THE SUNNY SIDE
SHE TAKES BOXING CLASSES WEARING PINK GLOVES, HAS A CRUSH ON JOHNNY CASH AND HER FAVOURITE KARAOKE SONG IS “SUMMER NIGHTS” FROM GREASE. ELLE FANNING IS A PICTURE-PERFECT DISNEY PRINCESS – AND A WHOLE LOT MORE BESIDES
Elle Fanning may be a screen veteran at 21, but she’s not taking anything for granted.
YOU COULD FORGIVE ELLE FANNING FOR BEING A TOUCH BLASÉ.
This is a woman who had acted in 10 movies, 11 TV shows, two shorts and lent her voice to a cartoon... all before she was 10. By age 12, The New York Times had printed a rapturous profile of her. Most years, she stars in two or three films – some years, even four. The highs and lows of Hollywood could easily have taken their toll on a young actor. But in reality, Fanning is a ray of sunshine.
“In this industry, you have to make things really special,” she says. “I always try to hold on to that – each moment is so amazing, and you never know if it’s going to be taken away from you. It’s important nothing feels like, ‘Done this, done that.’ That’s not a good way to be.” And she isn’t. “I love smiling, I love laughing – I’m a very animated, excited human. There’s this childlike essence to me that I don’t ever want to get rid of.”
Childlike, maybe. But she handled the tricky transition from child actor to respected veteran (at 21, she’s been in the business for 19 years) with aplomb, showing she’s capable of playing difficult, complex roles with a skill that’s seen her garner Oscar buzz. And yet she never gives the impression that she’s playing Hollywood power games. Instead, Fanning retains a pure passion for the job that makes her a natural choice to play the quintessential Disney princess, Sleeping Beauty (aka Aurora). First taking on the role in 2014’s Maleficent, she’s now returned to the screen for the second instalment, Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. “It’s the first sequel I’ve ever done, so it’s the first character I’ve played twice,” she says. “Aurora has grown – she’s looking at a new chapter in her life, young womanhood, and the struggles with that, and finding her strengths.” The parallel with her own life is hard to escape – and Fanning is too smart to even try. “The first Maleficent, I was 14 when I did that, now I’m 21. And I’ve grown as a person, too. I’ve been on a lot more movie sets since then and learnt so much more.”
Mistress Of Evil has a seriously impressive cast list: Angelina Jolie repeats her iconic role as Maleficent, and Michelle Pfeiffer joins as her counterpoint. “It was very inspiring for me to see these two women who have been acting for so long and been on so many sets, and they’re still really excited by it,” says Fanning. “They still want to play and dress up – they’re not afraid to go there and have a good time.”
Disney has long been attempting to make over its classic fairytales, and for good reason. Keira Knightley is among those who ban their children from watching princess films like Cinderella and The Little Mermaid due to their outdated take on gender roles. But Aurora, Fanning believes, is part of a new wave of princesses moving that heritage into the 21st century – just like Moana, who adventures out past “the line where the sky meets the sea” to save her island, or Brave’s crack archer Merida, or Jasmine, who dreams of becoming the first female sultan in this year’s remake of Aladdin. “When I was young I watched all the animated Disney films, and they’re beautiful in their own way, but the women aren’t extremely complex and they do rely on the men a lot,” says Fanning. “The modern fairytale with a twist is so important.”
The twist in the first film (spoiler alert!) has “true love’s kiss”, the only thing that can break the curse that dooms Aurora to sleep forever, bestowed not by Prince Phillip but by Maleficent, who develops a motherly love for the princess she cursed. “I just loved being a part of that new generation, that twist where it was love for a mother, not a man,” Fanning says. “And we carry that into the second film. It’s about families and your chosen family.” (The prince is so much of a cipher that he’s played by a different actor in the second movie. Few, perhaps, would notice.)
But Aurora has her own style. “People might expect Aurora – because they do this a lot in princess films – to come back, put on armour and be fighting, because that means she’s grown up now and she’s strong. But there are very strong female leads in this film and they all show their power in a different way. It was important that Aurora stays true to herself – she has a real kindness and strength in femininity. She wants to get married and be a mother and that’s important to show as a strength as well.”
