Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning (born Mary Elle Fanning) is an actress and the younger sister of actress Dakota Fanning. She began acting at age 3 and was homeschooled before later graduating from Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles.

Fanning made her film debut at age two, playing the younger version of her sister’s character in I Am Sam 9 (2001). She landed her first role independent of her sister in Daddy Day Care (2003) and later appeared in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Babel (2006) and Because of Winn-Dixie (2005). Her breakout came in 2011 when she starred in J.J. Abrams’ Super 8, earning critical praise and several award nominations, including a Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.

She has since starred in films such as Maleficent (2014) and its sequel, The Neon Demon (2016), 20th Century Women (2016) and Teen Spirit (2018). She received widespread recognition for her role as Catherine the Great on Hulu’s The Great, earning her the Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She has also starred on The Girl from Plainville and voiced characters in several animated works, including Leap (2016).

In 2025, she was announced as a cast member of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping alongside Mckenna Grace and Kieran Culkin.

The actress began dating Max Minghella in 2018, and the pair split ways in 2023. She later moved on with Gus Wenner in 2023.