Dakota Fanning covers the August issue of Town & Country. I can’t tell if she’s wearing a wig or if this is her natural hair. She looks a bit like an anime goddess in this shoot. We haven’t heard much about Dakota lately, which makes sense. She’s been quietly studying at NYU and only breaking for the occasional bit of film work. This year’s tally includes Night Moves and Very Good Girls. I was a little alarmed when Dakota said the latter film was a great excuse for a nude scene, but it turns out she used a butt double. Yes, I’m relieved. Dakota doesn’t need to rush into nude scenes. There’s plenty of time for that later in her career. God, I sound old.
This interview is mostly harmless. Dakota is only 20 years old, but she is wise enough to know that her audience still thinks of her as a kid. She started acting when she was only five years old and says it was mostly her decision. Dakota ordered vegetable dumplings and brown rice during the interview, just FYI:
Acting was her idea: “It’s hard to explain to someone who didn’t know me as a child. But even before I started working–when I was two, three, four, five–I was an exceptionally mature child. I just was. And my mom and I were able to have conversations like, ‘Do you want to go to California and go to auditions for commercials and TV shows? Is that something you want to do?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s give it a try.'”
Her upbringing: “It’s very interesting to grow up with half a Southern mind-set and half a California mind-set. Like going to high school in Los Angeles and living in New York City and going to NYU, but having a family that was very traditional. I credit my family pretty much with everything–and especially my mom. I’m super-happy that you’ve enjoyed watching me grow up. That’s cool,” but “because people saw me grow up, there’s this weird sort of ownership that they feel for me and that is…difficult. Because it’s not real; it’s in their minds.”
How critics jumped on her for the Hounddog rape scene: “That’s what the movie is about, that she is made to feel responsible. There is a real little girl who that is happening to right now.” All the busybody calumny was “very, very upsetting–horrible” for her mother, she says.
Fans still see her as a child: When people meet her they frequently exclaim, “You’re so tall!” She rolls her eyes at this. “Actually, I’m not even that tall,” only five-foot-four, though she’s in reasonably high heels today, her pants rolled up stylishly. “But compared to a childI am!” She laughs with sarcastic glee. “I feel as if one day I’m going to be married and pregnant and people will still be saying, ‘Oh my god, you’re so tall!’
Dakota on her mom, Joy: “She realized I had the potential to do things that were bigger than the life she knew. And she recognized that in Elle, too. When she made that initial move with me to L.A., she completely gave up her own dreams and started over in a place she never imagined living. I mean, Los Angeles, to a person from 20 minutes southeast of Atlanta, might as well be Africa.”
Will Dakota let her kids act? “The only reason I wouldn’t is that I know how much work it took from my mom: driving me to auditions every day all over the city, making sure I had the right thing to wear. I am the person I am because my mom put that energy into me to make sure that I was not going crazy and that people weren’t taking advantage of me. I plan on having a career, so if I couldn’t dedicate that time to my children, I wouldn’t.”
She wants to create her own roles someday: “It’s very hard to find a movie about a strong woman–one that doesn’t have anything to do with a guy or the love of a guy or the heartbreak of a guy. Is that the only crisis that women deal with: love and loss of love and sadness? There’s more to life than that.”
[From Town & Country]
Did you catch Dakota’s offhanded comment about flyover country? I can’t hate on her for it too much. She didn’t mean to make a statement about Africa, it was just a poorly worded metaphor about culture shock. It IS bizarre for a person from an Atlanta suburb to transplant to Hollywood. Was it wise to include Africa in the analogy? Probably not, but Dakota is still one of the most adjusted former child stars in the biz.
Photos courtesy of Town & Country
She sounds really good. I like her, always have.
I thought she would have an Oscar, or some other big award by now.
Yeah, I thought she’d have an Oscar too. I mean, she’s crazy successful as it is, but I thought she’d have JLaw’s career.
Me too but something went off in her career once she started starring in Twilight films. However she’s only 20 and very talented so plenty of time to get Oscars. Beautiful picture of her on the cover.
Definitely a wig.
I think a lot of child stars have a hard time “maturing” in the public eye. Even if they dont turn out to be booze-aholics or anything like that, there always seems to be resistance to them growing older and choosing more adult roles.
Also, I like her take on whether she would let her kids act. I kind of find it so annoying and hypocritical when stars are like “Im never going to let my kids act, because the business is horrible. Like, why are you in it then?
