One of Hollywood's most-beloved starlets, Dakota Fanning, may be 20 years old now, but two years ago she was transitioning into an adult on and off-screen in the best way possible: Spending her summer skinny-dipping in the ocean with one of her best friends, riding a pink vintage bike up and down the Brighton Beach boardwalk—and oh yeah—spending a lot of time filming with a guy who gives off major young Ryan Gosling vibes. Doesn't sound too bad, huh?
Dakota's new flick Very Good Girls hits theaters today, and it marks a milestone. "I made this movie shortly after I turned 18, so I was on my own living in New York City and was alone on set for the first time. I could really relate to what was happening in the movie. It's such a story about independence and what it means to have your freedom," Dakota says. "We were filming in the summertime in New York, and that's always kind of a rare thing when you get to film in the season and place that you're supposed to be in. I've filmed so many summer movies in the winter, or you're in some random location."
As for that best friend she ditched her swimsuit and ran into the ocean with? That's none other than Elizabeth Olsen, her partner-in-crime in the movie. "I've known Lizzie for a long time—we went to the same high school and we have a lot of mutual friends, so I knew her before making the movie," she says. "It was really fun to play friends and actually be friends in real life, which is sort of another rare thing. Usually you never know the person and then have to pretend to be friends. It was a very realistic sort of experience making this movie." So realistic that she was extra careful avoiding those hot rays with all the time they spent shooting outdoors. "Some of the days we filmed at the beach were really fun—we would do a take and then ride off down the boardwalk and come back to do another take. But all I could think about all summer was if I had enough sunscreen on! I'm so pale and I like being pale. I didn't want to be filming the movie then get a horrible sunburn."
You know, of course, that Dakota isn't the only actress in the Fanning family: Elle is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. But with all the huge roles the sisters have coming up—Elle in How to Talk to Girls at Parties and Dakota in The Last of Robin Hood—surprisingly they never go to each other for advice. "We've really kept that part of our lives separate," Dakota says. "She's never asked me whether she should do a movie or not. I always know what she's filming and where she is and who she's working with, but I don't give her advice on it. We both have our own paths that we're confident in, so she's never asked me. Of course I'd tell her if she wanted me to, but I also think that choosing the films that you want to do is a really personal thing—it's kind of just a feeling that you get and you're the only person who understands it."
The busier Dakota and Elle get, the busier their family gets, too—can you imagine having two superstars as daughters? "Maleficent and Night Moves were happening around the same time," Dakota says. "Our family saw Elle's movie then sent me a picture that they were seeing the movie that I was in. It's really funny." As for joining forces, they're waiting for the perfect moment, whenever that may be. "Doing a movie together is something we would definitely be interested in, but it's just about finding the right thing," Dakota continues. "Most of the things that have been brought to us had to do with playing sisters, and we both think it would be more unique to not play sisters. It's something we'll definitely do, but it's one of those things you want to do really amazingly one time." But Dakota's interest in working behind the camera might make it all happen sooner than we think. "I really want to be a director and produce things," she says. And out of anyone in Hollywood, guess who she wants to work with most? "My sister! Maybe that's the way to go."
Are you looking forward to Dakota and Elle's upcoming movies? Tell us in the comments!
