The US Trends | Dakota Fanning | Dakota Fanning is an American actress. The breakthrough performance of Dakota Fanning was in 2001, as performed in I Am Sam.As a child actress, Dakota Fanning appeared in some high_profile films such as Charlotte//'s Web,Man on Fire,and War of the Worlds.In Hound Dog andThe Secret Life of Bees, Dakota Fanning began her transition from child to more adult roles in films.The Runaways was her recent films,in addition to the fantasy-horror animated children//'s movie Coraline,and The Twilight Saga. Fanning has won several movie awards and for the Screen Actors Guild Award,she was the youngest nominee.

Dakota Fanning, was born Hannah Dakota Fanning on February 23,1994,in Conyers, Georgia. Fanning was born into an athletic family as the daughter of a minor league baseball player and a tennis player.Her mother enrolled Dakota in an acting class at an early age,and Fanning landed her 1st commercial at 5years old.

Dakota Fanning 1st found success in commercials and on television.In2000, Fanning appeared on such programs asER,CSI:Crime Scene Investigation,andThe Practice. Dakota Fanning then earned aScreen ActorsGuild Award for her work withSean Penn in IAmSam(2001).In the film, Fanning played the daughter of a man with mental disabilities(Penn)who becomes the subject of a custody battle.Fanning//'s younger sisterElle also appeared in the film.

The following year, Dakota Fanning played a young version ofReeseWitherspoon in the popular romantic comedySweet Home Alabama(2002). Fanning also appeared in the science fiction television miniseriesTaken,developed bySteven Spielberg,around this time.

In2003//'sThe Cat inThe Hat, Dakota Fanning playedSally,a beloved children//'s book character who,along with her brother,must contend with a visit from the title character(played byMikeMyers). Fanning also starred with rittany Murphy in the widely panned comedy Uptown Girls 2003).Taking on more substantial subject matter,she appeared opposite Denzel Washington in the crime thriller Man on Fire (2004).She played a young girl kidnapped by a Mexican crime cartel,and Washington portrayed the former assassin turned bodyguard who works to save her.

Continuing to work with "A" list stars, Dakota Fanning played Tom Cruise//'s daughter in the2005 remake of the science fiction classic War of theWorlds. Fanning also appeared in the thrillerHide andSeek with Robert De Niro that same year.Returning to more kid_friendly fare,Fanning starred in the film adaptation of Charlotte\\'s Web (2006),based on the book byE.B.White.

Creating controversy, Dakota Fanning appeared in the independent1950s drama Hounddog(2007). Fanning played a poor southern girl with an obsession withElvis Presley who endures a sexual assault at the hands of an older teen.Some were shocked by the rape scene because of Fanning\\'s young age and thought that it could have been potentially damaging to the12_year_old actress.Others criticized her parents for allowing her to work on the project.Objecting to the criticism,Fanning said that the personal attacks aimed at her family were"extremely uncalled for and hurtful,"according to a report inUSAToday.

The following year, Dakota Fanning starred in another southern drama,The Secret Life of Bees. Fanning played a young girl who runs away from home with her caregiver(Jennifer Hudson)and finds sanctuary with three sisters.Trying her hand at an action film,Fanning appeared in Push(2009)as a girl with paranormal powers.The film proved to be a commercial and critical flop. Fanning had better luck with her voiceover efforts that year,voicing the title character inCoraline,a fantastical tale byNeilGaiman about a girl who finds a seemingly better version of her family by opening a door to an alternate world.

Also in2009, Dakota Fanning had a appearance in the hit film NewMoon,the 2nd installment in the popular teen vampire films based on theTwilight books byJennifer eyer. Fanning had a supporting role in the film,playingJane,a vampire who can hurt people just by looking at them.During the making of the film,Fanning became good friends with actress Kristen Stewart.The 2then worked together onThe Runaways(2010), which chronicled the rise and fall of the innovative1970s a girl punk band.Stewart played rock icon Joan Jett while Fanning playedCherie Currie,the group\\'s lead singer known for her highly sexual stage persona.The film is based on Currie\\'s autobiography Neon Angel:A Memoir of aRunaway.

Next up for Dakota Fanning will beThe Twilight Saga:Breaking Dawn,in which she will reprise her role as Jane.In addition to taking on more acting projects, Fanning also hopes to get a chance to work behind the camera."I would love to direct someday.I\\'ve learned a lot from watching the directors I\\'ve worked with,likeSteven Spielberg andGary Winick,"she toldTime magazine.