Ask to every former child actor! Any former child actor wouldn’t let her kids to act or perform before to be adult because they know how it’s difficult to be the ticket meal of your family or how your parents live THEIR fame dream thought you!
Just ask to Bale,Dicaprio ,Portman or Foster!
Bale has remarked outright more than once that he’d never let his daughter or his nieces work in the industry as kids. It’s clear that he didn’t like being made the family breadwinner at the age of eight.
Some interviews “bait” the celebs to sound a certain way, or come off with a certain amount of humility or intelligence. I notice she wasn’t asked where she stands on feminism or sexuality, so I’d assume her manager does a decent job of vetting the publication.
Her parents somehow managed to do the whole Hollywood thing right with their kids, and deserve a round of applause. Dakota seems to be very intelligent and grounded.
it’s because, unlike some stage parents (*coughLohancough*), her parents put her mental and physical well-being above the almighty dollar.
My sister-in-law and I have a theory… If I know the child actor’s parent(s)’ name, they are going to be a mess (Dina, Lynn, etc). If I don’t, they will enjoy a better chance at normalcy. She seems a good egg and this is the first I’ve heard her mom’s name.
That is a pretty solid theory, ya know??
Also if they are the main Breadwinner, having to support your entire family is almost like the Kiss of death (see the Olsens having their money more or less put away for them as well as Taylor Swift and emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe)
Also as posited by Vanessa Grigoriadis in that Bieber article, Poor/inappropriate attachment to one or both parents (a la Lohan, bieber, Culkins)
That is a good theory. You can also add if you know what their parents look like as well as their names.
I think the breadwinner issue is key. If parents take their cut, put the rest in trust, and maintain the ability to say no to the child and set parental rules, the kid has a much better chance.
It’s not a poorly worded metaphor. It’s very well stated. That move for her mother was the equivalent of going to another culture, continent, language, the whole ball of wax. People get so over sensitive any time anyone name checks Africa.
bingo!
Agree completely.
The comment was not in any way insensitive or racist or anything – just conveys culture shock.
I think we need to look less for key words to wig out over, and focus on intent. There have been much more innocuous sounding comments that are insensitive because of intent.
This.
Here here!
I agree that her metaphor is inoffensive but can we not pretend that Africa isnt routinely used as a synonym for death or disease or despair. Just afew days ago I heard some stupid Western journalist reporting from South Sudan remark that “this is Africa” in reference to some conflict. Like you know, “what do you expect from this hell hole. Now someone diect me to the nearest Hilton”. I mean, does conflict only happen in Africa?? Does all of Africa experience conflict?? If we are sensitive about how we are “name checked” its because we are so often targets for utter bull shit.
Exactly. I don’t disagree with what she’s trying to say and I’m not really offended. But it’s not good to compare a city to an entire continent. Africa is a hugely diverse place with a lot of different countries and it’s not good to lump them all together, which is what people do all. the. time.
Excellent distinction.
That journalist was an idiot. They used the phrase incorrectly; Westerners living in Africa will say ‘this is Africa’ when someone is having a stroke about things not being efficient or to their liking – it’s supposed to mean “chill out, dude”. This is Africa. TIA, some folks will say.
If you want efficiency go to Sweden!
Exactly! Not offended, but people routinely forget that Africa is a continent with many diverse countries and cultures. It gets annoying that people make this mistake all the time!
I am sure she is well aware that Africa is a continent.
+1
I agree, it wasn’t a comment on Africa, just noting a culture shock.
Yeah that’s not really offensive at all. She could’ve said China or India or the North Pole and it’d mean the exact same thing.
I’m from Africa and I get the metaphor. Not offensive at all. She just means that her mom would have probably suffered an equal cultural shock had she moved to Africa… Non-urban Atlanta is so very different from LA. As simple as that…. Nothing negative here.
20 minutes from the city is still pretty urban. I mean, 20 minutes Southeast is basically the airport. That neighborhood is dangerous as hell, but it’s not exactly flyover country.
Yes, but Atlanta NOW, or Atlanta 20 something years ago? I get the feeling that’s what she was referencing – when her Mom left ATL. Everywhere in GA has grown significantly since 20 years ago. Everytime I go home, I’m shocked at how large even the next town over is compared to how it was years ago when I left.
“Flyover country” is everything between NYC and LA, so yes, Atlanta is exactly flyover country.
