Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning (born Hannah Dakota Fanning) is an actress known for her breakout success as a child star in films including I Am Sam, War of the Worlds and Charlotte’s Web, before transitioning into acclaimed adult roles in television and film. Dakota was raised in Conyers, Georgia, alongside her younger sister Elle Fanning, who also became an actress. After her family moved to Los Angeles in 2000, she attended Campbell High School in California and later attended New York University.

Dakota began her acting career at age 5, first appearing in stage productions before transitioning to television with roles on shows including ER and Spin City. She earned widespread recognition for her performance opposite Sean Penn in I Am Sam (2001). Her role earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination, making her the youngest nominee in SAG history at the time. She quickly became one of Hollywood’s most recognizable child actors with starring roles in Uptown Girls (2003), Man on Fire (2004), War of the Worlds (2005) and The Secret Life of Bees (2008).

As an adult, Fanning continued her career with projects including the Twilight franchise (2009–2012), The Alienist (2018), The Equalizer 3 (2023), Ripley (2024), The Perfect Couple (2024) and The Sun Never Sets (2026). Her work in Ripley earned renewed awards attention, including Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

Dakota has previously dated model Jamie Strachan and was later linked to Henry Frye. She has remained relatively private about her dating life.