Dakota Fanning is to star in and executive produce a major new thriller series for Apple TV+, but how much do you know about her?
There was great news for the many Dakota Fanning fans around the world, as Apple TV+ confirmed it had greenlit a new thriller that she will star in and executive produce.
Dakota will take the lead in the as-yet-untitled show created by Alex Cary, who is best known for Homeland and A Spy Among Friends.
The logline for the show says that Dakota will play a Treasury agent who goes undercover at a multibillion-dollar international conglomerate, which has tentacles in the political and criminal worlds too. As the agent gets more embroiled in the company, she becomes conflicted between her mission, and her feelings for the heir to the company, who might, after all, be a good man.
There is no date yet set for the show to hit screens, but there will be huge anticipation given the people involved.
It is yet another major project in Dakota’s stellar career, which now spans 25 years (!!). But how much do you know about Dakota Fanning? Here are some facts you might not know.
Her first role was in an advert
It is well known that Dakota made her acting breakthrough while still very young – but her first role wasn’t in a movie, it was in an advert for washing powder. At the tender age of five – in 1999 – Dakota appeared in an advert for Tide.
But this was soon followed up with guest roles in hospital drama ER, as well as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Spin City.
However, Dakota’s career really took off when she was seven and starred in I Am Sam, alongside Sean Penn and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Dakota was homecoming queen – twice
Dakota attended high school at Campbell Hall School in Studio City, California, alongside her acting work. While she was there she was on the varsity spirit cheerleading squad and was voted as homecoming queen twice.
Following graduation, Dakota attended the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, where she majored in women’s studies, focusing on the portrayal of women in film and culture.
Dakota Fanning: record breaker
Dakota rose to fame at a young age, so it is no surprise that she broke some age-related Hollywood records. For instance, for her role in her breakthrough movie, I Am Sam, she became the youngest person to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award, at just seven years of age.
Also, at the age of 12, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, becoming the youngest member in the organization’s history.
She hasn’t acted with her sister – yet
Dakota is, of course, the older sister of Elle Fanning. While the sisters have both forged successful careers in Hollywood, they haven’t actually acted in anything together – yet.
While they both appeared in I Am Sam, playing the character at different ages, they obviously weren’t in any scenes together.
The sisters were signed up to play Kate and Anna in My Sister’s Keeper in 2008, but on finding out she would have to shave her head for the role, Dakota backed out. Elle soon followed suit.
However, Dakota and Elle are set to appear together as sisters in World War II-set movie The Nightingdale, which is set for release next year.
Dakota loves to knit
Dakota has various hobbies, but one of her favourites is knitting. Indeed, she has apparently knitted scarves for various co-stars on movies she has worked on over the years, including Tom Cruise, Robert Di Niro and Denzel Washington.
She owns a production company with her sister
In 2021, Dakota and Elle formed a production company, Lewellen Pictures to develop their own film and television projects. Their first production was The Last House Guest. The company currently has a first-look deal with MRC Television/Civic Centre Media.
