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IT'S DREAMY BEING DAKOTA
from Total Girl Magazine, March 2005

She's just 12 years old, but in Hollywood terms Dakota Fanning is a giant! Total Girl chatted to the mini-sized megastar about her new film and her movie star life.
How strange is it to have more acting experience than other actors who are twice your age?
I just feel lucky that I've been able to do the movies I've been able to do and act opposite who I've acted with. I've learned so much from all of them.
Is it difficult to juggle your school work while being on a movie set?
In between movies I go back to school. It's not too hard. I do my home schooling with my teacher and she also travels around with me.
Do your friends treat you differently because you're a star?
I have a great time with my friends and we love just hanging out. They don't treat me differently at all. I'm just Dakota.
What do your friends say when you tell them you're working with Tom Cruise or another big movie star?
They think it's great and they can't wait for the movies to come out. We don't talk about movies. My best friend is James and we talk about school all the time.
Tell us something about Tom Cruise that we don't already know.
We'd always joke around and our favorite movie is Napoleon Dynamite, so we'd take quotes from that movie all the time. And he gave me an iPod after we worked on War of the Worlds.
What songs do you have on your iPod?
Anything and everything! There are a lot of Britney Spears' songs on it.
Is it true your Dreamer co-star Kurt Russell gave you a horse?
Yes, he's a palomino and he's blonde so I called him Goldie. I love riding because it's so exciting. I guess every girl wants a pony, don't they? Goldie is on a ranch near my home so I go and see him all the time.
When the director yells 'cut' and you're free for the day, what do you like to do?
After I'm done working, I leave my character there and go home. I like to hang out with my friends or my sister.
Do you think you're in a hurry to grow up?
I just try and live every day to the fullest and have a great time with what I'm doing. I don't think I'm in a hurry to grow up. I like being my age!
Give us the scoop of what Charlotte's Web is going to be like!
It's going to be exactly the same as the book. That's all I can say (laughs). It's going to be amazing, I can't wait to see it.
What are your plans when you finish school?
I want to go to college, but I'd have to go to college and act at the same time because I think I'd be bored if I just went to college and couldn't act!
What's the best thing about being Dakota Fanning?
Oh, lots of things. I get to meet all these unbelievable people. And visit beautiful places that I probably would never have gone to if I wasn't doing movies.
What's your favorite thing you've done away from a movie set?
One day when we had a break from filming Man On Fire, we got to climb up the pyramids in Mexico. We were so high up and there weren't any rails at the top so I didn't look down!

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