Celebrity Birthday: Elle Fanning - 25

 

Although Elle Fanning was once more familiar to the public as Dakota Fanning’s younger sister, she has earned recognition in her own right as an actress. Her long, strawberry blonde hair and a fresh face reminiscent of a young Nicole Kidman has only added to her popularity among horror and science fiction movie & television fans. As she turns 25 years old today, let’s take a look at the prolific career this young actress has already enjoyed.

Elle Started Acting as Her Real Sister’s On-Screen Counterpart

Although modern fans of Elle Fanning might not have recognized her, the actress made her first on-screen appearance in 2001’s I Am Sam. In that film, Dakota Fanning plays the 7-year-old daughter of a mentally handicapped man (Sean Penn). The daughter, Lucy, appears in flashbacks as a means of telling the story of how she came to become in the sole care of her mentally-handicapped father. For those flashbacks, Elle played the younger version of her sister’s character.

Elle followed that role up with a role on the TV miniseries, Taken (2002). The limited series revolved around families targeted by extraterrestrials, suffering multiple abductions throughout several generations. In the miniseries, Elle plays 3-year-old Allie Clarke.

Following her first experience in the world of sci-fi, Fanning found success in a series of TV guest appearances. Some of her guess appearances on the small screen included single-episode roles on Judging Amy (2003), CSI: Miami (2003), CSI: NY (2004), House (2006), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2006). Through those same years, Elle started appearing in more feature films as well. Her early film credits include Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Babel (2006), Déjà vu (2006), and The Nines (2007).

Super 8 Makes Elle Fanning a Super Star

From the year she turned nine, Elle’s acting focused on big screen feature films. She was cast in Reservation Road (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Somewhere (2010), and The Nutcracker: The Untold Story (2010). While each of those roles were memorable in  their own ways, none of them showcased Elle Fanning as prominently as Super 8 (2011).

The J.J. Abrams written and directed sci-fi feature revolved around a group of young friends in 1978 Ohio. The friends are endeavoring to make a student horror film with Alice Dainard (Fanning) as their star. During a film sequence at a nearby train station, the group witnesses a devastating train crash. They discover something sensational that could inadvertently destroy their small town and change the world forever. The film also stars A.J. Michalka, Kyle Chandler, and Joel Courtney.

In addition to the horror film, Twixt (2011), Elle followed up her Super 8 stardom with roles in We Bought a Zoo (2011), Ginger & Rosa (2011), Young Ones (2014), and Low Down (2014). However, none of those roles paralleled her earlier fame. Her career might have stagnated if an opportunity to enter the faerie realm hadn’t presented itself.

Elle Fanning Becomes a Disney Princess

Ms. Fanning was cast opposite Angelina Jolie in Disney’s live action adaptation of Sleeping Beauty (1959), entitled Maleficent (2014). Elle plays Aurora in the film, the kingdom’s orphaned princess. Elle beat out Kristen Stewart for the role of Aurora.

In 2019’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Fanning reprises her role as Princess Aurora. In this sequel, family bonds are again tested as Maleficent’s evil nature is tested to its limit.

The Neon Demon Gives a Ghastly Look at the Modeling Industry

Elle’s next breakout role was in director Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon (2016). This horror/thriller follows Jesse (Fanning), a struggling modeling hopeful as she pursues fame, riches, and success. Her rise to fame is more difficult and bloodier than she ever could have imagined.

To prepare for her role, Elle watched Valley of the Dolls (1970). The actress would spend the next three years working on The Neon Demon in one way or another. She was 16 when filming began, 17 by the time production completed, and she spent her 18th year marketing the premiere of the film.

Elle once shared that the actresses (Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee, and Fanning) were virtually drowned in fake blood throughout the film’s production. The crew added a syrupy taste to the fake blood to make it more appealing for scenes in which the stars had to taste the blood.

The Neon Demon also starred Keanu Reeves and Christina Hendricks.

Elle Slows Down With a Mystery

In The Vanishing of Sydney Hall, Fanning plays a mysterious girl named Melody. She comes into the life of an aspiring writer who finds success with his first novel after leaving high school. That writer, Sydney Hall (Logan Lerman) disappears without a trace and Melody may be the only clue to his whereabouts. The film reunites Elle with her fellow Super 8 star, Kyle Chandler.

Another standout role for Elle Fanning was the 2017 biopic, Mary Shelley. In the film, Fanning plays the famed Frankenstein author and women’s rights activist. The film explores Shelley’s political and social aspirations, her passion for writing, and her love for poet Percy Shelley (Douglas Booth).

 

More films worthy of mentioning for Elle Fanning’s fans include Galveston (2018), Teen Spirit (2018), All the Bright Places (2020), and The Roads Not Taken (2020).

What’s Next for Elle Fanning?

Most recently, Elle starred in the highly-rated The Great, a 2020 Hulu series that’s still ongoing. The series takes a comedic look at the life of an 18th century Russian royal. The series also stars Nicholas Hoult and Phoebe Fox.

Ms. Fanning also starred in the 2022 miniseries, The Girl From Plainville. The limited series follows the real life case of Michelle Carter, a girl who convinced her boyfriend to commit suicide. The series was well done and looked at the events from multiple perspectives. Due to the sensitive topics in the series, some scenes may be triggering to viewers.

Coming up, Elle will co-star in Francis and the Godfather along with Jake Gyllenhaal and Oscar Isaac. The film showcases the rivalry and conflict between a young Francis Ford Coppola and producer Robert Evans during the production of The Godfather (1972). The has yet to be a release date announced.

 

Elle Fanning will also star in the film adaptation of Kristin Hannah's  The Nightingale. In the film, Elle plays one of two sisters who are separated as WWII reaches France. Dakota Fanning will play Elle’s sister in the film. The Nightingale is still in pre-production, so the release date hasn’t been announced yet.