There is one image that is forever seared into Dakota Fanning’s brain—and will forever live on her Instagram feed because of it. In the photo, she’s 7 years old, standing on the red carpet in Beverly Hills for the premiere of I Am Sam. It was December 2001, and the elementary schooler was starring in the film as Lucy Diamond Dawson—a breakout performance that earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history.
Katie McCurdy. John Galliano for Dior dress from Aralda Vintage, EF collection stud, and Anita Ko hoop and cuff.
When she looks back at pictures from that night, Fanning can’t help but be swept up in a wave of sentimentality. Now 31, she holds tight to the spirit of that little girl—her bright smile, her unbridled passion for acting, and even her disdain for the itchy white tights her mother made her wear. “I really think about the pure excitement and joy I felt in those photos,” she tells me. “It was my first premiere and my first time being photographed on a red carpet. I think of all that was yet to come that I couldn’t have foreseen at that time.”
She’s absolutely right. There’s no way that 7-year-old Fanning could’ve predicted her talents would’ve taken her from a small-town Georgia girl (Conyers, to be exact) to a household name who’s kept her star burning bright all these years. Her quarter-century-long career has encompassed nearly 100 television and film roles, as well as dozens of award nominations—far surpassing anything her younger self could have dreamed.
Katie McCurdy. John Galliano for Dior dress from Aralda Vintage, Manolo Blahnik shoes, EF collection stud, and Anita Ko hoop and cuff.
When Fanning first joined our Zoom call, clad in a cozy tan sweater in her California home, I couldn’t help but blurt out what I—and every Zillennial—feel about her: “I grew up with you.” It’s a cliché she’s heard too many times to count but one that perfectly captures her longevity and lasting impact in Hollywood. Through her adolescence and teenage years, Fanning worked steadily, giving us classics we keep returning to: Uptown Girls, Man on Fire, War of the Worlds, Charlotte’s Web, Coraline, The Secret Life of Bees, The Cat in the Hat, and the Twilight saga (New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn: Part 2) to name a few.
Throughout her 20s and 30s, Fanning’s filmography has remained just as compelling, in part because she’s freed herself from the expectations—both her own and society’s—about what roles she “should” be taking at any given age or stage of her career. “It’s interesting because people often have opinions about what my ‘first adult role’ has been, but honestly, I’m still not sure,” she says. “You might think my first adult role should be the first movie I did as an adult, but for me, it doesn’t feel that simple. The truth is, I don’t really think about my career that way. I’m not just floating through life—I make choices and do things at certain points in my life—but I’m also a very instinctual person. The projects I’ve done haven’t come from some overarching plan or strategy; it’s been a very instinctual process. And when you lead with instinct, it ends up piecing together in a way that makes sense.”
Katie McCurdy. Right: John Galliano for Dior dress from Aralda Vintage, Manolo Blahnik shoes, Starling ring, EF collection ring, Effy jewelry ring, EF collection stud, and Anita Ko hoop and cuff. Left: Vintage Dior dress, Gianvito Rossi shoes, Neil Lane ring, Jacquie Aiche and Irene Neuwirth earrings.
Over the past year, in particular, listening to her gut has led Fanning to take on some of the most dynamic roles of her career. In the 2024 Netflix thriller series Ripley, she dazzled as Marge Sherwood, a performance that earned her Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actress. “[Being in that show] was a defining moment for me,” she says. “I was totally consumed by that experience. And then having it be well-received and enjoyed made me feel like I was in alignment with what people were saying. When people told me, ‘This is a career-defining role.’ I was like, ‘I agree this time.'”
Fanning was equally excited to sign on to The Perfect Couple, a murder mystery adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling novel, where she played the calculated, sharp-tongued Abby Winbury. “I like to do things I haven’t done before,” she says. “And that could mean trying something really small in a scene or as big as trying an entirely new genre. I had so much fun doing The Perfect Couple and exploring that tone. I got to play a heightened character who isn’t ‘pretty.’ I mean, [Abby] was a bitch.”
For her next act, Fanning is helping to bring another acclaimed book to life. This time, All Her Fault by Andrea Mara, a twist-and-turn-filled thriller. Set in an affluent Chicago suburb, the eight-episode Peacock series centers on Marissa Irvine (played by Sarah Snook), whose young son, Milo, mysteriously vanishes. Fanning plays Jenny, a seemingly well-meaning fellow parent who forges a friendship with Marissa amid the nightmarish ordeal.
When it comes to translating a book to the screen, every actor will have a different approach. Is Fanning a stickler for reading the source material before stepping on set? I had to ask. “It depends,” she admits. “Sometimes, when something’s adapted, you’re really telling the adaptation’s version, you know? So I usually go with reading the script and focus on that. That said, I have since read the book, and it’s wonderful—a great jumping-off point for this adaptation.”
Katie McCurdy. Paolo Sebastian dress, Irene Neuwirth rings and pearl earring, Anita Ko necklace and Jill Buck hair bow.
