Dakota Fanning

She learned to read a little at the age of two.

At the age of eight, she became the youngest person to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award - for her supporting acting in the movie I Am Sam .

When she received the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her performance in I Am Sam , she was too short to reach the microphone to give her acceptance speech. Presenter Orlando Bloom held her up to the mike for the duration of her speech, which turned out to be quite long.

She began her acting career at the age of five when she was picked for a Tide detergent commercial.

Her father named her Dakota, her mother named her Hannah. She then was named Hannah Dakota Fanning.

Dakota is one of 14 grandchildren.

Parents are Joy Fanning (aka Joy Arrington Fanning) and Steven Fanning.

Her favorite films include Gone with the Wind , Steel Magnolias and Titanic .

Collected dolls when she was younger.

Dakota was schooled at home and on sets by her tutor, but she joined high school in her freshman year.

Looks up to Meryl Streep and Hilary Swank , "not just because theyre great actresses, but because they are amazing people".

Fanning is an Anglicised form of the Gaelic Fionn, meaning "fair", and may have Norman roots from the Viking invasion of northern France. Her mothers maiden name Arrington has links to the east of England, notably Cambridgeshire.

She donated many signed items to Rocky Stone to be given away as prizes in a Dakota Fanning Contest to benefit less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign 2005 and Toy Mountain Campaign 2006.

First time she visited England was on the June 19, 2005 with Tom Cruise , to attend the premiere of War of the Worlds at Londons Leicester Square.

Loves to knit and has knitted scarfs for Tom Cruise , Robert De Niro , Denzel Washington , Oprah Winfrey , Steven Spielberg and Tim Robbins.

For the sad scenes in I Am Sam , she thought of her pet goldfish, Flounder, dying.

Carried a book of baby names with her wherever she went as a child.

She has been to Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, England and France.

Was a member of the Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet for one year.

On her eleventh birthday, Tom Cruise gave her a cell phone.

Listed as a potential nominee on the 2004 Razzie Award nominating ballot. She was suggested in the Worst Supporting Actress category for her role in The Cat in the Hat . She was also suggested as an official nominee in the "Worst Screen Couple" couple category with co-star Spencer Breslin in The Cat in the Hat . She was relieved to get neither of these nominations.

Is a member of the Girl Scouts USA, and her sister Elle Fanning is a Brownie.

Is learning to speak French. She also learned to speak some Spanish for her role in Man on Fire .

Missed the premiere of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch to go to Mexico while her sister Elle Fanning filmed Babel (2006/I) .

Began kindergarten at the age of four and one-half. She began her freshman year of high school (the 9th grade) in fall 2007.

During filming of War of the Worlds , Tom Cruise gave her an iPod.

(October 2005) Was a Girl Scout.

After filming Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story , Kurt Russell , who plays her father, bought her a palomino horse, whom she named Goldie. Goldie lives on a ranch near Dakotas home where she can visit him often.

Her tutor is Jan Cerwonka.

Her scene in Nine Lives was done in just one take. She was only required to work on this movie for one day.

Has said she would love to be a director.

On her 10th birthday, Robert De Niro gave her a doll that looked like Dakotas character in Hide and Seek , with the brown hair and blue eyes.

Plays the piano and the violin, knits, collects dolls, ride horses and dances ballet.

Niece of ESPN reporter Jill Arrington , and Jills husband, Dean Panaro. Granddaughter of Mary Jane Arrington and NFL quarterback Rick Arrington.

She was the youngest member of the "Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences", which admitted her in 2006.

Ranked number nine in "E!" TVs list of the cutest child stars, all grown-up - even though she was still just a girl in 2005.

Has been in three productions with her sister Elle Fanning , yet they have never shared scenes. Elle played the younger version of Dakotas characters in I Am Sam and "Taken" , and the two girls voiced sisters in a dub for Tonari no Totoro .

While she was filming Man on Fire in Mexico, her sister Elle Fanning was filming The Door in the Floor , so their parents had to go to and from their daughters destinations.

Her first word was "Momo", which was the family cats name.

Has mentioned in numerous interviews that she would love to work with her sister, Elle Fanning.

For her, the hardest thing at the end of a movie is saying goodbye to the cast.

A doll was made of her (as her character Cale Crane) for the movie Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story .

She was friends with her late Uptown Girls co-star Brittany Murphy.

