Dakota Fanning learned to read a little at the age of two

Dakota Fanning learned to read a little at the age of two.

Her little sister is Elle Fanning

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 (2001).

When she received the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her performance in I Am Sam (2001), 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: Joy Arrington Fanning and Steven Fanning.

Her favorite films include Gone with the Wind (1939), Titanic (1997) and Steel Magnolias(1989).

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 they're 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 mother's 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 19th June 2005 with Tom Cruise, to attend the premiere of War of the Worlds (2005) at London's 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 (2001), 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, 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.

Can play the violin.

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 Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003). She was also suggested as an official nominee in the "Worst Screen Couple" couple category with co-star Spencer Breslin in the Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat (2003). 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 (2004).

Missed the premiere of Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005) to go to Mexico while her sister Elle Fanning filmed Babel (2006).

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

During filming of War of the Worlds (2005), Tom Cruise gave her an iPod.

Is now a Girl Scout [Oct. 2005].

After filming Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005), Kurt Russell, who plays her father, bought her a palomino horse, whom she named Goldie. Goldie lives on a ranch near Dakota's home where she can visit him often.

Tutor is Jan Cerwonka.

Her scene in Nine Lives (2005) 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 Dakota's character in Hide and Seek (2005), with the brown hair and blue eyes.

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

Niece of Jill Arrington and Dean Panaro. Granddaughter of Mary Jane Arrington and Rick Arrington.

Some interesting facts about Elle Fanning

Younger sister of Dakota Fanning.
Enjoys playing soccer
Parents names are Joy Arrington Fanning and Steven Fanning.
Her mom named her Mary and her dad named her Elle, so her name is Mary Elle Fanning. Like her older sister, Dakota Fanning, she uses her middle name instead of her first name.
Learned the piano.
Is one of 14 grandchildren
Casting notes for the role of young Ruth Cole in The Door in the Floor (2004) originally called for identical twins, because producers believed the workload of the character to be too much for one little girl to take.
As a child, Elle played the role of newborn in her some of her big sister Dakota's projects.
To celebrate her seventh birthday, she went with her family to see Cirque du Soleil perform "Quidam" during its run in Melbourne, Australia.
When she attended her first Hollywood premiere, she was only three and a half years old.
Dressed up as Marilyn Monroe for Halloween.
Her grandmother spent $US600 at an auction buying her an old cream container that used to belong to Marilyn Monroe.
Niece of Jill Arrington. Granddaughter of Mary Jane Arrington and Rick Arrington.
Was submitted for Emmy consideration for her guest-starring role on House M.D. (2004).
She donated a signed picture to Rocky Stone to be given away as a prize in a Dakota Fanning contest to benefit less-fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign 2006.
Was home-schooled by her grandmother, Mary Jane Arrington, until 2007.
Was ranked #19 alongside her sister, Dakota Fanning, on Entertainment Weekly's "30 Under 30" the actress list (2008).
Middle name is pronounced "El", as in the letter L, not "Ellie".
She has Irish, English, French, and German ancestry.
Is near-sighted and uses contact lenses most of the time. But she loves collecting "nerdy" looking glasses.
She and her family are members of the Southern Baptist Convention.
She was only three and a half years old when she attended her first Hollywood premiere.
She has pictures of Marilyn Monroe in her room, and she also has a picture of Regis Philbin.
She loves to draw.
She and her sister Dakota Fanning love to watch Fear Factor.
When her sister, Dakota Fanning, appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show, the whole family was gifted with a matching set of pajamas. Elle's pajama suit was blue and her name was written across the back.
During the filming of Phoebe in Wonderland, Patricia Clarkson bought her a bracelet that said 'LAUGH' at one of the teenagers store in the Hamptons, New York.

Elle Fanning Career