While Milo’s kidnapping anchors the show’s plot, All Her Fault also lays bare the quiet cruelties of womanhood and motherhood. Both Marissa and Jenny face judgment from their partners and peers at every turn—for their ambition at work, having help at home, their privilege, and their perceived shortcomings as mothers.
One of the show’s most poignant moments comes in the first episode, when Marissa and Jenny meet by chance in the restroom during their children’s elementary school fundraiser. Mother to mother, and woman to woman, they confide in each other about the weight of trying to do it all. Jenny’s frank admission during their conversation—”I’m tired of being amazing”—captures a feeling so many women know all too well. Fanning included.
“The character that I play epitomizes the ‘modern woman,'” Fanning says. “Somebody who’s trying to be everything to everyone: a good mom, a good wife, a career woman, a good friend—struggling to do it all and questioning if she can. I think, regardless of whether a woman is married or has children, we all feel the push and pull to be everything to everyone at all times. There are moments when you just want to scream, ‘I’m just a person. There’s only so much I can do.'”
Katie McCurdy. Stella McCartney coat, Fleur du Mal bodysuit, Wolford tights, Bondeye Jewelry ring and EF Collection stud.
Interestingly enough, the demands of Jenny’s life shaped Fanning’s vision for her character’s aesthetic—but perhaps not in the way you’d imagine. While a woman who’s tired of struggling and juggling in her day-to-day life may evoke images of messy, disheveled outfits, Jenny’s attire offers an opposing take.
“I didn’t know what the vibe would be going into the first costume fitting,” she says. “When I read the script, I could kind of read her in two ways. She obviously has moments of being very frazzled, but I thought it would be so boring for her wardrobe to just reflect that frazzled energy. So when I saw that her wardrobe was very put together, it felt like her look was armor for facing the day. I thought, ‘Okay, she’s in a leather skirt and boots; she’s not sacrificing her presentation.’ Even though she’s juggling so much, she’s still making time for how she presents herself, and that tells you something about her as a person. To have a different wardrobe would have felt two-dimensional.”
Fanning exhibits a similar level of intentionality in her red-carpet and off-duty style choices. In her 30s, she feels most confident in more minimalist, classic pieces. “I’ll still wear a floral dress or something on the wilder side every once in a while,” she says. “But as a rule, I don’t want to look back at pictures of myself—not even just red-carpet photos, but any photo—in 20 years and be like, ‘What was that?'”
Katie McCurdy. Stella McCartney coat and EF Collection stud.
Nothing is more indicative of Fanning’s “timeless style” philosophy than her collaboration with Madewell, which dropped in September with just two pieces: a crewneck T-shirt and a pair of straight-leg jeans. “I’m way more of an accessories person than a clothes person in my everyday life,” she says. “So if I only had a great pair of jeans and a T-shirt to wear every single day, I could totally get by and adjust [my look] with bags, shoes, or jewelry. So that was the fun part about my Madewell collection. It’s these basic staples that fit really well and you can wear them any place, any time, and make it your own.”
Naturally, Fanning’s simple, refined attitude toward fashion is mirrored in the way she approaches beauty. “My [makeup and skincare] routine is pretty much the same all the time,” she says. “Every once in a while, I like to do something different. I did try using a red light mask and need to start using it more. There are little things that I’m really good about doing for like a month, and then forget about again.”
As a self-identified creature of habit, keeping her hair that signature light blonde is also central to Fanning’s sense of identity and how she presents herself. “My hair is the thing that I will hold on to to bring me back to myself,” she says. “I love to keep my hair long. I’m also a natural blonde. I obviously color it, but my base is still naturally blonde. I just identify with my hair so much, so anytime it’s changed, I don’t feel like myself. The last few projects I’ve done have just been my hair, which is nice because you can bring yourself to set.”
Katie McCurdy. Chloe dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, Anita Ko necklace, Irene Neuwirth rings and pearl earring, and Jill Buck hair tassel.
As Byrdie’s “The Holiday Issue” cover star, Fanning undoubtedly brought the fullness of herself to set, embracing festive glam in a way that felt entirely, unmistakably her. She moved through the set in soft-toned, frilly gowns, her hairstyles shifting effortlessly between loose, cascading waves; a romantic rose-adorned updo; and a playful tassel-twisted style. Her makeup reflected the season’s cheer with a fresh, rosy glow, punctuated by lips that ranged from a sheer reddish-pink gloss to a deep, just-bitten berry stain. “[The looks] were very timeless, kind of like old Hollywood,” she says. “Doing a shoot is almost like playing a character a little bit, and [this shoot] was fun. It was beautiful.”
Katie McCurdy. Chloe dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, Anita Ko necklace and Jill Buck hair tassel.