Is a huge fan of US designer Belle of the Ball. She has worn many Belle of the Ball dresses to events such as the Hide and Seek premiere.

Was originally offered the role of Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia , but turned it down because of conflicting schedules. AnnaSophia Robb was later given the role.

Permed her hair for her films in 2005.

While she lived in in Georgia, she attended a Montessori school for a brief period of time.

Ranked number 14 on the Forbes List of The 20 Top-Earning Young Superstars in 2007.

Ranked number 94 on the Forbes List of "The Celebrity 100" in 2007.

In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated her earnings for the year to be $4 million.

Ranked number six in Interview magazines "Hollywood Faces to Watch" article: "Future Stars of Tomorrow".

Ranked number 19 along with her sister, Elle Fanning , on Entertainment Weekly magazines "30 Under 30" actress list in 2008.

Ranked #8 alongside Abigail Breslin on TV Guide Top 10 Teen Star Countdown.

Ranked number four in the Moviefone list of the "The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25" in 2008.

For the 2008-09 school year, she was a cheerleader for Campbell Hall, a private Episcopal Church college-preparatory school in North Hollywood, California, which fields a number of sports teams.

Her favorite scary movie as a child, was The Wizard of Oz .

She had not read all of the books from the Twilight series by the writer Stephenie Meyer before she got hired for the cast of the movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon , but she wanted to take the role because she loved the cast and the script.

Started recording the voice of Coraline when she was just 10 years old, but this movie was not released until she was 15 years old.

She chose her costumes and looks in Push . Some of the clothes were actually her own.

When the production of Coraline started, it was originally going to be a live action, still with Dakota in the lead.

While filming Push in Hong Kong, she wasnt recognized.

Because of rape scenes that she was involved in, her movie Hounddog was banned in many cities.

Has the rare distinction of being in the cast of two movies that opened on the same day in the United States: - Coraline and Push , on February 6, 2009.

She became close friends with Tom Cruise after working with him on War of the Worlds .

Good friends with Kristen Stewart.

She graduated with honors from North Hollywoods Campbell Hall Episcopal High School on June 6, 2011.

She was a cheerleader and was voted homecoming queen in high school.

Her favorite book is "Charlottes Web" by E.B. White , and her favorite book series are "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling , "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Daniel Handler , and "Nancy Drew" by Mildred Wirt Benson.

Has a schnoodle dog named Lewellen.

Had to wear braces for two years.

(June 2011) Announced that she would begin her first semester of college at New York University in fall 2011.

Is a Delta Gamma sorority influence with her aunt, Jill Arrington , being a Delta Gamma member alumna.

Her paternal grandmother, Katharina Kramb, was German. Her other ancestry is Irish, English, French, and Channel Islander (Jersey and Guernsey).

Her favorite movie, which made her cry, is Whats Eating Gilbert Grape .

Often wears pieces from the "Elizabeth and James" clothing line, designed by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen.

Blue Valentine is one of her favorite movies and it inspired her to do more indie films.

Seeing model Jamie Strachan publicly as of September 2013.

(December 2005) She helped in raising 2,206 toys for the Less Fortunate Kids as part of the 2005 Toy Mountain Campaign with Rocky Stone.

(September 2005) Toronto, Canada: Attended the world premiere of Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story and the press conference.

For Dakotas 16th birthday, Cherie Currie (who Dakota portrayed in the movie The Runaways ) gave her a custom made guitar.

Dakota is currently attending New York University, and this has inspired her sister Elle Fanning to attend college.

While living in Georgia, Dakota attended a Montessori School, where she learned to read at the age of two.

Dakota worked with her sister Elle Fanning in the movie Tonari no Totoro , where the characters were sisters as well.

Dakota is a huge fan of Hello Kitty, and she states that she has gotten into it more now she has gotten older.

During the filming of War of the Worlds , the airplane crash set was Dakotas favorite set.

Dakotas first kissing scene was in the movie, Sweet Home Alabama , with actor Thomas Curtis.

Counts Charlottes Web as her most profound weepie which she first saw as an in-flight film and wept so much she woke the passenger next to her.

I have no problem shooting emotional scenes.

I feel so blessed to have been able to be in,War of the Worlds (2005) .

The hardest thing is at the end you have to say bye to all these people who you have worked with for so many months. It was really sad not to see them anymore. But you have the parties that you go to and you get to see them, like the premieres and the screenings.