Yes. By writing “Did you catch Dakota’s offhanded comment about flyover country?”, I thought Bedhead meant the fly over states so I went back to see where she was dissing the Plains states. HA.
So how she stated it was just fine. As others pointed out Hollywood/LA area can be a shock if you aren’t used that type of urban setting.
But Atlanta IS an urban setting. 20 minutes outside Atlanta is not the country. You have to go a lot farther out than that. Like, I lived much farther from the city than 20 minutes, and I was not at all shocked when I moved to SoCal or went to LA for the first time.
Maaaaaaybe if she said somewhere explicitly rural, you could argue culture shock (the rural folks in my organization HATE driving up to Atlanta for meetings because they simply don’t like cities).
Agreed.
The internet always seems to be looking for things to be offended by. She could have easily used Russia, Canada, Anywhere that isn’t California.
I think her parents have done a great job with her and Elle
Yeah, I’m from Atlanta, and now I live in a suburb of Atlanta. I’m giving her a pass on the comment. 🙂
I used to live in Africa, and now I live in the city of Atlanta (which is a blue dot in a red state) – and she’s right.
Twenty minutes southeast of Atlanta it is still mostly farms and scattered housing developments. People living there wouldn’t really have any reference points for a place like LA. It would be a huge culture shock for someone from provincial Georgia to end up in Los Angeles and have to learn how to deal with the scene there.
Sorry, but I have to eye-roll at this. I’m from Macon which is not a metropolis, but it’s not all farms and hicks outside of Fulton County. Some of us do manage to attend college and even travel out of state from time to time which provides us with a couple of reference points. Typical Atlanta bullshit.
Don’t lump all of Atlanta together! I live in downtown Atlanta, but I travel all over the state for work (I’m in Macon at least once a month, and I have smart, accomplished, progressive colleagues from every corner of the state).
I’ve also lived in Southern California, and Dakota is full of shit.
You know she’s also talking about outside Atlanta when they moved 15 years ago, right? And I would imagine she means specifically where they’re from, not everywhere within the radius of 20 minutes outside Atlanta.
Isn’t 20 minutes southeast of the city, like, the airport? Or Morrow? That’s not farm country. I grew up on the northeast side of Atlanta, then spent several years in Southern California (where my family still lives), and now I live downtown.
I can assure you that as someone who grew up farther from Atlanta than “20 minutes southeast,” going to Los Angeles for the first time was not some huge shock. My sister is from Atlanta, too, and she went to the University of Southern California, for chrissakes. Like, chose to go there and enjoyed the hell out of it, despite it being in this mythical Los Angeles.
Exactly. That’s why I said the original comment was Atlanta bullshit. Like all the “OTP vs ITP” silliness. I hear that crap all the time usually from people that never leave Atlanta. Savannah, Columbus and Augusta are also big cities in the state with a lot to offer.
@DJC I actually spent a couple years at an organization that seeks to address the ITP/OTP animosity.
Really? 20 minutes southeast of Atlanta is rural? I’ve been 20 minutes outside of Alanta and that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sorry, but rural Georgia really is a different world. Things are different there.
Don’t forget that the final lynching in the state of Georgia occurred in 1946…just 50 miles east of Atlanta:
FBI Re-Examines 1946 Lynching Case
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5579862
Thanks for the timely reference. I’m sure you can find more recent race issues in other places too. Such as, oh, Los Angeles.
20 minutes outside of Atlanta is NOT rural. Not even close. The South absolutely still has issues with race, as does the rest of the country (and I say this as someone who has lived in almost every part of the country).
Atlanta is actually the most integrated place I’ve ever lived – Connecticut was the most openly racist place I’ve ever lived (but I will concede that institutional racism, and subtle racism is often far more damning than “open” racism, though they often go hand in hand).
I lived in the city of Chicago for eight years and I STILL found L.A. to be a culture shock. L.A. is a city unlike any other, in both good ways and bad. I think she raises an excellent point.
I think it’s more offensive that she subtly shades the lack of career of her mom. Her mom took the time to take good care of her and her sister in an environment that is greatly psychologically (and not only) aggressive. I don’t know about her motivations, but she seemed to have done a pretty good job in raising well adjusted children.
Anyway, I just never found her acting interesting or appealing and I’m not seeing that changing into adulthood. I always have in mind that she only has one very suffering facial expression. Still I give her merit for “surviving” her childhood in Hollywood.
