Dakota Fanning has opened up about her childhood experiences in Hollywood.
Fanning, who began her acting career at six, shared candid insights with The Cut about growing up in the spotlight.
She recalled bizarre interviews from her youth, where journalists asked invasive questions.
“How are you avoiding becoming a tabloid girl?’ People would ask super-inappropriate questions,” she said.
“I was in an interview as a child and somebody asked, ‘How could you possibly have any friends?’ It’s like, Huh?”
Fanning expressed that she has “a lot of compassion for people who have been made into examples” because of the previous young-Hollywood tabloid culture.
She continued, “If society and the media hadn’t played their part, who knows?”
This seemed to reference the changing perspective on children in the industry, especially after witnessing the challenging childhoods of former child stars.
“I don’t think that it’s necessarily connected a hundred percent to being in this business; there are other factors, too. I just didn’t fall into it, and I don’t know the exact reasons except that my family is made up of very nice, kind, protective people.”
The Twilight alum also credits her mother, Hannah Joy Arrington, for teaching her “how to treat other people and also how to treat myself.”
Fanning recalled, “She was there every second. I was always treated with respect. It was never, ‘Bring the kid in! Get her out!’ I wasn’t working with people who treated me that way — I was being respected as an actor and as equal as you can be for that age.
“Looking back on my life, my career is such a present part of it, but I really think about the childhood memories, too. My life doesn’t feel disproportionate with work, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m there doing work that matters.”
Regarding the notion of the “fallen child actor,” Fanning later remarked that she’s “definitely felt this kind of vibe from people almost wanting me to fail or something. It makes you feel a little bit guarded. I’m just living my life over here.”
After making her TV debut on ER in 2000, Fanning gained recognition the following year for her role as Lucy Diamond Dawson in the 2001 film I Am Sam, alongside her sister Elle Fanning. Since then, she has appeared in numerous film and TV projects.
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