Elle Fanning is an American actress known for her roles on stage and screen. She started her career as a child actor in 2001 before transitioning to mature leading roles. She has acted across genres ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to Independent dramas.
Fanning made her film debut in the child custody drama I Am Sam (2001), before taking roles in the family comedy Daddy Day Care (2003), the family comedy-drama Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), the psychological drama Babel (2006), and the fantasy romance drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). She was able to transition into leading roles acting in the Sofia Coppola drama Somewhere (2010), the J.J. Abrams science-fiction thriller Super 8 (2011) and the Sally Potter the coming-of-age drama Ginger & Rosa (2012). She then gained a wider audience portraying Princess Aurora in the Walt Disney Studio fantasy film Maleficent (2014) and its sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019).
She has focused her career on independent films such as the historical drama Trumbo (2015), the psychological horror film The Neon Demon (2016), the coming-of-age dramedy 20th Century Women (2016), the science-fiction romance How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017), the Southern Gothic thriller The Beguiled (2017), the gangster drama Live by Night (2019), the musical drama Teen Spirit (2018), the romantic comedy A Rainy Day in New York (2019), and the teen romance All the Bright Places (2020), the later of which she also served as a producer. She portrayed Mary Shelley in the period drama Mary Shelley (2017), and Sylvie Russo in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown (2024).
On television, she portrayed Catherine the Great in the FX on Hulu satirical period dramedy The Great (2020–2023) and Michelle Carter in the Hulu crime miniseries The Girl from Plainville (2022). She also acted in the supernatural miniseries The Lost Room (2006). On stage, she made her Broadway playing a hippie in the Branden Jacobs-Jenkins family drama play Appropriate (2023) and portrayed the character Tomorrow in the video-game Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (2025).
Acting credits Film
Year Title Role Notes 2001 I Am Sam Young Lucy Dawson 2003 Daddy Day Care Jamie 2004 The Door in the Floor Ruth Cole 2005 Because of Winn-Dixie Sweetie Pie Thomas My Neighbor Totoro Mei Kusakabe Voice; English dub P.N.O.K. Rebecca Bullard Short film 2006 Déjà Vu Abbey Babel Debbie Jones I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With Penelope Charlotte's Web Girl In The Panda Mask (uncredited) 2007 Day 73 with Sarah Sarah Short film The Nines Noelle Reservation Road Emma Learner 2008 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Daisy Fuller (Age 7) Phoebe in Wonderland Phoebe Lichten 2009 Astro Boy Grace Voice 2010 The Nutcracker in 3D Mary Somewhere Cleo 2011 The Curve of Forgotten Things Girl Short film Super 8 Alice Dainard Twixt V We Bought a Zoo Lily Miska 2012 Ginger & Rosa Ginger Leaning Toward Solace Sara Short film 2013 Likeness Mia Short film 2014 Young Ones Mary Holms Low Down Amy-Jo Albany Maleficent Princess Aurora The Boxtrolls Winnie Voice 2015 Trumbo Nikola Trumbo 3 Generations Ray 2016 The Neon Demon Jesse 20th Century Women Julie Hamlin Ballerina Félicie Le Bras Voice Live by Night Loretta Figgis 2017 The Vanishing of Sidney Hall Melody Jameson How to Talk to Girls at Parties Zan The Beguiled Alicia Mary Shelley Mary Shelley 2018 I Think We're Alone Now Grace Galveston Rocky Teen Spirit Violet Valenski 2019 A Rainy Day in New York Ashleigh Enright Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Princess Aurora 2020 The Roads Not Taken Molly All the Bright Places Violet Markey Also producer 2024 A Complete Unknown Sylvie Russo 2025 Sentimental Value Rachel Kemp Predator: Badlands Thia / Tessa 2026 Rosebush Pruning Martha Effie Trinket Post-production 2027 Isabelle Rossignol Filming; also producer
Television Year Title Role Notes 2002 Taken Allie Keys (Age 3) Episode: "Charlie and Lisa" 2003 Judging Amy Rochelle Cobbs Episode: "Maxine Interrupted" CSI: Miami Molly Walker Episode: "Death Grip" 2004 CSI: NY Jenny Como Episode: "Officer Blue" 2006 House, M.D. Stella Dalton Episode: "Need to Know" Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Eden Episode: "Cage" The Lost Room Anna Miller 3 episodes; mini series 2006–2007 Criminal Minds Tracy Belle 2 episodes 2007 Dirty Sexy Money Kiki George Episode: "Pilot" 2014 HitRecord on TV Daughter Episode: "RE: The Number One” 2020 The Disney Family Singalong Herself Television special 2020–2023 The Great Catherine the Great Lead role, 30 episodes; also executive producer 2021 No Activity Madison Voice; episode: "Magnolia" Robot Chicken Sarah, Logan's Friend, Nerd's Wife Voice; episode: "May Cause the Need for Speed" 2022 The Girl from Plainville Michelle Carter Lead role; also executive producer 2024 Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer Executive producer 2025 Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? Executive producer 2026–present Margo's Got Money Troubles Margo Millet Lead role; also executive producer Discretion Lenny Lead role; also executive producer
Theatre Year Title Role Playwright Venue 2023 Appropriate River Rayner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Hayes Theater, Broadway
Music videos Year Title Artist(s) Role Notes 2016 "Good Morning" Grouplove
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2025 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Tomorrow Motion Capture, Voice and likeness
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