Dakota Fanning

Biography

Actress Dakota Fanning was born Hannah Dakota Fanning in Conyers, Georgia. Her father was a former minor league baseball player and her mother a former tennis professional. Fanning began her acting career in small local productions at the Towne Lake Arts Center in Woodstock, Georgia, a town near where she lived with her family. 

Her first professional acting role came in 1999 when she appeared on the long-running NBC hospital drama "ER" (NBC, 1994-2009). Fanning and her sister, actress Elle Fanning were raised in the Southern Baptist religion.

 In 2001 Fanning who had done small roles in a number of television series was cast opposite actor Sean Penn in the movie "I Am Sam." Her role was as the daughter of a developmentally challenged adult man who is fighting to have sole custody of his child.

 Her performance received a great deal of praise. In addition to her live-action work, Fanning has done a number of voice-over roles in animated productions, including an English language release of "My Neighbor Totoro" (2004), and "Family Guy" (Fox, 1999- ).

 In 2006 Fanning appeared in "Hounddog," a dark movie that featured a scene in which Fanning's character was raped. The controversial film was poorly received, though Fanning's performance was praised.

 That same year Fanning was named the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences youngest member. In 2010 Fanning starred in the movie "The Runaways" as Cherie Currie, the lead singer of the band.

 In July 2016 it was announced that Fanning would play the lead in the film adaptation of Sylvia Plath's novel "The Bell Jar." In 2019 Fanning appeared in the role of Squeaky Fromme in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon A Time in Hollywood."