Dakota Fanning Fact File: Age, Real Name, Career As A Child Star And More

5 April 2024, 16:51

Dakota Fanning has been in the film and television industry since she was five years old. Picture: Alamy

Dakota Fanning has been working in the film and television industry her whole life. From her age to her most iconic movies. We're asking the real questions like, what's her real name and has she been in Harry Potter? Here’s what we know.

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Child star Dakota Fanning has made her way back to the spotlight after her new show Ripley aired on Netflix. She starred as Marge Sherwood in the dark psychological thriller but this was far from her first time in front of the cameras.

Dakota has been working in the film and television industry since she was an infant, so if you feel like her face is familiar to you, there are no surprises there. The actress has starred in some of the most iconic films in the early 2000s.

Read more: Is Tom Ripley In Love With Dickie Greenleaf? Ripley’s Obsession Explained
Read more: Netflix’s Ripley Ending Explained: Did Ripley Get Away With It?

But what was Dakota Fanning in as a child? Is that her real name? From her age to her career as a child star, here’s what we know.

Dakota Fanning appeared in a number of films in The Twilight Saga. Picture: Alamy

Where is Dakota Fanning from?

Dakota was born in Conyers, Georgia in the United States. Both her parents were professional athletes and sent her to a Montessori School in Covington.

We can thank the state of Georgia for Dakota’s talents because she began her career as an actress participating in local products at Towne Lake Arts Center in Woodstock, Georgia, a town close to Conyers.

Dakota Fanning stars alongside Andrew Scott in Netflix's Ripley. Picture: Getty

Is Dakota Fanning her real name?

This may surprise some people, but Dakota Fanning is not exactly her real real, but it’s close.

Her real name is Hannah Dakota Fanning and apparently, it has been tradition in her family for members to take on their middle names as their primary names.

Another example of this is her sister Elle Fanning who was technically born Mary Elle Fanning. Both girls were raised as Southern Baptists.

Dakota Fanning starred in Cat In The Hat in 2003. Picture: Alamy

How old is Dakota Fanning?

Dakota was born on 23 February 1994, which makes her 30 years old and a Pisces.

While Dakota is an actress, her sister has made it as a very successful actress too and fans often wonder who is older between Dakota and Elle Fanning.

Elle was born on the 9th of April, 1998, which makes her four years younger than Dakota, and an Aries.

Dakota Fanning and Elle Fanning have four years between them. Picture: Getty

What movies was Dakota Fanning in as a child?

Dakota Fanning landed her first commercial at just five years old and a star was born.

At seven in 2001, she essentially became a household name because of her role as Lucy Dawson in the film I Am Sam. She acted next to Sean Penn and received a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Dakota has been in so many iconic films between 2000 and 2010 that it’s impossible to list them all, but the highlight reel includes the likes of; Uptown Girls (2003), The Cat in the Hat (2003), War of the Worlds (2005), Hide and Seek (2005), Charlotte's Web (2006), Coraline (2009), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Friends (2004), The Twilight Saga (2009 - 2012), The Runaways (2010).

Dakota Fanning starred alongside Sean Penn in film I Am Sam. Picture: Alamy

Many fans think an actress as iconic as Dakota would be in one of the biggest franchises in the world, Harry Potter, but it’ll surprise fans to know that Dakota Fanning was not in any of the Harry Potter films.

Whilst she didn’t appear in the films, Dakota took part in the Harry Potter At Home project and narrated Chapter 15 of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.'

The project was created during lockdown to help entertain children who were stuck at home and Dakota narrated alongside the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Fry, David Beckham and Eddie Redmayne.