Hailing from Conyers, Georgia, Dakota Fanning began her career only six years ago, at the age of six. Guest appearances on such Emmy Award-winning television series as
ER,
The Practice,
Malcolm in the Middle, and
Spin City led to her breakout role opposite Academy AwardŽ winner Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer in New Line's
I Am Sam. For her stunning performance as Lucy, Dakota won a BAFTA award and became the youngest actor ever nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild Award. Shortly thereafter, she starred in the miniseries
Taken for executive producer Steven Spielberg, which not only became the Sci-Fi Channel's highest-rated show, but also won the 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Miniseries.
In 2004, Dakota was honored to star opposite Academy AwardŽ winner Denzel Washington in Man on Fire, directed by Tony Scott. This 20th Century Fox release earned Dakota her second BAFTA nomination for her performance.
Dakota teamed again with 20th Century Fox, starring opposite Academy AwardŽ winner Robert De Niro, in Hide and Seek, released in January 2005. The film opened #1 at the box office.
Then, in summer, 2005, Dakota starred opposite Tom Cruise in the worldwide blockbuster War of the Worlds, directed by Steven Spielberg. The film scored the largest opening weekend in the history of Paramount Pictures.
Later that year, Dakota starred in DreamWorks feature Dreamer opposite Kurt Russell. Dakota is also proud to be part of a remarkable ensemble of women including Glenn Close, Holly Hunter, Sissy Spacek, and Robin Wright Penn in the film Nine Lives, which premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
Other credits include Trapped, opposite Academy AwardŽ winner Charlize Theron, Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat, opposite Mike Myers, Uptown Girls with Brittany Murphy, and a cameo role as young Reese Witherspoon in Sweet Home Alabama. She will be the voice of Coraline in the animated film directed by Henry Selig and based on the Neil Gaiman children's novel of the same name.
Dakota is an avid reader who plays the piano, knits, collects dolls, rides horses, and dances ballet. She is also learning to speak both Spanish and French. She resides in Los Angeles with her parents, Joy and Steve Fanning, and her sister, actress Elle Fanning.
