Dakota and Elle Fanning cover the December issue of W Magazine. The sisters pose for glamorous photos, by photographer Mario Sorrenti,and answer questions about fame, clothes, and reality shows.
13-yeqar-old Elle on becoming famous: “After Somewhere came out, people started to recognize me more. Whenever I was walking down the street, they’d be like, ‘Oh, wow‹are you Elle Fanning?’ Before Somewhere, they asked me if I was Dakota Fanning, because we looked alike, and I’d say, ‘No, I’m her younger sister.’ And they’d say, ‘Oh, okay.’ But now I think they are starting to realize I’m my own person.”
Elle on whether the Chanel couture show in Paris lived up to her expectations: “Oh, yes! When I found out that I was invited to the Chanel show that was the loudest I¹ve ever screamed in my life. That was the best day of my life…”
Elle on working with Spielberg: “It was great! I was 12 when I did Super 8, and when Dakota was 12, she did War of the Worlds. Steven Spielberg was involved with both movies, so we both worked with Steven when we were 12.”
17-year-old Dakota on living on her own at college in New York: “[I have] no roomates. Because I’m only 17, my mom is staying with me in my apartment for a little bit. She¹s teaching me how to wash clothes and such. But I’m so excited to be on my own. In my house in L.A., we all feel that everything is everybody’s, and so doors are never really closed. My sister and I share a bathroom, and when you have a sibling, nothing is actually your own. I’ve never really had anything or any place that was just mine.”
Dakota on being a celebrity through high school: “It’s all I’ve ever experienced, and it’s what I’m used to. When you’re 6 years old, which is when I started, I think you start forming how you think about things. I’ve dealt with being known for so long that it’s just kind of normal to me. And that attention comes with what I love to do, which is act.”
Photos: Mario Sorrenti
