At the young age of 7 when many kids her age were grappling with the realities of living in a world where adults dictate almost everything they do and perhaps wondering how much longer their moms, dads and elder ones will lord things over them, Dakota Fanning became a star for joining adults in acting on television. She rose to prominence following her portrayal of the character of Lucy Dawson in the 2001 film I Am Sam.
Dakota actually began acting on stage at the age 5, thus, seeing how successful the actress has grown to become and how fast it’s all happening, one will naturally tend to assume that perhaps, she was born into a family brimming with actors and actresses. Is that the case? Find out in her family facts below and catch up with all that has happened in the young actress’ life.
Dakota Fanning Biography
Dakota Fanning (Hannah Dakota Fanning) is Pisces, she was born on the 23rd of February in the year 1994 in Conyers, Georgia, U.S where she was also raised as a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). Growing up, she attended Campbell Hall School in California where she graduated in the year 2011 before enrolling into Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University that same year. She graduated in 2014 with a specialty in women’s studies.
At an early age, Dakota Fanning had already begun exhibiting her inclination for acting which led to her playing small roles in Towne Lake Arts Center in Woodstock, Georgia. From doing this, the young thespian made her first television appearance on Tide (a washing agent) television commercial in 1999, this then opened the doors for her first acting gig on ER a 2000 NBC prime-time drama as Delia Chadsey in episode: “The Fastest Year.” It is said that this role remains at the top of her favorite acting credits till today.
In that same year, Dakota Fanning starred in other television series like Ally McBeal, Strong Medicine, Spin City, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Practice. She began the year 2001 recording acting credits in Father Xmas, Tom casts before her I Am Sam role where she acted opposite a mentally challenged Sean Penn as her daughter. Dakota’s role in this movie earned her a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award which made her the youngest person (7 years) ever to be nominated. She then won the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for the same role.
Her other acting credits include Kim Possible: A Sitch in Time (2003), Justice League Unlimited (in 2004, a voice role of young Wonder Woman), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), The Last of Robin Hood (2013), The Alienist and Ocean’s 8 (2018).
Dakota Fanning Net Worth
Dakota Fanning is rising in her film career all thanks to her talent, however, she has not put all her eggs in one basket as she is also a model. She was previously signed to the Osbrink Talent Agency, next came WME (William Morris Endeavor) before she now signed with Creative Artists Agency LLC or CAA in 2014 which she has been with since then. For all these, Dakota has amassed a net worth of about $16 million.
Parents, Sister, and Family Facts
Dakota Fanning was born to Heather Joy (mother) and Steven J. Fanning. She has as her sister, a co-actress and model Elle Fanning who ventured into acting following her footsteps as she played her younger version in I Am Sam.
Contrary to the career path the two sisters chose, their parents were athletes and good ones at that. Joy was a professional tennis player while Steven played baseball in the minor leagues but now works as an electronics salesman. The history of their family’s involvement with sports dates back to their maternal grandpa Rick Arrington who played American football with Philadelphia Eagles as a quarterback. Then, on the other side of sports, Dakota’s aunt Jill Arrington is a sports reporter with ESPN.
Other Family Facts
- Dakota Fanning is 4 years older than her sister Elle
- The girls have Irish and German roots.
- They were raised in the Christian faith as members of the Southern Baptist denomination.
- Dakota and Elle attended the same high school in their senior year, Campbell Hall School in Studio City neighborhood of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. But while the elder Fanning proceeded to New York University, the younger chose to defer her college studies so she can concentrate more on her acting profession.
