Dakota Fanning: All Grown Up And Promising To Behave

Dakota Fanning, the precocious child actress who help her own against Sean Penn in "I Am Sam" and who has been a big screen fixture since the 2001 film. She turned 14 in February and is currently in Toronto promoting her upcoming film, "The Secret Life Of Bees" looking like a grown up (scroll for pictures of her over the weekend).

She told Foxnews she will behave, unlike other child-turned-adult stars.

Dakota Fanning made a pledge this weekend, to this reporter. It was consummated with a handshake in front of her mother, publicist, agent and pals.

She's agreed: from now to 'til she's 18, the star of "The Secret Life of Bees" isn't going to be holding up any 7-11s, having an unwanted teen pregnancy, or getting any tattoos or piercings.

Of course, this agreement was a light hearted one, made in jest before she went into do press rounds for "Bees." But she means it. "I swear I won't do any of those things!" Dakota declared.

She's a serious actress, folks, and she knows it. Her poise and comportment in "Bees" is such a revelation that she's likely to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress this year.

Pictures:

Comments

[spiffarino]

Yeah, but she's a librul and a peacenik...she isn't supposed to support traditional values! It's not fair!

[JumpingCholla]

She's a great actress, who has completely missed the so-called awkward stage.

[JimboSlice]

WOW, sounds like her parents could teach Sarah Palin a thing or two!

[Yermammy]

Yuck Yuck! Yup yup. Too funny!

[dattexas]

She's a kid, but she's growing into a lovely young lady. She realy doesn't have to promise anyone anything.

[wolfgangmo]

Promised? Oh crap. She isn't going on dates with her dad, is she?

No? Whew.

You're right. Only right wing religious lunatics date within the immediate family.

[yngcelt]

That is a really offensive remark and just shows where your mind is. Typical liberal personal attack agaisnt everyone and noone at the same time. You should be ashamed of yourself.

[primordialsoup]

Since when is 14 "all grown up"?

[hilaritee]

no kidding! could we are rush famous children in to adulthood and more quickly?

[bobkat]

Well, probably since 17 became the perfect age to have a baby and get married...

[gifu]

Seriously. Lame title and insinuation, on the author's part. This is the age of the "prosti-tot." Quit kickin' kids in the heels to be adults. Why frame and title the article in this vein?

[daddydamon]

Dakota Fanning, the precocious child actress who help her own against Sean Penn in "I Am Sam" and who has been a big screen fixture since the 2001 film.

That's not a sentence.

[RedStateCenterLeft]

Of it's not a sentence. It came from FOX News. What do you expect? Literacy?

[pfitzner]

Don't blame Fox. If you read Roger Friedman's original article on foxnews.com, you'll see that the present story has been substantially rewritten; by HuffPo, I'd wager. The offending opening "sentence" doesn't appear, and is probably HuffPo's caption for the photo, conflated with the text of the story.

Further, there is no mention of "all grown up". It's HuffPo's invention.

When not reporting poliitcs, Fox is neither more nor less obnoxious than any other news organization. However much I enjoy reading the HuffPo, their editing is lousy!

[LordMoon]

What a sweatheart.... without innoscence real beauty cannot exist...

[ghostdance]

My wife and I were just wondering where she's been. Good to see she's still around, she's very good at what she does.

[JDJase]

ah she's in that awkward stage. Not a cute kid anymore, not a hot woman

[rzan1]

I remember the first interview I saw with this child, and it gave me the creeps. She was imitating the way adults speak, and all I could think was she is not being her true self, she is trying to be an adult, and it is really obnoxious. Like so many child actors, she will give you what she thinks you want to hear. It is disingenuous and kind of pathetic because there is a loss of self in the process. An adult can get away with it. They know what they are doing. I am not so sure about children. I really hope that Dakota goes through a period of rebellion and comes out the other side a real person.

[isla989]

no offense Rzan1, but 'you' sound like the one with issues - she's tryint to be an adult and it is really obnoxious? gimme a break - I know many, many precocious children and they are far from obnoxious - they're smart - if a child shows maturity, why does it necessarily mean they have 'lost' their self? Could it simple be wisdom, or again maturity? Not all kids have to get drunk or smoke pot to become a 'real' person - I for one did not, and I think Fanning might be that rare child actress who becomes an adult success without the psychotherapy..

[Heidfeld]

Ummm no, isla989, if you saw her give an interview when she was younger, you would have to conclude that there was something strange about her.

Rzan's point was not about all precocious children, but this one in particular that happens to be an actor. Her fame and success came/come from being something she is not. This has proven, on many occasions, to be something very difficult for children to handle.

And now she is 14 and people want to declare her over it? Give her a few years. Wait at least until she is allowed to drive a car and find her own trouble...

[rzan]

There is a difference between wisdom, maturity and imitation. She was just not real. I enjoy precocious children, but she was using every socially acceptable cliche she could get her mind around, and it was really a little sad. Childhood is for being a child, precocious or not.

[LeftLeftLeft]

Oh, that she remain unspoiled and unblemished by fame. . . . . what a sweetheart!

[nadinesellers]

She remind me of the self i have lost under cumulative emotional clutter.
But i believe she will be well and balanced, because she has support and it shows.
Yes, a a young woman can be quite grown up in a full spectrum environment, look at other countries and cultures.

[Big0725]

Since when is 14 all grown up?

[Counterglow]

Since you started trying them as adults and sentencing them to death.

[ceti]

This is a borderline pervert blog, aah, I see coming from AP/Fox News. Nice family values targetting the underaged.

[RaraAvis17]

She is turning out to be a beautiful young lady. I can't believe how much a kid can change in just a couple of years.

Stay centered Dakota!!

You don't want to screw up, because people are brutal.

[Big0725]

Thank goodness she didn't go down the Haley Joel Osment road, looks-wise.