For someone whose life keeps her bouncing between sets and shoots, Fanning relishes this season’s rare stillness—a moment to pause, reset, and just be. “I do really like that you can feel the pressure easing up,” she says. “In the summer, you feel like you’re moving a million miles. In the fall, it starts to calm a little bit, and by November and December, you’re really winding down. I’m now starting to appreciate when it starts getting darker earlier and settling down at home.”
In these few treasured weeks when life slows down, Fanning focuses on savoring the cutesy, cozy moments that make the holidays special. “I love the social part of the holidays,” she says. “My friends and I started doing a girls’ holiday party last year. We had everyone bring their three favorite things, and we did a swap where you could go pick up one thing from every person. It was one of the most fun nights, so we said we’re going to do this every year. And then, of course, I have my traditions with my family, and it’s such a grounding thing to go into a new year with the routines we have.”
When 2026 arrives, Fanning will ease back into her usual work/life rhythm, with a few new projects in preproduction awaiting her attention. Most notably, the highly anticipated The Nightingale (based on Kristin Hannah’s novel), in which she will star alongside her younger sister, Elle Fanning, for the first time. The duo will also produce the film, which is slated for release in 2027, under their company, Lewellen Pictures.
“For a while, [Elle and I] were very conscious of carving our own paths and being really selective about the things that we did together,” she says. “We don’t feel that pressure anymore. We’ve established that we’re two different people with two different journeys. It’s the best to be able to come together now. We’re very excited about [The Nightingale]. A little nervous but excited.”
So what gets a story green-lit by Lewellen Pictures? “Good stories. It’s so boring to say, but it’s really so simple. It goes back to something I haven’t seen before, something I haven’t done before, something new. My sister and I love to surprise people and be a part of things that they may not expect us to be a part of.”
Since launching their production company, Lewellen Pictures, in 2021, the Fanning sisters have produced a diverse slate of projects, including the documentary series Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? and The Girl from Plainville, as well as podcasts like One Click and scripted series such as The Great.
“Getting to produce things through our company in all different spaces has been so exciting,” she says. “[Elle and I] have different strengths and weaknesses, but at the core, we’re the same. We have the same vision and mission. It’s also exciting to figure out the things to be a part of together and the things that we should do separately. I couldn’t ask for a better person to do this with.”
Katie McCurdy. De La Vali pink dress and cape, Aquazurra shoes and Jacquie Aiche ring.
Fanning’s strong connection with her inner circle—especially her sister, mother, and grandmother—is what’s kept her centered as she’s navigated the whirlwind entertainment business throughout her career. “I feel very deeply known by the people in my life, by my family, friends, and the people I work with,” she says. “And because I feel very known by them, I don’t feel this pressure for everyone [else] to know me exactly.”
Since she was a child, the media has tried to paint its own picture of who Fanning is. In her early years, headlines often attached labels like “wise beyond her years” and “precocious” to her, turning her into the poster child for model behavior as a young actress. Even if well-intentioned, the weight of society’s preconceived notions is something she has grappled with as she has navigated adulthood.
“This narrative was placed on me,” she says. “Everything I said or did that made people say that about me was just who I was and who I am. I know it’s not a bad thing, but it felt so heavy and negative to me. I definitely have gone through times where I’m like, ‘I’m just the age that I am.’ I’m still learning about myself, and I’m not going to be perfect all the time. I’m not going to make the ‘wise beyond your years’ choice at every step. I’ve definitely had times where I’ve had to work through that. But very fortunately, I’ve always had a strong sense of myself and a healthy ability to block out what feels untrue or too heavy. I’m good at compartmentalizing.”
Katie McCurdy. De La Vali pink dress and cape.
It’s this level of self-awareness that has allowed Fanning to navigate her third decade of life with more clarity than ever. She’s deeply in touch with who she is and the life she hopes to build in the years to come. “Every year that goes by, you’re more in tune with who you are and with what you want and don’t want,” she says. “I’m associating this decade with the next part of my life. I’ve always wanted to have kids—that’s something I’ve never questioned and has always been really important to me. So, hopefully, dating will end soon, and this next decade will bring that into my life.”
Fanning’s hopefulness is guided by a mindset she embraced around 30. “I had this [mental] shift,” she says. “Instead of focusing on the things that I don’t have yet, I switched it to, ‘Oh my god, how exciting. There’s so much that’s yet to come.’ I want to continue to tell myself to be excited instead of worrying. I want to focus on possibility. It’s all yet to come.”
This perspective feels perfectly in step with how Fanning has always moved through the world—with intention, grace, and a quiet determination to evolve on her own terms. From adolescent actress to leading woman, she’s spent decades mastering the art of transformation. Now, as she steps into this next chapter, Fanning isn’t chasing reinvention—she’s embracing expansion on all fronts. The foundation she’s built will only deepen, the stories she tells will grow richer, and the life she’s envisioned is steadily coming into view. For Dakota Fanning, the true beauty of life lies in what’s already been and in all that’s still ahead.
