Elle Fanning by Jason Armond for Los Angeles Times December 2024

Mary Elle Fanning (born April 9, 1998), is an American actress and fashion model. The younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning, she made her film debut as the younger version of her sister's character in the drama film I Am Sam (2001). As a child actress, she appeared in a string of films including Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Babel (2006), Phoebe in Wonderland (2008), and Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010).

In 2011, Fanning starred in her breakout role as Alice Dainard in J. J. Abrams' sci-fi-drama, Super 8, for which she received positive reviews and a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival. In the wake of this success, she had leading roles in the films We Bought a Zoo (2011), Ginger & Rosa (2012), and Maleficent (2014), in which she portrayed Princess Aurora. She made a transition into independent cinema with roles in films such as 3 Generations (2015), The Neon Demon (2016), 20th Century Women (2016), and The Beguiled (2017), the latter reuniting her with Coppola.