Dakota Fanning starred in films such as “I Am Sam,'' “Uptown Girls,'' and “Man on Fire,'' co-starring big-name actors such as Sean Penn, the late Brittany Murphy, and Denzel Washington. I was still a kid when I was doing that, but I'm a kid now. Now she has grown up and become a respected actress in her own right.
Fanning has had a long career, starting on TV at the age of five (she is now 30). But unlike many child stars, she was able to avoid the dramatic rise and fall that many young actors fall victim to.
Fanning said that while she was able to avoid tabloid coverage for her deviant behavior, she was unable to avoid “highly inappropriate questions” from the media.
10 former child stars talk candidly about life in the spotlight
Dakota Fanning starred opposite Denzel Washington in the 2004 film Man on Fire. (20th Century Fox/Regency/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“I remember in interviews when I was little, journalists would ask me, 'How do you avoid being a tabloid girl?' People would ask very inappropriate questions,” she said. said in a new interview. the cut. “When I was a kid, I was being interviewed and someone asked me, ‘How do you have friends?’ Like, you know?”
“I have so much compassion for the people who were exposed,” she continued.
The generation before Fanning included stars like Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton, all of whom had their fair share of struggles.
“If society and the media aren't doing their part, who knows? I don't think that necessarily has 100 percent to do with being in this business. There are other factors as well. I just didn't fall for it and I don't know exactly why other than my family is made up of very sweet, kind, and protective people.”
Dakota and Elle Fanning had acting careers from childhood to adulthood. (John Nasion/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
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“People used to ask very inappropriate questions. When I was being interviewed as a kid, someone asked, 'Why do you have friends?' Like. ?”
Fanning's sister Elle is also an acclaimed actress.
“I have a mother who taught me not only how to treat others, but how to treat myself. And she was always there, and she always treated me with respect. It was never like, 'Bring the kids out!' I was never working with people who treated me like that. When I look back on my life, my career is a very present part of that life, but I also remember my childhood. I am very grateful that my life is not out of proportion to my work and that I am doing important work there.”
Dakota Fanning said she sometimes feels like people want her to fail. (Michael Buckner/Variety, via Getty Images)
Fanning admitted she was upset by the public's fascination with troubled child stars.
“That's the thing. It's like, 'For some reason, do you want that to happen to me? Do you want that to happen to these people?'” There have definitely been times when I felt like I was there. It makes me feel like I'm just living my life here. ”
“I also think I was a little too young to fully understand it, which was good. People couldn't get away with things like that anymore. By the time I got to that age, It was kind of a 'thing to be perceived as probably not the best way to treat people. ”
“I had a mother who taught me not only how to treat others, but also how to treat myself.”
“War of the Worlds” co-stars Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning pose at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards. (KMazur/WireImage/Getty Images)
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“I have some separation as well. I think it's probably unique to me. The job is something I love. So the things that come with it, some of it, are not things I love as much. No. Get dressed to walk around town, it's not me, it's just the actor, and the other things that come with it are what you deal with.”
Dakota Fanning says she sees acting as a job, not a lifestyle. (Steven Feldman/WireImage/Getty Images)
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In 2020, the “The Perfect Couple” actress told FOX News Digital that loving her art helps keep her on the straight and narrow.
“For me, I think I've always had a genuine love for what I do. You know what? When you start at a young age, it's really like pretend play, using your imagination. , it's like an enhanced version of that.'' So I think that's how I've always approached it… It should be fun. ”
Dakota Fanning waves on the carpet in 2007. (Mark Sullivan/WireImage/Getty Images)
Now, 25 years into the industry, Fanning says she has no regrets about the part of her life she spent as a child actor.
“I'm pretty happy with who I was at the time. I've never looked back and have no regrets,” she told The Cut. “I've never let public perception or anything influence my choices. I've just tried to stay true to myself. I'm very proud of who I was.”
Dakota Fanning says she has no regrets about her younger years. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
