keep her relationships completely under wraps either.

In 2009, she briefly dated British actor Freddie Highmore before entering her first serious relationship with Canadian actor Cameron Bright, who played her brother in «The Twilight Saga». In 2012, the couple broke up. The timing coincided with the release of the final «Twilight Saga» film.

Dakota Fanning and Cameron Bright Have Been Dating for 3 Years

From 2013 to 2016, she was in a relationship with model Jamie Strachan, who was 13 years her senior.

Jamie Strachan, Dakota Fanning's Ex-Boyfriend

After their split, Fanning reconnected with her high school sweetheart, realtor Logan Markley, who had also recently ended a relationship. However, dating someone outside the spotlight proved challenging, and by 2017, Dakota was spotted with new boyfriend Henry Fry.

In the Picture: Dakota Fanning and Henry Fry

Dakota Fanning Now

In 2019, Dakota appeared in Quentin Tarantino's «Once Upon A Time In Hollywood». She played Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a member of Charles Manson's "Family" who later gained notoriety for attempting to assassinate President Ford.

Dakota Fanning and Her Character's Prototype

In 2020, "Viennese and the Ghosts" premiered, featuring Dakota alongside Zoe Kravitz and Evan Rachel Wood.

Dakota Fanning: latest news and articles

Choose the most charismatic blonde in Hollywood

23 Jul 2022

Todd Broadbent

Dakota Fanning I Love You So Much. Will You Marry Me? You are so beautiful woman and hot body and sexy ass and sexy legs and hot sexy boobs.

2025-04-28 16:17:46
Katherine Martinez

Pretty actress, nice and easy-going girl. I would like her to have more main roles.

2021-05-04 21:21:34
Carmen Sullivan

I remember she played in Brimstone, not a bad movie. Some other roles of her I don`t remember.

2021-05-01 15:16:15
Hilda Reyes

Even in The Twilight Saga Dakota showed up and she is not skipping any horror movies in the world :) but Twilight is mostly drama but anyway :)

2021-04-06 18:10:40
Rose Hodges

With ease Dakota took a role in Ocean`s Eight, I`m very glad for her, she is doing a good job.

2021-04-01 09:24:15
Betty Bowman

Pretty Fanning started to play in very scary horror movies and now she is a serious lady who takes good main roles

2021-02-26 10:30:08

Photos: Dakota Fanning