Elle Fanning

Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia, and moved with her family to Los Angeles when she was a toddler so her older sister, Dakota Fanning, could pursue acting opportunities. She began performing before turning three, playing younger versions of Dakota's characters in I Am Sam (2001) and the miniseries Taken (2002). The sisters later voiced siblings in the English-dubbed version of Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro, with Elle playing Mei and Dakota voicing Satsuki.

Her first major role independent of her sister came in Daddy Day Care (2003). She followed it with appearances in The Door in the Floor, Because of Winn-Dixie, Babel, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Phoebe in Wonderland. For The Door in the Floor, producers who had initially planned to cast identical twins were impressed enough with Fanning to use her alone despite the demanding shooting schedule.

Fanning also worked regularly in television during her early years, appearing in Judging Amy, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, House, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Criminal Minds. She attended school after being homeschooled for part of her childhood, studied ballet seriously, and graduated from Campbell Hall School in 2016.

Fanning's first starring film role was in Phoebe in Wonderland (2008), in which she played a troubled child. She gained wider notice in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010), playing the daughter of a Hollywood actor, and in J. J. Abrams's science-fiction film Super 8 (2011), where she portrayed Alice Dainard. She also appeared in Francis Ford Coppola's Twixt and Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo during the same period.

In Ginger & Rosa (2012), directed by Sally Potter, Fanning played Ginger opposite Alice Englert's Rosa. Her performance drew strong critical praise for its emotional precision and naturalism. She then expanded her range with roles in 3 Generations, The Neon Demon, Mike Mills's 20th Century Women, The Beguiled, I Think We're Alone Now, Galveston, and Teen Spirit.

Fanning portrayed the writer Mary Shelley in Haifaa al-Mansour's 2017 biographical drama. She also worked repeatedly with Sofia Coppola, appearing in both Somewhere and The Beguiled. In 2019, she became the youngest juror in the history of the Cannes Film Festival when she served on the international competition jury.

Fanning began her first leading television role in 2020 as Catherine the Great in Hulu's historical satire The Great. Starring opposite Nicholas Hoult, she played a version of the future Russian empress as she navigated court politics, marriage, and the struggle for power. The performance earned her Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy nominations, as well as a Satellite Award for best actress in a comedy series.

She played Michelle Carter in Hulu's 2022 miniseries The Girl from Plainville, for which she also served as an executive producer. In 2023, she made her official Broadway debut in Branden Jacobs-Jenkins's play Appropriate, appearing alongside Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll.

In A Complete Unknown (2024), Fanning portrayed Sylvie Russo, a character based on Bob Dylan's former girlfriend Suze Rotolo, opposite Timothée Chalamet. She later played Rachel Kemp, an ambitious American actress, in Joachim Trier's Sentimental Value. The performance earned Fanning her first Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress.

Fanning also performed a motion-capture role as Tomorrow in Hideo Kojima's video game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, contributed to its soundtrack with Woodkid, and portrayed the android sisters Thia and Tessa in Predator: Badlands.

Fanning has combined acting with producing. She and Dakota Fanning founded Lewellen Pictures in 2021, and the company produced Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer for Hulu. Elle has also served as an executive producer on The Great, The Girl from Plainville, and Margo's Got Money Troubles.

Her work outside acting includes fashion campaigns for Tiffany & Co., Miu Miu, and Cartier. She also directed the short film Gucci Always Wins in 2020.

Fanning made her singing debut as a fictional performer in Teen Spirit, where she played Violet, a teenager competing in a singing contest. She has also spoken publicly about her interest in magic and has participated in stage illusions as a magician's assistant.