I see it as her giving credit for her sucess to her mother’s hardwork and sacrifice of her own career dreams. She is praising her mother. I’m sure her mom appreciates that.
+1
@minime – I’m agreeing with TC here. It isn’t shade. It’s just acknowledging the sacrifices her mother made in order for Dakota and Elle to be the best they could.
Maybe you girls are right and she just annoys me for some reason 😉
@minime…Dakota was giving her mother credit for the exact same thing you said she should be giving her credit for. Maybe you mis-read her quote?
Honestly, that quote is beyond meaningless and harmless.
I thought she was just using Africa as an example of a place that’s really different. Which it is. No big deal.
I am calling BS on the I was a mature child even at the age of 2. If I asked my 3 year-old today if she wanted to go to CA and audition for a movie she would say yes even though she has no clue what or where CA is and what audition means. Yes Dakota sounds somewhat mature and even though I believe this was her mom’s doing 100% it does seem like she at least looked out for her daughters. I also rolled by eyes at her statement that her mom saw something bigger in her kids. Doesn’t every parent think their child is special? I also think there are many more people with potential to be an actor or an athlete, dancer, etc than the ones who have the money or pushy parents to pursue those dreams.
She was born on third base and thinks she hit a triple.
How so?
Imo, she has reverse snowflake syndrome. The opportunities her family made possible for her was a direct reflection of the love/worth parents demonstrate towards their children. Whether it is fully merited depends on a host of variables – it is not a given that it is intrinsically true. The realization of that potential was also based on a host of variables – with her special snowflake status being somewhere near the middle. I think she may lack the humility to understand this. Not slamming her at all, just smh. She reminds me of a slightly more likeable Natalie Portman in that way.
I love that saying, and it applies perfectly here.
Not that I have one of those kids (mine are hooligans) but I do know one or two very mature 2-3 year olds (one could even identify all the periodic elements on flash cards by like 18 months, it was crazy). They could probably tell you how being actress was their greatest dream and that they’d love to go to L.A. to audition. And then you as a parent understand that it’s the assent of a toddler, or at least one hopes.
What happened to her career? EVeryone thought she was going to be the youngest Oscar winner ever and blah blah blah, but even her sister is getting ahead of her.
She grew up. I don’t think her acting is there as an adult. Same w/Anna Paquin. She too was great as a child actor but as adult actor, not so much.
She’s being smart and taking the same route as Natalie Portman and Claire Danes. She’s getting an education and giving herself back-up options in life. She has plenty of time after university to come back and have an adult movie career. It also gives people time to process the idea if her being an adult.
She grew up and I feel old.
hmmmm I don’t know. This interview made me like her a little less. Can’t put my finger on it
Yeah, I think we can all see what she was going for there, but probably not the best idea with the Africa comparison…,you know, if Africa were a place run by rich white people who spend conspicuously and have replaced 80% of their body parts with Juvaderm…
I just saw her in the movie ‘Night Moves’ and she was not very good : /
This is a great interview. I don’t think mentioning Africa was offensive.
Always liked her. Elle is great too!!!
Always liked her too. I don’t think she meant anything with the statement. Next time she could say Antarctica.
I like Dakota and Elle! They’re so well-adjusted and mature, both with a solid head on their shoulder. Props to their family. I like that Dakota’s teenage years were drama-free (and possibly Elle will be too). They’re cool kids. I don’t think she meant to offend anyone with that comparison, let’s not always be that picky people.
I’m calling BS on the I was a very mature child at 2, also. You wasnot that mature Dakota. It sounds like she’s trying to convince people that her mom just left it up to a 2 year old to determine the future of the entire family. In fact her body language and poses make her seem controlled. These don’t even sound like her words. The one eye jesture, what is that about? No, I’m sorry, two year old do not get to make these kind of decisions. Her parents/HANDLERS decided to try and get rich off of their children. Good job mom, you did it.
Eh, I’m from Atlanta, and I spent several years living in SoCal, and my whole family is still there. I actually moved back to Atlanta because to me, SoCal was boring, a cultural void, though to be fair, Los Angeles is miles ahead of Orange and San Diego Counties in that respect. I actually used to drive up to LA for shows and such every chance I got, because the art and music scene there was so much better than in San Diego.
It definitely wasn’t like going to another country, and I grew up farther from downtown Atlanta than “20 minutes southeast.” Good grief, Dakota. A lot of stuff films in Atlanta now, might not want to shade it quite yet.
