In spite of Dakota Fanning Having been acting professionally since the age of six, the 30-year-old actress just received the most important award of her career: an Emmy nomination for the Netflix limited series Ripley. It was a fitting project for that explosive moment, given what the nine-month international shoot demanded of her. “I gave it my all—personally, professionally, creatively, I gave it my all,” Fanning said in an interview this week. Little Yellow Men (listen or read on below). “I look back and think, if I can do that, I can do anything.”
A reimagining of Patricia Highsmith’s iconic novel, written and directed entirely by Oscar winner Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Night of), stars Andrew Scott as the eponymous con man infiltrates the lavish life of a wealthy son named Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) and his skeptical girlfriend, Marge (Fanning). Before the show premiered, Zaillian told me why he cast Fanning, “She looks like… a ’40s movie star. She’s very expressive in a subtle way. Her performance is really remarkable.” Even when we’re stuck in Tom Ripley’s unreliable POV, Fanning manages to command the screen, her decades of experience in front of the camera showing off in clever, revealing, and carefully staged close-ups. Even if some scenes take a few tries to get right.
“I’m really curious to know what takes were used in those scenes,” she laughs. “Like, is there a first take in the show? Because I bet there isn’t.”
It’s new territory for Fanning, who has worked steadily but also struggled to be seen as an adult actor, even decades later. I’m Sam And War of the Worlds. But she feels that this is finally changing. In addition RipleyShe also has a lucrative role in the upcoming Netflix film Perfect couple main actor Nicole Kidman and she’s working behind the scenes, co-running a production company called Lewellen Pictures with her sister, Elle Fanning. “I’m not the youngest person on set anymore!” she says at one point during our interview. That dynamic promises an exciting return for an actress who’s been a household name since she was in elementary school.
Vanity Fair: I believe this is the biggest industry recognition you’ve received since your first major film, I’m SamYou were nominated for a SAG award when you were seven years old. Am I right?
Dakota Fanning: Yes, seven.
How do you feel about this Emmy award since you have been in the industry for such a long time?
It’s just a cherry on top of something that I really love. I love being an actor. I’ve loved doing this for so long. And it’s part of who I am as an actor. I don’t really know anything else. But of course, to be involved and to be recognized is really special, and I was so excited about it—especially for this series, because it’s something that requires incredible dedication from everyone.
What really struck me about your performance, especially when we started getting to know Marge, was your eyes. They spoke volumes, the way you challenged this intentional and misleading framework.
That was something that immediately struck me when I read the script: They were written from Tom’s perspective. And Steve was like, “Yeah, of course they’re written from Tom’s perspective—but that’s not always what’s really going on.” I was like, “Yeah, I get it,” and then I was like, “I guess I have to figure out the rest.” I was so excited about that. I was like, okay, that’s the challenge here, is to find Marge’s reality. I always approach characters and the work that I do from the inside. I think about the character’s inner life and thoughts more than the words.
It seems like Steven gave you space to come up with your own interpretation.
He definitely did. He’s very picky, and it’s actually great because you feel safe that he’ll tell you if you’re not on the right track.
