MEDIA > ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS > 2002

CHATTING WITH DAKOTA FANNING
Chatting with Dakota Fanning about Taken, Allie, Close Encounters and more.
By Robin Stewart
R: Are there any differences in the way you think about things since playing the part of the alien child "Allie"?
Dakota: Yeah, I think Allie, she just has a different way of thinking about things. She's so deep in her answers. And, um, if you've heard the narration she really explains things to people in a very interesting way. And I think that's what's good about the character Allie.
R: Did any of that come from you or was it all in the script that you had to learn?
Dakota: It was handed to me in the script.
R: When it was over and you left the set did you start to notice things?
Dakota: I've kind of always believed in aliens 'cause my mom had an encounter with an alien craft when she was about my age. She was in the car with my grandmother, her mother, and they were driving and they saw this big ol' thing that was in the shape of a triangle that was light, and they thought it could be an airplane, but it kept flying just over the telephone wires- so they thought that was a little bit strange for an airplane to be traveling that low. And it was hovering, and airplanes can't stay in the same place. Aitplanes have to kind of move, and they have to fly. So my grandmother got out, which I don't really know why, she got out and she walked toward it and it flew away - but faster than an airplane could do. It was like whzoooooom. And they thought that was an alien craft. So then I kind of do believe in aliens.
R: So do you think that it is likely that there are aliens?
Dakota: Yeah, because they're probably asking the same things about us-are there really humans on Earth. And they probably think we look funny because we have two eyes and a nose and a mouth. They probably have three eyes, and a nose where the mouth should be and a mouth where the nose should be. They probably think we look different, and we think they look different.
R: And there could be all kinds of aliens.
Dakota: I know!
R: Just like Heather said, you could go to the moon and find a rock, and it could really be a species of alien.
Dakota: Exactly.
R: So have you ever given any thought to that?
Dakota: Yeah! Because this alien girl Allie looks like a human and she's really an alien. So there could be aliens that look like humans on a different planet.
R: And do you wish that you had Allie's powers?
Dakota: They would be fun to have.
R: What would you do with them if you had them?
Dakota: Well, I would probably save them for something that I really needed to use them. But it would be really fun to have them.
R: And what would such an occasion be?
Dakota: Well, Allie can heal gunshot wounds, and can make people see things that aren't really there, and can stop time. And the stop time one, if I was in kind of like a bad situation or something, I would stop time so I could escape or something and then turn it back on.
R: How come you couldn't save "John"?
Dakota: Well, I tried to save him, but I think I was too weak to save him.
R: Would you like to be in a science fiction movie again?
Dakota: Yeah, cause the special effects are so neat to see and watch. And each different kind of people would be amazing.
R: How do you like living in the South?
Dakota: It's fun. I've lived there all my life. I've lived in Georgia and I love it in the South. My grandmother actually grew up on a 400-acre farm.
R: What would your dream job be?
Dakota: Acting. Anything would be amazing, any opportunity that comes along.
R: Who's your favorite actress? And your favorite movie?
Dakota: My favorite actresses are Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts and Julie Andrews. My favorite movie? I love "My Best Friend's Wedding", which is Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz. And I read all four of the Harry Potter books, there are actually seven in all - but they haven't come out with those yet. And I saw the second Harry Potter Movie yesterday with my friend Jill. I loved those. I saw the first one two times. I'll probably see this one again with my sister or something.
R: Do you think there's a chance you could get into a Harry Potter movie?
Dakota: That would be fun. That would be fun.
R: Do you have to act around school hours? Do you have a tutor?
Dakota: Yes, I have a tutor that comes with me, Jan, and she home schools me.
R: And I gather that Cat in the Hat is your next project?
Dakota: Yeah, I'm working on that right now. After that, I'm going to do "Man on Fire" with Denzel Washington. I did. I actually did meet him. He's one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.
R: And so, when you meet all these movie stars - what do you say to them?
Dakota: Oh, it's just such an honor to be meeting with you.
R: Do you ask for their autographs?
Dakota: No, I actually haven't.
R: Is there anybody whose autograph you really want to have?
Dakota: Um, Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Julie Andrews.
R: Is there anything else I should have asked?
Dakota: No, I think we covered it all.

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