Elle Fanning
A luminous screen presence who transitioned seamlessly from a gifted child actor into a daring and nuanced performer in bold, auteur-driven cinema.
Born 1998 (age 28)·American actress·Birthday: April 9·Generation Z
Biography
Elle Fanning grew up in the glow of the camera, but she learned to command it. The younger sister of Dakota Fanning, she began acting at a startlingly young age, holding her own alongside Sean Penn in 'I Am Sam.' Yet, unlike many who start so young, she avoided being typecast. Instead, she sought out strange and challenging roles, from a haunted child in 'Super 8' to a teenage Jellyfish in 'The Boxtrolls.' Her true arrival as a formidable adult actor came with Sofia Coppola's 'The Beguiled,' where her subtle performance crackled with tension. She then fully embraced a new era of complex, often unsettling characters, most notably as Catherine the Great in Hulu's 'The Great,' for which she earned award nominations, delivering a performance that was by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and fiercely intelligent, proving her to be one of her generation's most adventurous talents.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Elle was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Elle Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Elle's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role in 'The Great.'
- Became the youngest competitor for the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in 'Ginger & Rosa' at age 14.
- Served as a member of the main competition jury at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
- Portrayed a young version of her sister Dakota's character in the film 'I Am Sam.'
Did You Know?
She is the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning.
She is a trained ballet dancer.
She and her sister are the founders of the production company Lewellen Pictures.
She was born on the same day as her 'Maleficent' co-star, Angelina Jolie's, wedding to Billy Bob Thornton (April 9, 1998).
““I’m drawn to characters that are a little off, that have a quirk to them. I like when they’re not so easily definable.””
