50 interesting facts about Dakota Fanning: Carries a baby name book with her, wants to direct one day

Dakota Fanning is a talented and beautiful young actress who is best known for her work in the Twilight films, Coraline, and War of the Worlds. She's won a Screen Actor's Guild Award.

1. Dakota Fanning was born in Conyers, Georgia on

2. Her father named her Dakota, her mother named her Hannah. She then was named Hannah Dakota Fanning.

3. Her last name "Fanning" is of Irish origin (Father's side). Also, she is of half-German descent (Mother's side).

4. Her first word was "Momo," which was the family cat's name.

5. Dakota is one of 14 grandchildren.

6. She's a bright girl and always has been. She learned to read at the age of two.

7. Her acting career began at age 5 when her mother enrolled her into a local acting workshop.

8. Her first professional gig was in a Tide commercial.

9. Her parents believed in her potential and decided to relocate the family to Los Angeles so she could pursue her acting career.

10. In 2000, she appeared on such programs as ER, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Practice.

11. At age 7, Fanning scored her big break opposite Sean Penn in I Am Sam, becoming the youngest performer ever to be nominated for an individual SAG Award.

12. For the 'sad' scenes in I Am Sam, she thought of her pet goldfish, Flounder, dying.

13. When she received the Best Young Actor/Actress award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association for her performance in I Am Sam, 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.

14. Dakota Fanning had her first onscreen kiss at age 7, playing a young Reese Witherspoon in 2002's Sweet Home Alabama.

15. Dakota also starred as as Charlize Theron's daughter in Trapped.

16. She headlined her first movie at age 9, Fanning in Uptown Girls in which she plays a neurotic grade-schooler opposite Brittany Murphy's ditzy nanny.

17. In 2003's The Cat in the Hat, Fanning played Sally, a beloved children's book character who, along with her brother, must contend with a visit from the title character (played by Mike Myers).

18. As a child, Dakota Fanning wore a dental device called a flipper to cover up the holes her baby teeth left after falling out.

19. Was homeschooled from second grade until she started high school in 2007.

20. She graduated with honors from North Hollywood's Campbell Hall Episcopal High School on June 6, 2011.

21. While at school, she participated on the varsity spirit cheerleading squad and was voted homecoming queen.

22. One of her hobbies is knitting and she even made a brown scarf for Tom Cruise who wore it on the set of War of the Worlds.

23. She has also knit scarves for Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Tim Robbins.

24. Robert De Niro gave a doll that looked like Dakota's character in Hide and Seek (2005), with the brown hair and blue eyes, on her 10th birthday.

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

26. Actor Kurt Russell, who plays her father in Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story, bought Dakota a palomino horse, whom she named Goldie.

27. She is fluent in French.

28. Her favorite films include Gone with the Wind, Titanic and Steel Magnolias.

29. Dakota can play the violin.

30. Dakota has starred in three movies with her younger sister Elle, yet they have never shared a scene together. Elle played the younger version of Dakota's characters in I Am Sam and Taken, and the two voiced sisters for My Neighbor Totoro.

31. Dakota is a member of the Girl Scouts USA, and her sister Elle Fanning is a Brownie.

32. Dakota loves to ride horses and ballet dance.

33. For her, the hardest thing at the end of a movie is saying goodbye to the cast.

34. Due to the rape scene that she was involved in, her movie Hounddog was banned in many cities. Some were shocked by the rape scene because of Fanning's young age and thought that it could have been potentially damaging to the 12-year-old actress. Others criticized her parents for allowing her to work on the project.

35. Her favorite book is "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White, and her favorite book series are "Harry Potter" by J.K. Rowling, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" by Daniel Handler, and "Nancy Drew" by Mildred Wirt Benson.

36. Her scene in Nine Lives was done in one take. She got to work on the movie only for one day.

37. She carries a baby names book with her wherever she goes.

38. Dakota is a member of the Red Cross.

39. In 2009, Fanning had a appearance in the hit film New Moon, the second installment in the popular teen vampire films based on the Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer. She had a supporting role in the film, playing Jane, a vampire who can hurt people just by looking at them.

40. While filming The Runaways, Dakota Fanning became close with Kristen Stewart. "She's one of my best friends," Fanning told The Miami Herald. "I couldn't have asked for a better person to go through this with." The film is based on Currie's autobiography Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway.

41. Her dream is to one day become a director. "I would love to direct someday. I've learned a lot from watching the directors I've worked with, like Steven Spielberg and Gary Winick," she told Time magazine.

42. Dakota Fanning's net worth is $16 million.

43. She is 5' 4" (1.63 m) tall.

44. Her nickname in the media and among her friends is Kota.

45. She is the niece of Jill Arrington and Dean Panaro. Granddaughter of Mary Jane Arrington and Rick Arrington.

46. Dakota is a fan of US designer Belle of the Ball. She has worn many Belle of the Ball dresses to events such as the Hide and Seek premiere.

47. Dakota is a good friend of John Travolta. Lucky girl!

    
    

48. She is currently studying at New York University.

49. In January 2012, Fanning signed to be represented by WME (William Morris-Endeavor) which ended a 10-year-plus relation with Osbrink Talent Agency.