FRESH FACE: 'Phoebe in Wonderland' Star Elle Fanning
By Emily Christianson, Hollywood.com Staff
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Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Her Current Gig: Elle Fanning stars as Phoebe Lichter in Phoebe in Wonderland. The story unfolds as Phoebe, 9, pursues a role in the school play; Alice in Wonderland. The project proves an escape from her conventional mother (Felicity Huffman), as she seeks enlightenment from her eccentric drama teacher (Patricia Clarkson).
You Know This Face … because she’s Dakota Fanning’s little sis and quickly building a resume just as impressive. Although she started riding her sister's coattails with My Neighbor Totoro, Taken and I Am Sam, she has since branched out on her own. At just 10 she’s already worked with Brad Pitt twice in Oscar-worthy faire, first as his daughter in Babel and then as his crush in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Why So Fresh? She landed the lead in The Nutcracker: The Untold Story. As Mary, Fanning will sing, dance and fight the evil Rat King on the big screen. She’s also been tapped to play Cristina in the upcoming biopic Vivaldi alongside Joseph Fiennes.
In Her Own Words ... “She deals with the hard times in her life, she copes with those problems with Alice in Wonderland,” Fanning tells Getty of her character. “When she goes into that world she feels like everyone understands her … I’m sort of like Phoebe in a weird way, because I bite my nails, I have a fear of elevators, I’m sort of like that. I feel like everyone is like Phoebe but you shouldn’t be afraid to be yourself and you shouldn’t be afraid that people are going to make fun of you for being yourself.”
LAST WEEK'S FRESH FACE: 'Dollhouse's Fran Kranz