ETA: I sent this to my (Atlanta-dwelling) friends, and the consensus is: bless her little heart.
As someone born and raised in SoCal & went to college in NorCal, you cannot compare LA county to Riverside/Orange/San Diego/Sonoma/San Francisco, etc. Every county in the state is vastly different than the next. And I’m not sure how “LA is miles ahead of Orange and San Diego counties”. Because LA attracts more bands or have more museums? Please.
I mean, I lived in California, so I think I can have an opinion on it. And yes, the offerings of LA were more to my taste than the offerings of San Diego and Orange County (my parents still live in San Diego, my sister lives in Irvine, and she used to live in LA, so I’ve spent A LOT of time in all of those areas, beyond just my residency in SoCal). I actually love NorCal and the Central Coast and try to visit those areas as often as possible.
It’s fine if you like what’s on tap in the other parts of SoCal – I don’t. Good thing we have this big ol’ country!
My main point was that, coming from Georgia, SoCal and LA weren’t these huge cultural shifts. Were they different from what I was used to? Sure! I actually experienced a bigger shock during the two years I lived in Connecticut (probably because it was so demographically homogeneous, and I wasn’t used to that) than I did when I moved to Cali. BUT, having traveled abroad a lot, it was NOT like going to another continent. Like, at all.
I didn’t say you couldn’t have an opinion. I just took offence to the “LA is miles ahead” part. It is not in my opinion but as you pointed out in your response LA had more of you wanted than the other cities. For me LA is the opposite due the traffic but then again most of Cali is one big parking lot.
I think it depends on a few things. First – the mentality of the person travelling. If someone is traditionally Southern, moving to L.A., I can see how there would be culture shock. TRADITIONALLY Southern is the Keyword here, and Dakota alludes to that. I’m native country South Georgian, having also traveled to and lived in Southern Cities – particularly to visit my relatives who live in them (one of those being Atlanta). I also married into a native Los Angeles family. I wasn’t Gomer Pyle when he first took me home, but I was awestruck at how incredibly large the city was flying in at night, and how long it took to get anywhere. You’re fooling yourself if you think any of our Southern Cities hold a candle to the vastness of the Greater Los Angeles area. It’s huge! This was 15 years ago. Not only that, but there was a very free spirited attitude amongst the locals that I very much appreciated, but had no experience of growing up traditionally in the South. The cultures are completely different. Many things that will get you popped in your mouth by your Mama in a traditional Southern household are the norm in many Southern California households. In addition, today, not only do we have (Sub)Urban Growth, we also have the Internet and social media to thank for connecting and bridging the gap between cultures. Back then, there was none of that. Comparing the Internet age to 20 years ago doesn’t really make sense.
While I think Dakota’s metaphor choice was poor, I do get what she’s saying. We’re talking about raising a family in 2 completely different cultures. Peaches and Oranges.
Bucky, you can’t really generalize entire counties; besides, Irvine is hardly indicative of the entire state south of Los Angeles. So maybe you might not want to shade Southern California quite yet.
I’d imagine since Fanning moved to LA as a young kid, the city would be quite a culture shock. It’s not fair to say since you experienced little to no culture shock, that it simply doesn’t exist; you’re an adult, she was a kid, it is obviously no contest.
Also, no one in California actually uses the term “Cali,” bless your little heart.
I live in Atlanta and 20 minutes from the city is not farm country. But I get what she’s saying. I don’t think she was trying to offend anyone at all. I still want to visit L.A. and soak up all that SoCal sun =)
I love the outfits she’s wearing in the two full body shots.
I spent 32 years in Atlanta Area and my daughter moved to LA 2 years ago. Im well traveled (Chicago, new Jersey, NYC, etc), and Los Angeles was a shock to me. First, I don’t believe her comment was meant to be racist or was racist. Second, her family was originally from Conyers. While its roughly 35 minutes from downtown, 15 years ago it was still pretty rural. From the time her mother grew up in the area, VERY rural. There is a reason they filmed the series “In the Heat Of The Night” in Covington, about 15-20 minutes from Conyers.
Instead of debating your now Atlanta experience with hers, and debate she belittled her mother, I’d rather smile that she continues to work and is in college, has personal integrity and is thankful for the opportunities her mother/family provided for her to achieve her dream. Both the Fanning ladies appear to be well balanced and happy. Why is that a problem?