Like Aurora, Fanning sees parenthood in her future. “I’d love to be a mum, that’s for sure. Not now, but I know that stuff is going to happen one day.” But she won’t say whether she’s dating anyone special, expertly deflecting the question. “At school, I had boyfriends and dated people, and it wasn’t a thing – nobody cared. You have to learn, ‘Oh, people want to talk about that [now],’ but you also have to protect yourself.”
While she won’t be drawn on the relationship, Fanning has been linked to Max Minghella, a fellow actor who also directed her in Teen Spirit. The two have been photographed holding hands and appeared together on the red carpet at this year’s Met Gala. Fanning is happy to talk about working with him, however, praising his skills as a first-time writer and director. “It didn’t really feel like it was his first time, so that really tells you so much. Obviously it’s in his blood – his dad made some of the most iconic movies of all time [Anthony Minghella directed The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley, among others]. He’s a huge film buff; he watches everything.”
Working with Max opened other possibilities for her future, too. “It’s important to have ambition,” Fanning says. “I would love to write and direct something. I feel I do have a director’s mind. Being on set, I really like getting involved and thinking about scenes in a technical way. And I used to write a lot – that’s a muscle I need to exercise more. I got Final Draft [scriptwriting software] when I was 11 – I would love to get back to it.”
Having played a teenage popstar in Teen Spirit, and sung all the songs, she says music is another of her ambitions. “That was a definite on the bucket list, to do a musical, and I’d love to do more of it,” she says. As for a standalone album, “Nothing’s really happening but I would be open to it.” However, if the uncertain nature of Hollywood has taught her anything, it’s that: “I don’t think you can plan anything in this world. The most exciting things that have happened were things I’d never be able to plan. I used to try to be organised, but I’ve learnt to go with the flow.”
Still, she doesn’t mind planning when it comes to fashion – a passion of hers and one of her favourite parts of her career.
“I dressed really crazy at school. I had glasses when I was seven – they were Coke-bottle red or orange cat-eye. I really went there. So obviously people weren’t necessarily going to be like, ‘You’re so cool.’ The red carpet was like a home for me – from a young age, the fashion community embraced me. The red carpet felt safe. I don’t feel judged on it – I feel free to express that side of myself. It’s such a creative outlet, something I could really take control of.”
She’s used the red carpet both as a playground (themedressing in a baby-blue Elie Saab princess dress for the world premiere of Maleficent) and a statement (carrying off an embroidered Zuhair Murad ballgown for the 2016 Cannes Film Festival premiere of The Neon Demon, in which she plays an aspiring model who gets corrupted in LA). That was her first time at Cannes and a moment that marked an important transition in her life. “I think of that as my coming of age. That film, I think it shocked people a bit and people saw me as older and a bit edgier and experienced.” Her stint on the jury at Cannes this year (she was the youngestever juror) saw her grace the red carpet in an array of designer gowns, from ethereal white Reem Acra to shocking pink Vivienne Westwood. But it was a vintage-esque Dior outfit that was her favourite. “At Cannes, you can go big and that’s what I wanted. I wanted to do separates, and I asked Dior if they would be into a ball skirt and shirt situation, and it morphed into the New Look. We added the hat very last-minute. It was exciting because I’m very nostalgic of the ’50s and ’60s. Old-hollywood glamour is so classic, I wish it would come back.”
Looking forward, Fanning intends to work with her older sister, fellow actor Dakota. “We’d love to do something together, and there’ll never be a first time with that again, so it’s very precious to us. It would be great, because we don’t really talk about each other’s work.” They do hang out as often as they can, though. “She knows what I’m thinking, and she’s the best advice giver. As we get older, we get to be good friends.”
Earlier this year, Fanning made headlines for acting like any normal 21-year-old – borrowing her big sister’s bikini, wearing it on a European holiday, then fessing up to the crime by posting a shot of it on Instagram. That holiday was a long time coming, she says. “I didn’t work this summer, so I went on vacation. That was nice, but then I started to feel, ‘Okay, I’m done relaxing. I need to start thinking about a character again.’ When I don’t have that world to look forward to, I miss it so much!” Clearly, Fanning loves being on the big screen just as much as we love seeing her on it. Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil is in cinemas now E